D'oh! Woman Pleads Guilty to Bogus Sale of Simpsons Duff Beer on eBay

A woman in Australia pleaded guilty Wednesday to selling on eBay three nonexistent cases of Duff brand beer -- the favorite of cartoon character Homer Simpson.

Tara Edith Woodford, 28, pleaded guilty in the Mackay Magistrates Court in northern Queensland state to three charges of dishonestly gaining money by false pretenses.

Prosecutor Gavin Burnett told the court Woodford was paid a total of $1,511 by three separate buyers after advertising the bogus beer on the eBay Internet auction site.

Duff is the beer brand of choice for Homer Simpson and his barfly friends in the animated U.S. television series "The Simpsons".

In the mid-1990s, two breweries released their own Duff Beer in Australia until legal action by the creators of "The Simpsons" and the Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. took the beer off the market. Fox has a policy of refusing to license "The Simpsons'" merchandising for products that would be detrimental to children.

Duff beer is now a collector's item and cases can sell for as much as $774 on eBay, according to Lorraine Gledhill, the treasurer of the National Beer Can Collectors Club.

Buyers paid money into Woodford's bank account, but contacted police when they never received the beer.

Woodford was caught because she listed her correct name and address on the auction site, the court was told. Her lawyer, Phillip Moore, said she committed the scam to buy Christmas presents and clothes for her four children.

Woodford was placed on 18 months' probation, and she was ordered to reimburse the money and undergo counseling.

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