Northampton Con Man Sentenced

A Northampton Township man who admitted to masterminding a major fraud scheme involving the Internet auction site eBay was sentenced today in federal court.

Nathan Allen Kriegler, 44, of Holland, PA, received 40 months in prison for defrauding numerous retail corporations, financial institutions and the government out of a combined loss of more than $700,000. 

According to a statement released by the FBI, Kriegler was in the business of selling stolen merchandise —mostly computer equipment and televisions — on eBay.  

Authorities said Ryan Pollack, of Philadelphia, and Evan Appel, of Elkins Park, also took part in Kriegler’s illegal operation.

All three defendants in the eBay scheme plead guilty last November.

Pollack and Appel have already been sentenced to 37 months in prison and 33 months in prison, respectively.

Kriegler was also charged with theft of government property, wire fraud, and bank fraud in connection with three additional schemes.

The additional charges stem from Kriegler's passing of approximately 30 worthless checks to United States Postal Service retail locations in exchange for more than $80,000 worth of postage stamps, which he later sold on eBay.

The bank fraud charges relate to a check-kiting scheme, in which Kriegler kited more than $500,000 in worthless checks between and among various checking accounts he maintained with 12 different banks.

Kriegler was also charged with making false statements and creating false documents to obtain more than $480,000 in loans.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick ordered Kriegler to pay restitution in the amount of $736,890.26 and to five years’ supervised release.