The Springdale Police Department is looking for two men who allegedly schemed a man out of $3,000. Hit the jump to read the story.
The Springdale Police Department is looking for two men who allegedly schemed a man out of $3,000. The incident began at the Lowe’s parking lot in Springdale on June 8, 2011. That’s where police say the 69-year-old victim was approached by a male black in his 40′s (suspect #1) wearing black dress clothes and spoke with an African accent. Investigators say the suspect asked the victim for directions to a nearby community and eventually for a ride. The victim agreed and at some point the man pulled out a large wad of cash, claiming his brother just died, he was from South Africa and he had won a large settlement but didn’t know how to keep it safe. The two ended up at a hotel in Sharonville, according to police. While at the hotel, another man, a male black in his 50′s (suspect # 2) wearing dress clothes, a tie and walking with a cane approached the two, acting like he didn’t know the other suspect. The three began to talk and suspect #1 took out the wad of money again. That’s when suspect #2 told him he should put the money in the bank. The victim agreed, according to police. However, suspect #1 said he didn’t trust banks in America. Eventually, all three ended up driving in the victim’s minivan to the PNC Bank on East Kemper in Springdale. Police say the suspects strategically had the victim park on the opposite side of the bank. Suspect #1 continued to say how he didn’t trust banks and how he thought the United States military would go after anyone withdrawing a large amount of money and needed the victim to show him this wasn’t true. Suspect #2 told the men that this was his bank and no such thing would happen. Police say he pretended to go inside the bank and came back out with bank envelopes and $10,000 in cash. However, investigators believe he never went inside, actually met up with another suspect and received the envelopes and money on the other side of the bank. Suspect #2 then let the other suspect and the victim drive around the block holding the cash as a sign of “trustâ€. The suspects then convinced the victim to go into the bank and withdraw $3,000. He came out and let the suspects hold the money and walk around the block to show “trustâ€. Investigators say the suspects, who even used several props, never returned.
