The case of a Lehigh Valley woman charged with stealing $51,000 using Web auction scams will go to trial after a plea deal was withdrawn by federal prosecutors, her attorney said.

Julie C. Miller, who lived in Lehigh and Northampton counties, was charged March 30 with three counts of mail fraud for allegedly accepting payments for eBay auctions of Pittsburgh Steelers tickets, jewelry and rare coins, but never sending the merchandise.

Miller’s attorney, James F. Brose of Media, Delaware County, said Miller was going to enter a guilty plea last week, but prosecutors changed the terms of the deal and Miller decided to go to trial, which is scheduled for July 12 in Philadelphia.

”The government took back its offer, and we were left with having to decide whether to plead out or not,” Brose said.

A deal could still be worked out before the trial, Brose said. ”There’s a possibility,” he said.

Rich Manieri, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Philadelphia, could not be reached.

Prosecutors contend that Miller accepted payments from November 2003 through January 2005 using different identities and eBay seller accounts. She accepted money for merchandise that was never delivered, authorities allege.

According to court documents, Miller collected customer checks and cash via accounts opened at check-cashing stores in Allentown. When customers complained about the missing merchandise, Miller allegedly gave them phony delivery tracking numbers and told others their merchandise had already been mailed. Other customers were told their shipments had yet to be sent due to health problems.

EBay suspected one account of fraud and froze it.

Miller has had several addresses in the region, including 7181 Logan Drive and 7280 Adams St. in Lynn Township; 2204 Apple St., Lower Saucon Township; and 8854 Breinig Run Circle, Upper Macungie Township.

She is in Lehigh County Prison.

Posted: 05|11|06 at 11:53 am. Filed under: US News.