eBay patrols for Columbia debris auctions
eBay deleted several items billed as debris from the space shuttle Columbia from the online auction site Saturday, warning that anyone attempting to sell fragments from the doomed shuttle could be prosecuted. eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove said customer service representatives received a handful of listings throughout the day from people purporting to have found debris in Texas. The listings were immediately yanked from the site, and executives may report the sellers to federal authorities. Taking a part of an aircraft involved in an accident is a federal offense, U.S. attorneys in Texas warned, and a conviction could result in up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Full Story