A Washington County man faces multiple charges after Moon Township police said he used eBay to sell computers and equipment reported stolen from his employer.

Jason Charles Hast, 27, of 1318 Hidden Valley, Bulger, has been charged with three counts of theft, three counts of receiving stolen property, and one count each of theft of services, criminal attempt and criminal solicitation.

Police said Hast sold nearly $20,000 worth of Fed Ex Ground computer equipment over the last year. Hast is an employee of Fed Ex Ground in Moon, where he refurbishes or repairs company computers. Company spokesman David Westrick said Hast has been suspended pending the results of the case.

A co-worker of Hast's told police on Feb. 1 to check out an eBay seller named "jchast." At the time, police said, jchast had only two active auctions. Both computers were listed as used and said they had a Fed Ex value of $350, but jchast had numerous past completed auctions of computers and computer-related equipment. The equipment sold included memory chips, hard drives, cables and video cards. All the identification numbers and tags were removed from the computers in the eBay auction photos, police said.

Officers placed a $550 eBay bid on one of jchast's computers on Feb. 1, but were outbid. The next day, though, police said they received a second-chance offer from jchast, who had noticed the secondary bidder's 15108 ZIP code, and offered the bidder a computer. Jchast, who was unaware of whom he was communicating with, said he was in the 15108 vicinity and would meet in person to make the sale at a later date.

On Feb. 3, police messaged jchast through eBay and said they were still interested in buying a computer. One of the officers gave his personal e-mail address and cell phone number. Jchast messaged back and said he still had the computer and would call the cell phone number to discuss sale terms. After speaking with jchast in person, an officer agreed to buy two laptop computers for $700. Jchast told the officer he bought the computers he was selling online from companies that were going out of business, and he agreed to meet around 4:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at Moon Plaza on University Boulevard to complete the sale.

Police did not arrest Hast at the scene because officers wanted to check with Fed Ex personnel to make sure the computers were indeed company equipment. Once the ownership was confirmed, and police intercepted an outgoing package containing one of Fed Ex's computers which Hast had sold on the Internet to another eBay customer, police obtained a search warrant for 2410 Linden Ave., Aliquippa, where Hast was also living, and his home in Washington County.

Officers said they found numerous stolen Fed Ex items at the Aliquippa address, but none at the Washington County address. When confronted, police said Hast admitted to the thefts.

Officers said Hast sold 98 computer items online from March 22, 2006, to now. In the last five months, from Nov. 8 to March 1, he sold $10,656 worth, police said. In addition, police said, he sold $9,065 worth between March 22, 2006, and Oct. 29.

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