EVERETT — Police believe that a local man and woman used an old motorhome to pull off three scams, including one that hoodwinked an Everett widow.
Their alleged scheme began in October 2013 when they answered a Craigslist ad to buy a 1995 Chevrolet Dutchman motorhome.
The seller, whose husband died in 2012, gave the man, 41, the keys to check how the vehicle ran. While he asked questions, his partner, 39, allegedly stole the title paperwork.
They paid the Everett woman a $100 deposit to allow time to come up with the rest of the money.
Only after they left did she realize they’d walked off with the keys and title, according to a probable cause statement written by a Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy.
The motorhome was stolen when the Everett woman left town for a few days.
Three months later, the motorhome again was listed on Craigslist under the widow’s name. A prospective buyer met with the suspects who told her stories about family camping trips they’d taken in the motorhome over the years.
They agreed to sell the motorhome for $9,850 with the buyer writing a $2,500 deposit check. The check was cashed four days later. The suspects — and motorhome — vanished.
The cheated buyer did some sleuth work. She made a records request with the state Department of Licensing regarding the vehicle. She discovered that the woman she’d bought it from sold it to another buyer.
That man told a Snohomish County sheriff’s detective that he bought the motorhome from the suspects for $8,500. The seller handed over a vehicle title with the allegedly forged signatures of the Everett widow and her deceased husband.
The couple that allegedly stole and sold the motorhome was arrested Thursday for investigation of forgery, theft, vehicle theft and making an illegal vehicle transfer. They have not been charged.
Both suspects were listed as transients in arrest reports. She had been evicted from three Snohomish County homes since 2011 for missing rent payments. She also reportedly has warrants for her arrest under her name and an alias.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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