Maryland
‘Too good to be true’: 4 arrested after Maryland woman scammed out of nearly $40,000
The four people arrested are from Alabama and Tennessee, and police say they were able to use a so-called ‘pigeon drop’ scam to steal the cash. They were arrested approaching a new victim, police said
Maryland authorities have arrested three people from Alabama and one from Tennessee after they say the group conned an older woman out of tens of thousands of dollars.
Police in Prince George’s County, which is in metro Washington, D.C., arrested the four suspects “moments after” they were approached “their next potential victim” in a shopping center parking lot on Oct. 24, the department said Wednesday in a Facebook post.
Police became aware of the group on Oct. 22 after a woman called 911 and reported being scammed, police said.
Here’s what you need to know, including how the scam works.
What is a ‘pigeon drop’ scam?
Police say the group used a “pigeon drop” scam, which involves suspects “convincing a victim to give them a large amount of cash as collateral with the hope of sharing a sum of money.”
In this case, two of the suspects encountered the woman outside a business on Oct. 21 in the District Heights, Maryland area, police said. They told the woman they found a bag full of money and asked if it belonged to her, police said.
The suspects then convinced the woman to donate the money to charity instead of turning it into the police, according to the Facebook post. They persuaded the woman to withdraw money from her bank account to exchange those bills with the found cash so no one could trace the donation, police said.
Over two days, the woman withdrew nearly $40,000 from her account, which the suspects stole, police said. Upon realizing that she was being scammed, the woman called the police on Oct. 22.
Police describe the woman as “elderly” but did not share her age.
Four in custody after alleged ‘pigeon drop’
Prince George’s County Police have arrested: 77-year-old James Davis, 64-year-old Connie Williams, 59-year-old Mary Daniel and 36-year-old Kenneth Gooden. Davis, Williams and Daniel are from Birmingham, Alabama, while Daniel is from Antioch, Tennessee.
They remained in custody Wednesday but it’s unclear if they’ve been given a bond. USA TODAY could not immediately identify whether they had obtained an attorney.
The department said there could be other victims in the case and urged anyone who thinks they’ve been scammed to call authorities.
“The (department) reminds residents to never give money or financial information to anyone who you just met in person, online or on the phone,” the agency said. “If something seems to be good to be true, it usually is.”
BALTIMORE — Breezy & cold weather continues through Wednesday. An Alert Day is in effect Thursday for high winds & scattered rain and snow showers.
We will be dealing with another cold day. Early morning temperatures are starting between 26° and 32° across our area. Factor in the gusty northwest breeze, and it’s still a numbing morning with wind-chills in the upper teens and lower 20s. We’ll see a partly to mostly sunny sky today. Winds will be out of the northwest at 10 to 20 mph. Highs will top out in the lower 40s, but wind-chills will remain in the mid-30s at their warmest.
With a mainly clear sky, the wind relaxes tonight. This will allow the temperature to plummet, especially outside of the Baltimore Beltway. Expect lows in the upper teens and lower 20s.
A warm front will approach the area during the day Wednesday. We’ll have another biting cold start to the morning with early temperatures starting off in the lower 20s. Wednesday starts with a good deal of sunshine, but clouds build the second half of the day as an approaching warm front arrives. We’re still looking at a breezy and chilly day as the winds veer out of the south-southwest at 15 mph. Highs top out in the lower 40s.
A WJZ Alert Day has been issued Thursday for the entire WJZ Viewing Area for the potential of 35-50 mph wind gusts, rain & snow showers, and tough travel at times.
A powerful arctic cold front crosses the area late Wednesday night through midday Thursday. This arctic front will bring a few bands of rain and wet snow showers to the area. Most of what falls will be light, but because of the strong and gusty winds, it may lead to difficult travel at times. Winds will gust 35 to 50 mph Thursday morning into early Thursday afternoon before the strongest wind gusts ease. There is the possibilityy of a few snow squalls late Thursday morning as the arctic air is arriving.
Windy and bitterly cold weather are on the way Thursday night. Lows only dip into the upper 20s, but with a strong and gusty wind, wind-chills will be down into the teens.
Friday is bright, blustery, and very cold for this time of year. Highs reach the upper 30s, but wind-chills will be at around 30° at their warmest. The cold continues for the start of next weekend with a partly sunny sky and highs near 40° Saturday. On Sunday, the cold begins to ease with a mostly sunny sky and highs in the lower 50s.
The next storm system that impacts our area will move in Monday. By this time enough warm air will have arrived that any of the showers which pass through the area Monday afternoon and evening will all fall in the form of rain.
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BALTIMORE — After a chilly Thanksgiving holiday weekend, unseasonably cold air will stick around throughout the week.
After a sunny but chilly afternoon, temperatures overnight will drop into the mid-20s across the area. Expect mostly sunny skies on Tuesday, with highs reaching the low 40s. A brisk northwest wind will make it feel even colder, likely in the 30s throughout the day.
Tuesday night, temperatures will dip into the low to mid-20s under clear skies. Wednesday will begin with sunshine, but clouds will thicken throughout the day. Highs will again reach the lower 40s during the afternoon. Expect mostly cloudy skies by Wednesday night as a powerful Arctic cold front approaches the region.
Wednesday night temperatures will be a bit warmer due to the cloud cover, dropping mainly into the mid-30s. The strong cold front will sweep through the area Thursday morning, followed by strong, gusty northwesterly winds and a chance for rain and snow showers. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph late Thursday morning and early Thursday afternoon in the wake of the Arctic front.
Skies will gradually clear Thursday night, with temperatures dipping into the mid-20s. Wind chills will likely be in the teens for some areas by Friday morning. Highs on Friday afternoon will not get out of the upper 30s.
Friday night, temperatures will dip into the upper teens and lower 20s. Winds will get lighter as we head into the weekend, with plenty of sunshine and a few clouds on Saturday. Highs Saturday afternoon will reach around 40 degrees.
Clouds will increase on Sunday, with high temperatures in the mid- to upper 40s. Another storm system will approach, with rain chances increasing by Sunday night into Monday. There is a chance that western portions of the state could experience a period of wintry weather before changing over to rain.
We will keep you updated throughout the week on the chances of wintry weather with this next storm system. Temperatures to start next week on Monday and Tuesday will likely be in the 50s—a welcome change from the recent cold air.
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