Elias Abodeely, of Cedar Rapids, IA, has been given three years of probation for scamming genealogists out of thousands of dollars. If he stays out of trouble, his record will be wiped clean.

I've written about his many genealogy scams before and, to be honest, I think a three-year probation is a bit mild. Especially the part about his record being wiped clean if he stays out of trouble. I know he is young, but he carried on with his scams for years, despite constant complaints from genealogists who used his services. Every time one of his Web sites was shut down, he just opened another one.

So, what do you think? Was the sentence too lenient? What punishment do you think would have been appropriate? Personally, I think he should spend his three years of probation volunteering at least once per week at his local Family History Center!

Source: KCRG-TV9 Cedar Rapids Newsroom