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.”
Maryland
Dog who called Maryland shelter home for 7 years finally adopted: “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house”
The SPCA of Anne Arundel County announced that their longest running shelter resident has been adopted. Kylo Jace found his forever home after living at the SPCA of Anne Arundel County for 7 years.
The SPCA said on their Facebook page thar Kylo is a dog who “takes many meetings with someone in order to fully trust them and feel comfortable enough to show his true silly, wonderful personality.”
Over the years, he had specific volunteers and staff who had earned his trust and would take turns walking and caring for him day after day, the shelter said.
Over the course of the past 7 months, the woman who adopted Kylo came to visit him twice a week and slowly, but surely, worked her way into his trusted inner circle.
The team at SPCA even worked to ensure Kylo was comfortable getting into his new owner’s car, doing home visits before the big day. On Sunday, he officially left the building that he has spent the past few years in for the final time.
“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and we truly are on Cloud 9 knowing he gets to spend the rest of his life loved for exactly who he is!” shelter staff said on social media.
Kylo’s adoption fee was fully paid for in memory of Jim Ehrig, a fan favorite of Kylo’s who passed away.
The SPCA hopes Kylo’s story will encourage more people to take a chance on a shelter dog.
Watch Tide to Table of Ocean City’s crew in action in Instagram reel
Instagram reel offers inside look at Tide to Table crew in action. Provided bby Jason Schwinabart, Vision Jet Media.
Vision Jet Media
The results are in for Delmarva Now’s reader poll of the best local ice cream shop on Maryland’s Lower Shore.
The 10 ice cream shops featured in the poll from the Ocean City, Salisbury and Berlin areas are often sought out by beachgoers with a sweet tooth during the hot summer months.
Get to know the winner and runner-up below.
Island Creamery voted best ice cream shop on Lower Shore
Island Creamery finished in first place with 47 votes, or 62.67% of the total, in Delmarva Now’s reader poll.
The creamery, named “Best Ice Cream Place in America” on July 7, 2023, for its use of fresh, quality ingredients and creativity, is best known for unique flavors such as Wallops Rocket Fuel and Rum Raisin.
It operates three locations across the Delmarva Peninsula: 120 N. Main St. in Berlin, 306 Dogwood Drive in Salisbury and 6243 Maddox Blvd. in Chincoteague, Virginia.
Dumser’s Dairyland secures second place in ice cream poll
Dumser’s Dairyland secured second place in Delmarva Now’s reader poll with 16 votes, or 21.33% of the total.
The family-owned business first opened in 1939 and offers a wide variety of fresh ice cream flavors, including coconut chocolate chip, butter pecan and mint Oreo.
Dumser’s Dairyland operates seven locations in Ocean City, including on the Boardwalk, in West Ocean City and along Coastal Highway. Some locations capture the look of a 1950s diner.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
Maryland lawmakers serving in the U.S. Congress expressed their condolences on Sunday after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
Graham, a Republican, died on Saturday following a “brief and sudden illness,” according to his office. He was 71 years old.
Republican Congressman Andy Harris, who represents Maryland in the House of Representatives, called Stewart a “true leader” and said his “selfless service to his country both in uniform and in Congress is much appreciated.”
“My deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, dedicated staff, and the people of South Carolina during this difficult time,” Harris said. “Working with him on budget issues made it clear to me that he was a true leader in the fight to restore fiscal responsibility, and he will be sorely missed.”
Graham died on Saturday evening, shortly after he returned from a trip to Ukraine. He was scheduled to appear on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.
He served in the U.S. House of Representatives, followed by four terms in the U.S. Senate. Before his political career, Graham served in the United States Air Force.
Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who served with Graham in Congress for more than two decades, said that even though the two disagreed on many issues, they had always had “an open line of communication and honest conversation.”
“Whenever possible, we worked together to find common ground, including our joint efforts to support our Syrian Kurdish partners and the SDF, who have been our main allies in the fight against ISIS,” Van Hollen stated. “My heart goes out to Lindsey’s loved ones during this difficult time.”
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