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March 25, 2004NIGERIA SCAM: Woman to stand trial in 'racket'Police believe Melissa Dunn was intermediaryByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - A woman suspected of becoming entangled in a scam to send goods bought with stolen credit cards to Nigeria said she "was doing a favor," a detective testified. Police believe Melissa Kay Dunn, 28, worked as an intermediary, receiving packages at her Interlochen home and sending them off to Nigeria, but they say they have not learned how Dunn became involved in the alleged racket. Wednesday, Dunn was ordered to stand trial on a charge of fraud that carries up to 14 years in prison after a hearing before 86th District Court Judge Thomas Phillips. A FedEx dispatcher from Traverse City testified she became suspicious when she noticed a volume of packages headed from an address on Gonder Road to the African country known for its association with Internet scams. Grand Traverse County Sheriff Department Detective Todd Heller testified that he obtained copies of invoices of electronic items headed to Dunn's home and called the companies to alert them. The companies contacted banks that issued five credit cards used to purchase the goods, and contacted the customers, who responded to Heller. He said he spoke with four of the five cardholders and they said they had not made purchases. Heller said he interviewed Dunn after an undercover investigation, and she explained that she wanted to help someone in Nigeria avoid paying taxes on the merchandise. "Basically, she was doing a favor," Heller testified. Dunn's attorney, Gerald Chefalo, argued that police could not prove it was Dunn who signed a fictitious name to a bill of lading that was intended to ship the goods to Africa.
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