While NYPD spent the early hours of this morning hunting for Braunstein in Cobble Hill, yesterday's Post revealed that former journalist and suspected fireman/molester Peter Braunstein bought 8.8 pounds of potassium nitrate (or saltpeter) on internet auction site eBay. When combined with various materials, saltpeter can be used to make anything from smoke bombs to pipe bombs — which may have been what Braunstein used to create small fires outside of him victim's apartment, or he could still be holding on to his stash for later use.

For reasons we can only connect to sick entertainment purposes, the Post also reported that Braunstein made his eBay purchases (including his fireman jacket, which you can look at here) under the names "gulagmeister" and "drgroovy."

Naturally, we turned to eBay to see how Braunstein rated and, as it turns out, he was quite the eBayer. One seller said of gulagmeister: "Super Fast Payment, Great Communication, Friendly, Excellent Ebay User!!!!!!!!" And gulagmeister, happy to receive his firefighter gear pants, responded: "great communication, fast turnaround - an A+ seller."

We just don't get it. How could Braunstein possibly be guilty of a horrific crime? He was so pleasant about buying his disguise and explosives.

Fake Fireman a 'Bomb' Buyer [NYP]
Member Profile: gulagmeister [eBay]
Member Profile: drgroovy [eBay]
Earlier: Gawker's Coverage of Peter Braunstein