Bob has declared himself winner of the dance contest with that Chicago poseur dude -- though it should be noted that, according to Bob, WMAQ has extended the voting an extra 24 hours beyond what Bob had expected. (Huh, voting irregularities in Chicago -- I am simply shocked, SHOCKED.) Bob's convincingly winning, but if you feel like grinding Chicago's nose into the pavement, go here to vote.
Cassaundrea Estelle Montgomery of St. Joseph was able to defraud charities of nearly $64K by pretending to have a brother who died in the 9/11 attacks. She was on probation, but it's been revoked because she didn't keep steady employment and didn't pay enough restitution.
In an apparent extortion attempt. I'm just trying to figure out how big the rat was. In my very limited experience with rodents, they're usually pretty good size. Wonder how the defendant allegedly "sneaked" that onto her plate with nobody in the joint noticing.
The AP's got an interesting -- and scary -- story about criminals who pose as cops, many of them using badges to fool victims into following orders. Snip:
"You wave a badge at someone and tell them to pull over and you'd be amazed at how many people are going to obey," said Dr. Naftali Berrill, a psychologist who runs the New York Center for Neuropsychology and Forensic Behavioral Science. "They disarm their victims by appearing to be cops."
Bill Anthony Jakob is accused of posing as a federal drug agent in Gerald, Mo., arresting people and searching homes without warrants. Now, he's officially been charged, the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Missouri reports. Here's a copy of the official paperwork.
Sort of. A new investigation has found that nearly $93 million was scammed from Medicare by companies that filed fraudulent reimbursements, using prescriptions from dead doctors. Some of the physicians "involved" had been pushing up daisies for 10 years.
If you were wondering what Sacha Baron Cohen was up to ...
Apparently, he's been arranging cagefights in Arkansas (with $1 beer!) where the fighters end up tearing each other's clothes off and smooching. Which many in the crowd -- who were, how do you say, duped -- did NOT appreciate. Snip:
An elaborate array of mounted and handheld video cameras caught the crowd of 1,600's reaction as the two men "went right up to the line" of the city's morality laws, Holland said. The two men stripped down to their underwear, kissed and rubbed on each other, the sergeant said.
The audience, as well as local fighters drawn to take part in the show, became enraged. "It set the crowd off lobbing beers," Holland said. "They had beers in plastic cups. Those things can get some distance on them actually."
Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM and You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!
Poor Satan. These con artists force him to keep creating newer, hotter corners in Hell.
Saw this via Fark!
Police say she even shaved her daughter's head and got the girl, 12, to believe that she really was sick. The authorities say that Mom cleared hundreds of dollars in the alleged scam. She checked herself into a mental facility not too long after cops started investigating, My Fox Cleveland reports.
His most recent performance was at an Applebee's, where he ran up a $22 bill before engaging in what experts call the "Sanford & Son gambit," authorities allege. (He also is accused of doing the same dang thing to the cabbie who took him to the restaurant.) They've found a string of restaurants, strip clubs and cabbies who've allegedly been victimized.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!
The New York Times takes a bite of the story down in Gerald, Mo., where a former security guard allegedly posed as a federal drug agent and went around arresting people -- people, by the way, who have now filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, goshel!
Indiana authorities are hunting down the faux Stone Cold Steve Austin, who posed as the REAL wrestler and signed autographs for 10 bucks each at a Wal-Mart.
File Photo: There were many other, less visually disgusting photos of Stone Cold in my archive, but I really thought this would be the more eye-gouging choice.
So he could get legal residency in the U.S. In case you were wondering, the "bride" got $60 per month for 16 months.
In Iowa, authorities are warning residents about con artists posing as contractors. A lot of homeowners want so badly to get repairs started, they'll sometimes give money to hoaxers. Officials recommend getting references, insisting on written estimates and contracts, and never paying too much up front.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, FanDanGo!
