I think the fraud is against the one who put up the "free potatoes" post. The people picking up the potatoes were innocent, just reacting to a great deal.

Here in the states, IMO, the last thing you ever want to do is go to trial with a jury of your peers. Too many close cases are decided by people who, even though they have the law explained to them, don't grasp the gravity/concept of what the authors of the laws meant. Then, years later, if there's a break in the case, the state could take a very long time to release you, if they ever do. And God help you if you're a minority!