Articles Posted in Theft Crimes

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After an FBI investigation into what they believe is a fraudulent operation targeting homeowners facing foreclosure by offering low interest loan modifications, three men from Southern California are facing federal charges as suspects in the alleged hoax.

At the start of 2014 under the name Hope Services, homeowners in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure were offered deals for modifying their loans in order to assist them and stop the seizure of their properties. The potential clients were told they were preapproved for the process and they were asked to submit three payments, which would be held in an account, in order to complete the new loan agreements.

Toward the end of 2014 many complaints were received about Hope Services from people who had submitted payments and did not receive their modified loans as promised. The alleged scam operation then changed their name to HAMP Services, which has the same acronym as an existing government program for home loan modification, and they continued to solicit services to new victims until April 2015.

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On Wednesday morning a Sioux City man allegedly locked himself inside of the front porch at a stranger’s home, and began sexually pleasuring himself while simultaneously smoking methamphetamine.

The woman occupant of a house containing a front porch noticed an unfamiliar man in the enclosure on January 10 around 8:20 AM.

30-year-old Leland Purgett arrived at the home and allegedly entered the structure. He was able to locate the keys to the house, and he secured himself inside the porch area. With the female occupant of the home in view Purgett reportedly began masturbating in front of her while he was concurrently smoking methamphetamine.

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On Saturday night a teenager reported to authorities that he was robbed at gunpoint when an interested purchaser showed up at his home to pick up and pay for a purse he had listed for sale through an online application.

The 16-year-old boy created a listing on a third party online sales application known as “Let Go” in an attempt to find a buyer for a Louis Vuitton designer purse. He priced the bag at $300, though its actual worth was approximately $20 as it was an imitation of the original.

Soon after posting it the teen was contacted by a man interested in the handbag. After haggling on the asking price the prospective buyer and the boy agreed on $250 and the two made arrangements to carry out the transaction. They decided that the man would come to the boy’s home to pay for and pick up the purse.

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Three suspects have been arrested for alleged theft when they were discovered taking luggage that did not belong to them at the Miami International Airport. The bags in question were taken during a three month period in the middle of the holiday travel season.

On December 15 a passenger on board a flight arrived at the Miami International Airport and learned that her luggage was not on the conveyor belt at her designated baggage claim area. The woman called Miami-Dade police and told them of the incident three days later on December 18, which led to the authorities viewing the video surveillance camera footage from the time period in which the event took place.

The video displayed a man, later identified as Wilbert Cabrera-Valdes, removing two bags from the belt, one of which was recognized as the woman caller’s possessions.

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A 67-year-old man is facing hundreds of counts of wire fraud and money laundering for alleged participation as what police call a “middle man” in a common type of email scam dubbed “Nigerian prince.”

These shams, so named for many of them originating in Nigeria though they happen all over the world, typically connive people out of personal information such as bank account numbers under the pretense that they are assisting someone from Nigerian royalty in transferring money to the United States. The scammer then offers compensation for their aid. Law enforcement stated that investigating this type of crime poses challenges, “as many leads have led to individuals who live outside of the United States.”

After an 18-month and still ongoing investigation, police arrested Michael Neu on November 28 as they believed he was working with associates in Nigeria and serving as an intermediator in the fraudulent operations.

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On Tuesday, December 19, police arrested a man who they believe participated in 20 or more package thefts throughout several Irvine neighborhoods.

As reported by the Irvine Police Department, after home video surveillance cameras picked up footage of a man stealing delivered packages off doorsteps in Irvine, authorities released photos and a video to news outlets in an attempt to locate the responsible party. 33-year-old Anthony Brian Palusso, a Mission Viejo resident, was identified at a local hotel by someone who had seen the video during a broadcast.

It was discovered that Palusso was in possession of an outstanding warrant, and Garden Grove police picked him up at the hotel and took him into custody.

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Last Wednesday, a California man was accused of using the chimney of a local Citrus Heights pub and grill in an attempted burglary. On his way down the flue he became stuck and unable to proceed with his alleged plan.

Jesse Berube, a regular customer at Loree’s Little Shack on Greenback bar and grill, allegedly tried to use the building’s chimney in order to enter the building after hours. Though the opening was less than 18 inches wide he managed to slide down the flue until he met with an unexpected 90-degree angle where he became lodged in the structure.

32-year-old Berube, having no way to free himself, managed to access his cellphone and called 911 for assistance. Citrus Heights police and the Sacramento Metro Fire Department dispatched to the scene to investigate the reported incident where they discovered Berube stuck down the chimney.

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On Wednesday in Seymour, IN, two teenagers were arrested as the suspects of an incident involving a church that was broken into and desecrated in November.

18-year-old Shawn Battice and a 16-year-old unnamed adolescent allegedly used the double doors in the back of the Seymour First Presbyterian Church to illegally enter the building in the early morning hours of November 24. They stole the money out of a collection box in the basement, and then located five fire extinguishers which were affixed throughout the church. The pair discharged the extinguishers into the basement, youth recreation room, sanctuary and choir room, covering the organ, furniture and pianos with the contents, according to Seymour Police Department Detective Sgt. C.J. Foster. A church trustee reported that the total damage caused was assessed at nearly $10,000.

An official investigation led authorities to the teenagers, and they were taken into custody on Wednesday evening. When Battice was interviewed by detectives he said that he and the 16-year-old did in fact enter the church without consent, and that they stole money and used the fire extinguishers to cause the damage.

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An executive for the cosmetics company Urban Decay has been accused of stealing more than $1 million through bank transfer transactions between the business and fraudulent accounts he created. He is facing felony charges for the allegations.

Irvine resident Ranjeet Reddy Paladugo holds a position as the vice president of finance at the Newport Beach based company Urban Decay. He is suspected of utilizing several banks in order to create fake accounts, which were similarly named after business affiliates of the company, in order to embezzle funds that he transferred from Urban Decay. On July 17 he allegedly stole over $1 million from Urban Decay.

Paladugo purportedly commissioned a transaction in the amount of $598,500 which he transferred through one of the phony accounts. He then transferred that money into his personal bank account. This procedure was repeated again in the same amount, and routed through a second bogus business account. Paladugo is said to have used the stolen money for personal use, including the down payment on a house.

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46-year-old Juan Manuel Rodriguez is employed as an Orange County probation officer. While on assignment with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Tactical Apprehension Team he has been suspected of taking money from the residents of the homes where he assisted in serving search warrants.

On August 8 Rodriguez visited a residence in Santa Ana in order to serve a search warrant. The person being served was distracted during the period that Rodriguez was inspecting their identification card, and they claimed that $150 had gone missing from their wallet. The victim alerted one of the sheriff’s deputies on site immediately after noticing the money was gone.

According to prosecutors, sheriff’s officials made the decision to organize a sting operation two days after the incident was reported in an attempt to apprehend the offender. A vehicle was rigged with a hidden surveillance camera and $1,200 was planted inside.

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