Margate Police Helps Resident Flips Scammer Right Into Jail
So often we hear the heartbreaking stories of people who are scammed by phone calls, often giving up money to these scammers and their tricks.
Now, thanks to the great work of the Margate Police Department, one of these scammers is behind bars today.
It all started Saturday afternoon when officers were called to a local resident's home to investigated a possible case of fraud.
Here's what happened, according to Margate Police:
The victim told Officers she received a phone call the prior evening from a male posing as a lawyer. The male told the victim he needed money from the victim in order to bail her grandson out of jail. The male then came to the victim's residence and she turned over a large amount of cash to the male and was told she could not contact her grandson at any time because a gag order was in effect.
As luck would have it, while officers were at the home, another call came in from the man in question. With officers standing by, the woman answered the phone and set up a meeting with the man, who was asking for even more money to get her grandson out of jail.
With officers on the case, a couple hours later, they easily arrested the man when he showed up to collect more money. Police say the man, identified as Only Raymond Urena-Lopez, 22, of Jamaica, New York, was charged with "one count of theft by deception and one count of conspiracy to commit theft by deception. Evidence recovered from Urena-Lopez was also seized."
Police say more charges are pending and Urena-Lopez is being held in the county jail.
SOURCE: Margate Police