Craigslist hoax sends freebie-seekers to councilman's home

RIVERSIDE — Imagine strangers showing up at your home in the middle of the night with trucks and trailers in tow, hoping to cart off all of your belongings.

It happened Jan. 29 to Riverside City Councilman Mike Denning and his wife, Julie, president of the Riverside Jaycees.

The Dennings are working with police after someone anonymously placed an online ad on craigslist.org that listed the couple’s Schwinn Drive address and said they were moving out of the country and giving away their things.

The Dennings, however, aren’t moving.

They don’t know who pulled the prank on the Web site, which offers free classified advertisements.

Riverside Police Chief Mark Reiss said his department plans to ask a judge today, Feb. 10, to approve a request to serve an administrative subpoena with craigslist to find out where the posting originated.

“Hopefully that will help us identify the poster,” said Reiss, noting the person could face a misdemeanor menacing or stalking charge.

In an e-mailed response to Dayton Daily News questions, craigslist spokeswoman Susan MacTavish Best said: “Use of craigslist for criminal purposes inevitably leads to apprehension and prosecution. An electronic trail to the perpetrator is created, and craigslist actively cooperates with law enforcement.”

The hoax has occurred elsewhere, including to an Oregon man who came home to find that much of what he owned was missing.

The description of posted items included their gas fireplace, snowblower and two of their dogs.

“This isn’t a joke you pull on people,” Julie Denning said Tuesday.