Columbia man sentenced to four years after swindling thousands of dollars from multiple victims
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - A man accused of stealing thousands of dollars from several victims was sentenced today according to the Columbia Police Department’s Property Crimes investigators.
Bradley Donald Smith, 43, has been sentenced to four years in prison and must pay his victims $60,000 in restitution when he is released.
Smith reportedly told victims that they could purchase cars for a lower-than-retail-price.
He allegedly convinced victims to deposit money into his bank account in exchange for the vehicles.
However, Smith failed to deliver the vehicles as promised but kept the cash from the arrangements.
Smith was extradited to Columbia from Las Vegas, Nevada in September. He was charged with two counts of obtaining signature/property under false pretenses in connection to incidents that occurred over the summer.
The United States Marshals Service’s (USMS) Task Force Operation Intercept aided in the extradition and arrest.
Police Chief Skip Holbrook would like to offer these following tips to prevent scams:
- Don’t pay upfront for a promise/guarantee
- Consider payment with fraud protection
- Don’t deposit a check to a stranger’s bank account
- Be skeptical of ‘too good to be true’ offers
- Report suspected scammers to police immediately
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