Chrysler employee sold pilfered parts on eBay

Bradford Wernle | | Automotive News / December 18, 2006 - 1:00 am A Chrysler parts depot employee in Denver was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $427,012 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to illegally selling DaimlerChrysler parts on eBay.

Ronald Raeburn, a 10-year employee of DaimlerChrysler's Denver Parts Distribution Center, was accused of stealing a variety of Mopar parts over two years. The parts included electronic key fobs, hubcaps, emblems, radio and CD players, headphone units and trailer hitches.

Chrysler's Brand Protection Team, which works with Chrysler and Mopar security, noticed a substantial quantity of parts being sold on eBay about two years ago, said Chris Hogan, senior manager of security at the Chrysler group.

The federal district judge in the case, Wiley Daniel, also ordered Raeburn's sister, Jodi Marie Raeburn, to five years probation and to pay $251,684 in restitution. The FBI helped Chrysler solve the crime and eBay cooperated, Hogan said.

Chrysler earlier uncovered the theft of 477 transmissions from several plants in Indiana. The transmissions had been pilfered by employees charged with trucking them to a railhead in Chicago.