(U-WIRE) IOWA CITY, Iowa – An alleged multi-year scheme in which four men reportedly sold back more than $35,000 in stolen textbooks ended when University of Iowa police filed charges against the suspects Monday.

Lucas Othmer, 23, Cho Kantaphone, 28, Nathan Poisel, 27, and Matthew Price, 23, allegedly sold textbooks to Iowa Book, 8 S. Clinton St., in a total of 82 transactions between Oct. 10, 2002, and Feb. 12, 2005, according to police records.

Othmer allegedly sold back for the highest dollar value, with more than $24,000 worth of textbooks allegedly exchanging hands. The other three amounts hovered around $4,000, according to the records.

Each defendant’s charge report, excluding Poisel’s, alleges that they admitted to selling the books. Kantaphone told police that “he should have questioned where the books came from when selling them for another” person, according to the reports.

Every charge report alleged that they had sold the books for somebody else, and Poisel’s identified his brother as the person who allegedly stole the books.

Kantahpone also identified Nathan Poisel’s brother, Aaron Poisel, 31, as the person who came to him numerous times, asking that he return books for him. Police have not filed charges against Aaron Poisel, according to a search of online court records, and police were unavailable to comment Tuesday evening.

“He would give me four or five books at a time,” Kantaphone said. “He told me he had finals to take or a class to go to.”

After he had sold them, Kantaphone said, he would hand over the cash, and Aaron Poisel would give him some money in appreciation.

“He always asked me, ‘You got any gas? Here’s 20 bucks for taking this back,'” Kantaphone said.

He said it didn’t appear suspicious because Aaron Poisel would come to him during the first few weeks or toward the end of the semester. A charge report indicates that Kantaphone made 18 transactions, a figure he estimates to be closer to five or 10.

– Nick Petersen

Iowa Book owner Peter Vanderhoef said police had not contacted him about the alleged incidents. After learning of the charges, he speculated that the books allegedly sold back to his business had been stolen from students around campus.

“Somebody’s been picking them up at the library, stealing them from students while they went to the bathroom,” he said. “Then they try to sell them.”

Iowa Book buys back textbooks all year for cash; it requires sellers to produce a driver’s licenses or student IDs when selling back books.

Othmer would not comment on the first-degree theft charge against him. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine.

Nathan Poisel, Aaron Poisel, and Price’s phone numbers were unlisted. If convicted, Kantaphone, Nathan Poisel, and Price could face up to five years in prison and a maximum $7,500 fine for second-degree theft. None of the men were being held in the Johnson County Jail as of Tuesday evening.