DA PUTS GOODS UP FOR SALE ON EBAY

William Fulton is not only paying his debt to society for cooking up
methamphetamine at his Hatfield Township apartment. He is also
helping Montgomery County fund future drug investigations.

About $6,000 worth of items confiscated from criminals like Fulton,
who was sentenced in 2003 to state prison, have been sold on the
Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Internet auction site on
eBay. The site was created about six months ago.

The proceeds from the sales pay for expenses such as overtime pay
related to county drug investigations, said Montgomery County
District Attorney Bruce Castor.

Castor said "unusual" items, like the guitars seized from Fulton's
home, were perfect for selling on eBay but the office is not sure
what else will be posted for sale.

Castor said his office is still discussing whether seized vehicles
will be sold on the site. He said it still hasn't been determined
because of the amount of work needed to put items up for auction
online. Photos need to be taken, the information needs to be posted
online, someone has to keep track of the auction and then purchase
and pickup arrangements have to be made.

The county might continue to sell cars at auction houses instead.

The public can visit the office's eBay site and bid on items; top
bidders get the goods.

"It worked great when we had the unusual items like the guitars,
amplifiers and electronic equipment, but it's a slow process."

Currently, the district attorney's office does not have anything up
on its site for sale.

A district attorney's office is permitted to sell forfeited items
when it can prove to the court that the property was purchased with
drug money. Stolen items are not sold.