A Lawrence, Kan. police officer who earned a medal for rescuing people from burning apartments now faces a 14-count federal indictment in an alleged buy-and-return video game fraud.
Ryan Sayler allegedly pocketed just $526 in the scam, an extremely cheap way to earn more than a dozen charges of wire fraud. He's accused of buying games, removing the discs, then returning the cases to the retailer (I guess either re-sealed or with a phony disc inside, it doesn't say) and selling the merch over eBay.
Just more proof that, if you buy anything on Half or eBay that's disc only, no manual or case - especially if it's a new game - it's probably shady as hell.
A story says the guy no longer works on the force; it says he was terminated last December, but it doesn't say for what reason. The alleged fraud occurred while he was on the force, in August and September of last year.
Sayler was honored with the Lawrence P.D.'s Medal of Valor, its highest citation, for his role in evacuating the Boardwalk Complex Fire of 2005, which killed three and injured many more. Sayler and others arrived to find residents leaping from second- and third-story balconies to escape the blaze, and the tragedy resulted in a $12 million settlement between the building's owners, the injured, and families of the dead.
Yes, it is a slow news day. Eat me.
Former Lawrence Police Officer Accused of Selling Stolen Video Games [Lawrence, Kan. Journal-World]