After noticing several suspicious inconsistencies regarding a Craigslist posting, a concerned citizen alerted Alaska State Troopers of the Craigslist advertisement of an outboard for sale on Tuesday.

Troopers opened an investigation into the posting and it was determined that the outboard, valued at $4,000, was one that was stolen in Ketchikan in mid-October of 2021. The theft had been reported to Ketchikan police.

After the advertisement was determined to have been posted by Thorne Bay resident Michael Fabio Shanley, age 33, the citizen assisted troopers in setting up a time and place for the sale of the stolen outboard.

A trooper, posing undercover, went to the location of the supposed sale at 10 am on Wednesday morning. While the sale was underway, VPSOs and troopers swooped in and took Shanley into custody. Shanley was remanded to the Craig Jail on the charge of felony theft to await arraignment.

The troopers thanked the citizens for their assistance in the investigation.

  arrest, craigslist, michaelfabio shanley, outboard, theft, thorne bay