The Twinsburg Police Department is holding an auction Saturday to pay back victims of an online scam.
The victims are spread across the country and vary in age. The youngest were just ten years old at the time.
“The two kids saved up their money and wanted to purchase a horse,” said Twinsburg Detective Brian Donato. “The horse was never delivered.”
Donato said Lydia Culp repeatedly sold the same horse and equipment on Facebook.
“Same horse, same name, same pictures and she would just keep recycling it.”
Her scam began to unravel last fall when Donato was contacted by investigators in Montana. A woman paid for a horse, but never received it.
Culp’s bank was in Twinsburg.
“It was a check for more than $15,000. That’s what kicked all this off," said Donato.
Donato discovered a total of 22 victims living in more than a dozen states, but there are likely more.
Culp is now serving six years behind bars. Her boyfriend struck a deal with prosecutors and is on probation. Both are responsible for paying back roughly $109,000 to victims. Because of that, property seized by the police department will be auctioned Saturday.
Small and large items will be sold, including a trailer, saddle, Bobcat machine, truck and custom dune buggy, reportedly worth $100,000.
The auction is Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Twinsburg service department garages.
Bids for some large items will be accepted online and in-person. You can find more information here.
