2 Plead Guilty In International Web Car-Selling Scheme

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal prosecutors say two Europeans have pleaded guilty to running an Internet scam where they sold non-existent cars to American victim to bank more than $4 million.

U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek says 38-year-old Romanian national Corneliu Weikum and 24-year-old Yulia Mishina-Heffron of Russia entered guilty pleas Thursday on cash smuggling and wire and bank fraud charges.

The two were part of a scheme that advertised cars for sale on sites like eBay Motors, Auto Trader and Craigslist from May 2007 to Nov. 2010.

Victims would negotiate with members of the conspiracy before depositing money for the cars into bank accounts that were established by the two.

They would then smuggle it out of the U.S. in cash and through wire transfers.

They are due for sentencing Dec. 21.

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