(Minneapolis, MN) — An Oklahoma man is pleading guilty to wire fraud after hacking a government auction website in Eagan, Minnesota, to buy vehicles and jewelry for just one dollar. Federal court documents say 41-year-old Evan Coker participated in multiple auctions on the General Service Administration’s (GSA) auction website, which disposes of surplus, seized, and forfeited assets that are no longer required by government agencies. Instead of paying the winning bid amount, Coker breached the website and changed the price to just one dollar whenever he won an auction.
In total, Coker bid on and won 19 auction items and fraudulently paid just $1 for each item. As a result of his scheme, Coker obtained three vehicles, including a 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid, for which he bid $8,327; a Ford F550 pickup truck, for which he bid $9,000; and a Chevrolet C4500 Box Truck, for which he bid $22,700. A sentencing hearing is yet to be scheduled.
