Findlay man behind bars after buying stolen car on Facebook Marketplace

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Imagine buying a car on Facebook Marketplace, only to be stopped by police, who say the car you’ve been driving was stolen. That’s the reality for a Findlay man who is now behind bars.

According to Bowling Green Police, officers responded to the Meijer gas station on W. Wooster Street, Friday morning. Lt. Adam Skaff, with the division, said one of their license plate readers picked up the car exiting the highway nearby.

The car was stolen from a Toledo woman, according to police.

When police arrived, they found the 2001 Honda Accord with the matching license plate. Police say the man driving the vehicle, identified as 39-year-old Daniel Marcson, was filling up a rear tire.

Police say Marcson told them he bought the car on Facebook Marketplace that morning and didn’t know it was stolen. He said he bought it from a man named Shawn, but police said, Shawn never owned the car.

Marcson told police he paid $800 for the Honda Accord, saying he still owed $200 to the seller to get the title at a later date. Lt. Skaff said this should have been the first red flag.

“There’s a reason that they don’t have the title, especially on an early 2000’s vehicle,” Lt. Skaff said. “You would assume that they would have the title, and it’s not necessarily like a bank holding a title.”

Police said some personal items were still in the trunk, from the woman the car was stolen from.

Marcson was also driving the car with someone else’s license plate, which is illegal.

He was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property, which is a felony. Marcson appeared in court, Monday and will appear again on Dec. 16.

The woman who owns the car will be reunited with her vehicle sometime this week, police said.

Lt. Skaff warns people to be extra careful when buying online. He said if you aren’t cautious, you could be out of money, or worse, behind bars.

He said to verify as much information as you can, and if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. And, if you don’t have a direct connection to the person or know someone that knows the person, keep your guard up.

Latest Local News | First Alert Weather | Crime | National | 13abc Originals