Milo resident pleads guilty to mail fraud

BANGOR – A Milo man waived indictment and pleaded guilty on Friday in U.S. District Court to mail fraud totaling more than $10,000.

Ronney L. Vick, 57, faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He also could be ordered to pay restitution.

A sentencing date has not been set. Vick is free on personal recognizance bail.

Vick admitted that from March 2001 through August 2002, he offered items for sale on eBay, an Internet marketplace. He described those items as in “mint” or good condition. After he sold them online, Vick purchased insurance coverage for fraudulently inflated prices from the U.S. Postal Service.

When the buyers complained of the condition of the items, Vick would tell them they had been damaged during shipment. He then would file an insurance claim with the post office, according to court documents.

Vick admitted on Friday that he used the name of a Massachusetts man to set up a post office box in Onsett, Mass., and file the false claims. He also had his former girlfriend make false bids online to run up the selling price of items, according to court documents.