Latest NewsHouston man gets 2 1/2-year sentence in hot tub scam (May 21, 2010)
HOUSTON — Prosecutors say a Houston man has been sentenced to 2 1/2
years in federal prison for defrauding eBay customers who bought hot
tubs that were never built.
U.S.
Attorney Jose Angel Moreno said the punishment given Wednesday to
48-year-old Steve Todd Lanni included three years of supervised release
after prison and restitution totaling more than $190,000.
Lanni
pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December after authorities accused the
Factory Direct Spas owner of demanding full payment up front from the
highest bidders on hot tub orders, then spending the money on trips and
expensive meals.
Authorities say Lanni duped customers in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
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