Mother Lode Man Arrested In Kansas

A Placerville man has been arrested in Kansas after two years on the lam on charges of inflating bids in hundreds of Internet art auctions. Kenneth Fetterman is facing extradition in the case. Authorities say it´s the nation€™s first criminal prosecution involving fraudulent online auctions.

Fetterman was arrested Saturday in Wichita. He was originally booked for investigation of possessing marijuana and not having a driver€™s license.

A check of his fingerprints turned up a 16-count indictment handed up by a federal grand jury in Sacramento. The indictment accuses Fetterman and two other men of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.

Scott Beach of Lakewood, Colorado and Kenneth Walton of Sacramento have already pleaded guilty and are set to be sentenced April eighth.

Prosecutors say the three men used 47 online identities to place fake bids to drive up the prices of hundreds of paintings auctioned on eBay from 1998 to 2000.