The sad part is, it's typical ebay logic...
Maybe if you keep writing, you'll finally get someone who makes some sense. Tell them that you think you did open an account many years ago and no longer have access to that email account. The account was barely used and if there is a small balance on the account you'd be happy to pay it. The other account is one that you have no knowledge of whatsoever and there is no way you can possibly resolve things about that account, any more than you could another stranger's account.
...side note: What part of RI are you from? My husband is from there and misses it a lot. We don't see too many Rhode Islanders in Ohio
(Or maybe we just don't get too many anywhere outside New England since it's a small state...I dunno..)