Dorothy Nemecek, right, and her daughter Judy Dolezal try to get a look inside Dorothy's basement in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2008. Nemecek was trying to clear the way for FEMA inspectors, but because of standing water in the basement and other obstructions, the inspector was unable to complete his assessment. After Hurricane Katrina, many in the flood-stricken Midwest say the agency is doing a good job. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Gladstone police are looking for a man named Alford J. Jeffery, 20, of Carthage, who's accused of stealing over $500. Authorities allege that, earlier this month, Jeffery went to a house where roofing repairs were being done and pretended to be the company owner's son -- then demanded more money from the homeowner. Anybody who sees Jeffery is asked to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (474-TIPS).
Police say that homeowners should check out the licensing of any roofers or driveway resurfacers before hiring them. They should be wary of anyone going door to door offering to do those jobs. Businesses need a city permit to do door-to-door solicitation.
Gladstone police also note that prosecutors charged a Joplin man, Brandon Swartz, 19, with financial exploitation of the elderly and disabled for a handful of roofing and driveway scams that allegedly occurred last year and earlier this year. Swartz was arrested and released on bond.
By promising to invest their money so they'd be able to get out of debt. They especially played on people's faith and used preachers to introduce them to potential clients, authorities allege.
For those arriving late, Sam Israel III is a hedge-fund manager who was supposed to start a 20-year prison sentence this week. Only his car was found parked on a bridge popular with jumpers with no Sam inside. Written on the dashboard? "Suicide is painless."
Ooo-ooh! Spooky!
Except the feds are pretty sure they're being taken for a ride. They've arrested Sam's girlfriend, who's facing an aiding-and-abetting charge. They're still looking for him.
Meet Jerome S. Sternlieb, 74. Kansas City police say he's seduced at least four elderly women and stolen money from them, though they think there might be more victims. Obviously! Look at the guy -- he's got the raw animal magnetism of a mid-career Tom Jones.
More from the KCPD release:
He often used an alias with the first name of Michael and last name of Salerno, Kane, Lanelli, Roberts or Warren. Kansas City police became aware of Sternlieb in late February after they received a report from a 60-year-old woman who had met him through a telephone dating service. The woman said Sternlieb spent the night with her, and when she woke up, her checks, rental car and Sternlieb were gone. She reported the theft to police.
Other victims were defrauded when they cashed bad checks for Sternlieb. He met all of them through the telephone dating service. “He was able to gain their confidence by telling them he loved them and wanted to marry them,” Sgt. Hayes said.
Sternlieb told his victims that he was an attorney who was new in town and had not yet set up a bank account. In actuality, he was a convicted felon on parole for forgery and stealing who had escaped from a half-way house in downtown Kansas City. He gave the women he met checks that he said were from legal clients of his and asked them to cash the checks for him on their own accounts.
On June 13, a woman contacted police saying she had met a man named “Michael Salerno” through the telephone dating service and agreed to meet him at a steakhouse for dinner, but she thought he seemed suspicious. Detectives figured out the man she was to meet was Sternlieb, so they staked out the restaurant and arrested Sternlieb when his date went to use the restroom. He has been charged with stealing in Platte County and is being held on $50,000 bond. More charges against Sternlieb in Kansas City and in Johnson County, Kan., could be coming.
Police ask anyone who thinks she could have been a victim of Sternlieb’s scams to call Detective Randall Rund at 816-437-6260 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
If he's found guilty of all 69 felonies. His buddy could get three years. Snip from the L.A. Times:
Between January and May, authorities contend, Kahn broke into the school using a stolen master key at least six times at night and on weekends.
Using passwords stolen from teachers, he allegedly hacked into computers and changed test scores from Advanced Placement classes as well as school records from previous semesters, often changing Cs, Ds and Fs into A's. He also installed software so he could access the system from other locations, prosecutors allege.
You'd think it would have been less work to just study hard the first time, right?
Wicked little story from South Carolina, where a local RV magnate was accused of fathering a kid with his niece -- only it was a giant extortion scheme devised by his sister, brother-in-law and niece, authorities allege.
A Kansas City man was puzzled when he kept getting traffic tickets in the mail -- tickets for violations that he hadn't committed. As it turns out, police say, the man's younger brother is the one getting in trouble. Whenever Frederick Harris got pulled over, authorities allege, he gave out the name and Social of his older brother, Terrill.
Frederick -- NOT Terrill -- is now looking at a charge of false impersonation ...
