An Oklahoma con artist is facing the music after gaming the system in Uncle Sam's online auction house. Evan James Coker, a 41-year-old from the Sooner State, copped to a slick wire fraud operation where he hacked into a government website and snagged wheels and bling for a buck apiece.
Evan James Coker, by his own admission, managed to quickly and unlawfully enrich himself by bidding in online auctions by the General Service Administration (GSA) only to subvert the payment system, turning his hefty bids into measly dollar payments. From February 25 to March 6, 2019, Coker went to town on the GSA's online auctions before law enforcement caught up to him, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota.
An Oklahoma man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after hacking a government auction website and purchasing vehicles and jewelry for $1 | https://t.co/ikhhBGQDnY
— GSA Office of Inspector General (@GSA_OIG) February 21, 2024
Officials say Coker hooked three vehicles in his phishing net, including a 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid, a Ford F550 pickup, and a Chevy C4500 Box Truck. The catch? He originally bid thousands—the Ford Escape alone was an $8,327 prize—but he made off with them for less than the price of your morning coffee. The scam netted him 19 auction items in total.
The wayward Oklahoma man cracked the pay.gov code to drop his dues, pleading guilty today to one count of wire fraud before Judge Michael J. Davis. A sentencing hearing is on the books to be scheduled at a later date, so Coker's got some time to ruminate on his $1 swindle.
This wire fraud racket was unraveled by the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General and the FBI, proving there's no such thing as a free ride. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Matthew D. Forbes were the legal eagles handling the prosecution, intent to see justice served.
