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Man charged with faking car on eBay

OBETZ, Ohio, June 29 (UPI) -- An Ohio man faces four felony charges after he allegedly tried to pass off a 1965 Chevy Chevelle SS for a higher-end model in an eBay auction.

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Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said Bobby Patton, 58, of Obetz, tried to pass the vehicle, worth an estimated $28,000, off as a higher-end 1965 Chevy Chevelle Z16, which is valued at about $155,000. Only 200 of the model were produced, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reported Tuesday.

"It looks like Mr. Patton spent a lot of time to make it appear that it was something it wasn't -- and something that was a lot more expensive," O'Brien said.

O'Brien said the eBay posting included photos of a doctored title along with a falsified vehicle identification number plate and cowl identification tag.

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Patton, who is due in court July 13, was charged with tampering with records, possession of criminal tools, telecommunication fraud and attempted criminal simulation. He could face up to eight years in prison if convicted on all charges.


Police: Man put genitals in money bag

SPARTANBURG, S.C., June 29 (UPI) -- Authorities in South Carolina said they arrested a man who was allegedly caught by a store clerk with his private parts in a money deposit bag.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said a clerk at the Hot Spot store in Spartanburg told deputies the man, identified as Alan Ray Walker, 47, of Cowpens entered the store Sunday and headed for the restroom, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported Tuesday.

The clerk said she saw the man exit the store's office about 15 minutes later with his pants on the floor and his penis inside a plastic money deposit bag. She said the man left after an argument and handed the bag to another clerk on his way out.

The sheriff's office said a deputy found Walker in his truck and he was found to be in possession of a substance that tested positive for cocaine along with a glass pipe, a .25-caliber handgun and $4,200 cash.

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Walker was arrested and charged with indecent exposure, grand larceny, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and unlawfully having a handgun. He was taken to the Spartanburg County jail in lieu of $20,000 bond.


Giant squid found floating off Florida

STUART, Fla., June 29 (UPI) -- A trio of Florida fishermen said they made an unusual find about 12 miles off the coast of Jensen Beach -- a dead giant squid measuring 23- to 25 feet.

The Stuart fishermen, Robby Benz, Paul Peroulakis and Joe Asaro, said they were fishing at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday when they spotted a large mass in the water, TCPalm.com reported Tuesday.

The men brought their boat closer to investigate and discovered the carcass, estimated to weigh about 200 pounds, floating in the water.

The fishermen brought their discovery to Port Salerno's commercial fishing docks.

"I've never seen anything like it around here," Benz said. "That's why I took it to the commercial docks to see if any of the fishermen I knew there had ever seen one."

Benz said the commercial fishermen were as surprised at the discovery as he was, and he and his fellow fishermen contacted wildlife agencies to take custody of the carcass.

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Ellie Van Os, director of education and exhibits for the Florida Oceanographic Society, said the men did a "really good job" of preserving the squid as "they recognized what they had."

"Anytime you get an animal from the depths like that it's very exciting," Van Os said.

Carli Segelson, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman, said the squid was analyzed briefly by the agency and handed off to a team from the University of Florida for further study.


Suspected grenade was inactive firework

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 29 (UPI) -- Police in Florida said a bomb squad determined a suspected grenade found during a Fort Lauderdale Strikers practice was an inactive firework.

Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Travis Mandell said the item was discovered while the soccer team was practicing Monday morning at Fort Lauderdale stadium. It was retrieved by a bomb squad robot and placed into a vehicle marked "Explosives" about 10 a.m., the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Tuesday.

"It didn't explode," Mandell said. "We take all precautions necessary to ensure the safety of the public."

Mandell said the incident was being investigated.

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