Lovely story from Utah, where a man named Andy Hart went to the FBI with news of a horrible plan: His friends were planning to, and I quote, "firebomb a mink farm." This led to the FBI arranging an undercover sting, complete with listening devices, agents and a helicopter.
Except there was no plan to murder hundreds of minks in a fiery explosion. The "informant" was hoping that, by "uncovering the plot," he could get the FBI to turn off his ankle monitor. He's going to prison instead.
Photo: An innocent, alive mink, courtesy of the good people at Wikipedia ...
From U.S. Attorney John Wood's office:
Tyrone L. Davis, 40, and Stephanie E. Davis, 49, both of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple this morning to the charges contained in an Oct. 3, 2007, federal indictment. The Davises are co-owners of Davis Custom Homes in St. Joseph. Stephanie Davis also worked as a loan originator for Gateway Mortgage Group, LLC (formerly known as American Home Lending).
By pleading guilty today, Tyrone Davis admitted that, from March 1 to Nov. 1, 2006, he participated in a conspiracy to defraud banks and mortgage lenders by receiving fraudulent loans. Conspirators prepared and submitted fraudulent bank loan or mortgage loan applications containing false information and forged signatures in order to receive bank or mortgage loans. In order to carry out this scheme, conspirators stole the identities of two persons and used false identities and fraudulent supporting documents to apply for loans to purchase residential properties.
Stephanie Davis pleaded guilty to the interstate transportation of stolen property, related to the wire transfer of $166,000 obtained through mortgage fraud.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, Jim!
Story is from Washington state. Snip:
He said he spent $100 on the color copier and paper at a local Office Depot he used for the operation. Robinson said he wanted to print enough $10 bills to buy $90 worth of marijuana.
They allegeldy met through a site called millionairematch.com. Because that's how rich people find dates ...
I got an email today -- a forward, actually -- about a reported mugging/beating in the Power & Light District. Snip:
They left at 10:30p, went to the parking garage, took the elevator and when they got out were jumped by 8 guys, and beaten with lead pipes. Her cousin remembers seeing that they all seemed to have a gold pinky fingernail, could possibly be a gang thing.
Anyhow, her cousin was beaten severely, thrown in a car and kicked out of it while going down the highway. The sad part is his friend as of last night around 5pm, was still missing and no one had heard from him. Her cousin fears the worst for his friend. They took a ring, a cell phone and his wallet with like $50 in it.
The reader who forwarded the email wanted to know, why hasn't this been reported in the media? Well, as it turns out, it never happened. The forward was a hoax. I emailed KCPD, and their spokesman says they've gotten all sorts of calls and emails about it. (Above, the parts in red are the hints that it's a fake.) I'm kind of astonished that something so fake got so much traction.
A Missouri woman -- whose husband helped form the Ozarks Minutemen -- has pleaded guilty to lying about being sexually assaulted by a Hispanic man, who, she originally told police, broke into her mobile home with two colleagues. It wasn't a Hispanic man who shot her in the leg, either -- she accidentally shot herself.
The P-D has a longer story about the town of Gerald, Mo., where authorities believe a man claiming to be a federal drug agent was actually an impostor. He apparently had a good run, though, because he went on several drug raids and even fooled the local police chief, who's since been fired, the P-D reports. Snip:
The last several months had been discomforting ones for this town of 1,200 residents in Franklin County. Police chiefs kept coming, then going. The town's only pharmacist was arrested last week in a methamphetamine bust. And the town dogcatcher was fired earlier this year for shooting and killing cats.
The guys own a couple of bars and a market, where they sold kegs of mislabeled beer, authorities allege. People who thought they were getting Bud Light ended up with Busch Light. Others ordered Keystone Light, got Coors Light.
At least while he's appealing his conviction. He was supposed to have reported to prison next month.
An Atlanta man allegedly stole a credit card so he could buy a police uniform, which he then used to get gigs as an "off-duty" security guard. (He's even accused of posing as somebody's parole officer.) When the authorities caught up with him, he naturally decided to fake his death, police say.
