Newark Reporter

An Indiana resident has confessed to defrauding numerous individuals by falsely negotiating the sale of valuable items he neither owned nor possessed. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced that Brian Combs, aged 49 from Fishers, Indiana, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court on October 15, 2024.

Court documents and statements reveal that between April 2018 and December 2023, Combs illicitly acquired $581,605 from multiple victims. He negotiated sales of rare items such as whiskey bottles, precious metals, silver coins, and a collectible Mickey Mantle baseball card without having ownership or possession of these goods. Victims were led to believe they would receive these items upon payment. Combs often requested direct wire payments instead of using the e-commerce platform where he advertised these goods, complicating the recovery process for victims when he failed to deliver.

Each charge of wire fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for February 20, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger acknowledged the efforts of FBI Newark Division's special agents at the Trenton Resident Agency under Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado for their investigation leading to Combs' guilty plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Super Pitts from the Criminal Division in Trenton represents the government in this case.