A Wood County grand jury has indicted a missing northwest Ohio man who customers complained never sent the Ohio State-Michigan football tickets they ordered from him in an online auction.

Mark West, 53, of Fostoria, was indicted Wednesday on charges of theft and telecommunications fraud, said Michelle Gatchell, a spokeswoman with the Ohio attorney general’s office.

More charges are expected in the case, Gatchell said. There have been 138 complaints about West involving more than $60,000.

Attorney General Jim Petro had already sued West in Wood County Common Pleas Court, alleging several violations of the state consumer protection act and seeking a fine of $25,000 per violation.

West’s wife reported him missing about two weeks ago, saying she had last seen him Nov. 15. That would have been shortly after online auction site eBay Inc. suspended his account and notified law enforcement about the complaints from ticket buyers.

An eBay spokesman has said that some customers who used eBay’s payment service that links to their bank accounts can get up to $1,000 reimbursed if they have buyer protection coverage. Others can pursue reimbursement from their credit card companies.

West could face six to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine on each charge.

Posted: 12|1|05 at 10:31 am. Filed under: US News.