_{Eden Crichton, alleged scammer}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Jan. 27, 2025

A Belize City man is claiming that his former schoolmate has scammed him of a 2014 Ford Econoline van that was supposed to have been brought from the US in February 2024, after he had paid over $13,000.

_{Gilbert Blair, victim}

Gilbert Blair says he contacted Eden Crichton, a self-proclaimed car dealer via WhatsApp, whom he knew during their time at Wesley College, to bring the van for him from the US and paid him $13,600 up front for the vehicle; but up to this day, he still hasn’t gotten it.

Crichton claimed that there were delays in the delivery of the van caused by COPART, the auction platform that car dealers use to acquire vehicles, and he told Blair to travel to the US and pick it up himself as it is already paid for and in storage.

Blair says he demanded his money and was ultimately blocked on WhatsApp by Crichton, who acted as if he didn’t know what was going on. Blair then got the court involved with the matter, and it ordered Crichton to pay what he owed, which Crichton said was 2,000 USD in freight money, claiming that COPART has the remaining.

Despite the court order for Crichton to pay Blair whatever is owed, Blair says that he still hasn’t done that, and is avoiding him.

Blair reached out to Amandala indicating that Crichton has been doing this for several years. He alleged that Crichton has also swindled a pastor for a vehicle that was promised and never delivered, and that he even threatened said pastor and others who have confronted him.

While the car dealer business is honest work for anyone legit, others are in it to make a quick buck, as has been suggested in the recent double murder of a couple from Burrell Boom who reportedly paid over $30,000 for a vehicle that they never got, and when they asked for a refund they paid with their lives.