Lovely story from Hazelwood, Mo., where police pulled over a motorist and his buddy. The buddy decided to call 911 and report a fake robbery at a convenience store -- thinking that would lure the officer away before he could write the ticket, police say.
The only problem? The 911 dispatcher heard the police officer in the background ...
Oh yeah, this is going to make some therapist very rich years from now. A Pennsylvania mom was found guilty of making her son, age 7, dress like a Cub Scout and go around asking people to donate to his "camping trip." Mom is getting to take a little 23-month-long trip herself.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, Patty PV!
Anthony Pellicano -- the private investigator to the stars -- has been found guilty of wiretapping, bribery and racketeering after a trial that exposed just how nasty the entertainment business can be. He's basically going to prison for the rest of his life.
Stars including actor Chris Rock and comedian Garry Shandling testified they hired Pellicano, or were spied on by him, during disputes ranging from cheating spouses and paternity cases to showbusiness contracts.
Hat Tip: Many thanks to the Mighty FanDanGo!
She's employed ... excuse me, was employed as a social worker. She's been charged with stealing $21K worth of sick days ... and that's not counting the food that coworkers brought her.
Hat Tip: Many thanks to the Invincible Patty PV!
In Gerald, Mo., the town has suspended the police chief and two of his officers after they let a man posing as a federal drug investigator tag along on raids, arrest people, break down doors, etc. (The city even hired him as a code enforcer.)
The guy had all the right props -- guns, lights, badge -- but he allegedly conducted searches without warrants, which let a local reporter, Linda Trest of the Gasconade County Republican, catch him.
The FBI is warning the public about a new email scam where victims receive messages from FBI Director Robert Mueller or other real-life officials, asking for private information. It's a hoax, the feds say, and should be reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The emails look authentic because they include Mueller's photo, letterhead, even his signature. But they also contain a frightening amount of spelling and grammar errors.
Story is from Minnesota. Wife cleared out Hubby's retirement and college-saving accounts, sold their house and forged two checks worth almost $25K in his name. All without his knowledge or permission. She had power-of-attorney -- which gave her absolutely no right to do any of this since he wasn't incapacitated. They're getting divorced.
Great story from Portland, where some cheeky fellow mailed fake letters to parents on school stationery, giving them advice on keeping students safe during prom season:
The fake letter also suggested that parents open up their homes as safe places for students to party after the dance and advised them to provide liquor, such as Hennessy Cognac, for students to share.
Each letter also contained a condom ...
(In my best movie announcer voice ...)
IN A WORLD ... WHERE PROSECUTORS ARE SICK OF TAX CHEATS ... ONE MOVIE STAR ... WILL BE SENTENCED TO ... THREE ... HARD ... YEARS ...
HAT ... I mean, Hat Tip: Many thanks, Kelly and JUNGLE JIM!
(AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)
Story is from Kirksville, where a gentleman allegedly switched the price tags of a water bottle and a 26-inch LCD television. One of those retails for more than $500. The gentleman, who reportedly tried the scam at the local Wal-Mart, has been indicted by a grand jury.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, Greg!
Authorities say some Philippine doctors teamed up with some U.S. veterans to submit fake bills to Tricare, a health-insurance program run by the Pentagon. The scheme got away with at least $100 million before investigators caught on, authorities say.
"I know this is illegal and wrong to submit fraudulent claims to get money, but I did it for fun," U.S. Navy retiree Romulo Estoesta told investigators. He died in 2002.
"Hey, you got chocolate on my erection medicine!"
"You got erection medicine in my chocolate!"
How did she pull it off? A rented child, the authorities say.
Saw this via Fark!
Mostly because of the subprime mortgage mess, ABC News reports. Snip:
During the wide-ranging speech on corruption and white collar crime, Mueller briefly expanded on remarks made the day before confirming that the FBI is investigating 19 institutions relating to the subprime lending crisis and the financial and investment vehicles used by those firms.
"We are targeting accounting fraud, insider trading and deceptive sales practices," Mueller said. "These investigations may well lead to other instances of fraud from investment banks and private equity firms to hedge funds."
Poor Akon. He only got probation, no actual prison time ...
