Man scams owners who lost pets

SAN FRANCISCO -- A man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after swindling people who had lost their pets.

William Arnold Muniz, 40, scoured out-of-state newspaper advertisements, then contacted people who placed ads looking for their cats and dogs. He told them he found their animals and needed money to return them, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A woman in Denver sent Muniz $172 for her lost cat and a man in Portland, Ore., sent him $900 for his yellow Labrador retriever. He told the owners the money was needed for the animals' medical treatment and airline transportation.

None of the information was true, and Muniz did not have the animals. He faces a maximum 10 years in prison.