Once-Convicted Con-Man Arrested

The U.S. Attorney and Postal Inspection Service announced Tuesday that Eric Stein, age 53, had been arrested and charged “with running an investment scam through Return-A-Pet LLC–a Manhattan-based company he operated…” Authorities who investigated Stein’s business say he may have lined his pockets with up to a half-million dollars over the last 3 years by hoodwinking consumers into buying “sham Return-A-Pet distributorships using false and misleading advertisements.”

This is familiar territory for Eric Stein.

The scam was huge. So big it even turned heads in Nevada. So big that when Stein, one of the main suspects, went on the run, his glamour shot made it onto America’s Most Wanted. We’re referring to Eric Stein’s first scam, which was eventually covered by CNBC’s American Greed, a documentary series exploring major league con games.