Remember Judith? She's the Missouri woman who claimed she was raped because she was trying to cover up an affair. An innocent man went to jail for 21 months before DNA tests cleared him. Lummis didn't fess up until after the statute of limitations was up. Still, authorities were able to send her away on probation violations.
And now she's out on parole after seven months behind bars. She was sentenced to four years.
The feds have filed a new 18-count indictment against Robert DuPont, 63, of Joplin, who owned the Anderson group home where 11 people died back in 2006. He's accused of health-care fraud and money laundering. Snip from The AP:
DuPont allegedly ran five southwest Missouri group homes for the mentally ill despite having a 2002 felony conviction for Medicaid fraud that barred him from operating a business that bills Medicaid.
His wife and daughter are facing federal charges, too.
Snipes, who was convicted of three misdemeanor charges of failing to file tax returns, should serve three full years in prison -- partly because he's famous and this would be a good opportunity to scare tax evaders, the government says.
Story is from the St. Louis area, and the gentleman in question, John L. Bowman Sr., has already resigned. (He served in the Missouri House as a Democrat.) He reportedly bribed a bank official to OK a fake credit card application.
What an obvious scam -- why pay for a cure when everybody knows you can get over HIV by drinking bleach?
(All kidding aside, if this guy did what he said, it's pretty awful. He allegedly told AIDS patients to stop taking their regular medication, stuff that actually worked, so they could buy snake oil.)
Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!
Remember that rogue French trader who allegedly lost something like 5 billion Euros for his bank? Well, he's suing them ... for wrongful dismissal.
They were reportedly get-out-the-vote workers employed by ACORN during the 2006 election season, the AP reports. They allegedly turned in registration cards with fake names and addresses.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, Jim!
Lovely story from The Gazette, "Legitimacy of obituary in question" ...
A Cedar Rapids reader raised questions about the obituary, saying his daughter had been in an Internet relationship with a person purporting to be Smith. The reader believed the obituary was a hoax.
... The Gazette could find no record of a person by that name dying in Minnesota this month and has not been able to verify the address and place of employment given for Smith. The funeral home listed in the obituary submission as handling the arrangements had no record of Smith.
An Indiana man told his ex-girlfriend and his buddies that he had a secret life as a gang member, but nobody believed him. Soooo, police say, he shot himself four times -- in the cheek, shoulder and thigh -- and made up a story about getting robbed. (With a pellet gun, it should be noted, which is probably why he' still alive.)
Except police didn't buy it. They're charging him with making a false report.
An encounter that allegedly left him with the ability to "speak Australian." He's pleaded guilty to using a phone for a fictitious purpose and was given community service as punishment. Snip:
Police prosecutor Sergeant Chris Stringer told the court alcohol played a large role in Cradock's life.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!
Image is via Wikipedia, thanks to a Creative Commons license! Many thanks, Fir0002!
And he got busted when he allegedly pulled over a real cop. I'm stunned -- this has got to be the 12th or 13th time in the last year where this exact thing happened. The fake cops ALWAYS pull over REAL COPS.
Hat Tip: Many thanks to the Mighty FanDanGo!
The suspect here is a 41-year-old corrections officer from Connecticut -- who was supposed to be too hurt to work. Only he was allegedly caught competing in a contest for Hannah Montana tickets last year. He reportedly had to dress in drag (including high heels) and run 40 yards. No word if he won the tickets.
It involves eBay and MoneyGram money orders. Diane has more information here.
Lovely story from the Los Angeles area about a guy who scammed a taco joint, Del Taco, out of free food by calling up and complaining about a "previous order." (He posed as a CEO named "Robert Kennedy.") The scheme worked like a charm.
The only hitch? He and his buddies filmed the prank phone call and the aftermath, as they ate their free food. And they posted it all to YouTube, where the prosecutors were able to find it.
"Robert Kennedy" has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Skyler Blattner, 21, of Lee's Summit, is facing a charge of financial exploitation of the elderly, Jackson County prosecutors report. Blattner, who was working at Commerce Bank, is accused of taking $165,000 from a woman with Alzheimer's disease.
According to the probable cause, Blattner says he was merely borrowing the money and wanted it to be a "legitimate deal." The woman, however, says she wouldn't have written a check for that much money.
