BENTLEYVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A southwestern Pennsylvania man has been extradited from Missouri to face charges he posed as a lawman while scamming people during online automobile sales.
The (Washington) Observer-Reporter (https://bit.ly/1kxPpcq ) says 25-year-old Timothy Rossell, of Bentleyville, was returned Thursday from the Franklin County, Mo. jail.
Southwest Regional police Chief John Hartman says Rossell would claim to be either a constable or a state trooper, apparently to enhance his credibility during the vehicle deals on Craigslist.
In two instances, police say Rossell claimed to be a Pennsylvania lawman who needed a work vehicle and took delivery, only to stiff the sellers for the payment.
In a third case, Rossell allegedly identified himself as a retired Missouri state trooper when he accepted payment from a western Pennsylvania man for a vehicle he never delivered.
Rossell was arrested in Missouri in April.
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