A man and woman were arrested on preliminary charges of theft after police investigated a tip that an item was being falsely advertised for sale online.
Nathaniel W. Clement, 35, Columbus and Cori L. Fortner, 30, North Vernon, both were arrested on a charge of theft as a Level 6 felony.
North Vernon Police Department began the investigation about 1:17 p.m. Sunday when Officer Matt Staples received a report about a generator listed for sale online, but that the owner had never posted it for sale. The tip came from an employee of the victim.
Staples verified ownership of the generator and confirmed that the owner had never posted it for sale. The generator was valued at $2,000 and was listed for sale online for $300.
Staples worked with the employee, who discovered the item acting as an interested buyer. Once the employee was able to arrange a meeting with the online contact, Staples took two suspects into custody following interviews and an investigation at the scene of the controlled meeting. This is an ongoing investigation.
