Crime & Safety

Man Arrested on Suspicion of Online Theft from Australian Merchant

Brian Lawrence Reeves was arrested last week at his MInnetonka workplace, accused of cheating an Australian merchant out of almost $3,000.

A Plymouth man, arrested last week in Minnetonka on suspicion of theft, is being investigated for cheating an Australian merchant out of almost $3,000.

Brian Lawrence Reeves, 29, was arrested Feb. 29 at his workplace, an auto dealership in Minnetonka.

According to a search warrant affidavit filed in Hennepin County District Court, Minnetonka police were contacted last Oct. 20 by an Australian man who sold Reeves two custom-modified XBox gaming consoles.

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The man told police that the consoles, not available in stores, were valued at $2,726, and that Reeves had paid more than $200 for express shipping. The shipping address was Reeves’ employer in Minnetonka.

The merchant told police that Reeves had made a fraud claim with his credit-card company after receiving the game consoles, and that the company had issued a charge-back, causing him to lose almost $3,000.

Find out what's happening in Minnetonkawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Tracking information showed that the package arrived at Reeves’ workplace on Sept. 30, and that a co-worker had signed for it and turned it over to Reeves.

Police spoke to Reeves, who claimed that he received the package, but that it contained only rocks and paper, according to the complaint. He said he notified his credit-card company of what he called fraudulent activity on the day he received the package.

Reeves claimed that he did not place any international orders with a merchant in Australia, according to court documents.

Police subsequently obtained administrative subpoenas for Internet service providers and determined that Reeves had conversations via e-mail with the Australian seller, and that the messages came from Reeves’ Plymouth home.

The latest search warrant affidavit seeks approval to search Reeves’ home for further evidence that he agreed to buy the two XBox gaming systems, including computers, hard drives and flash drives.


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