A South Florida man was slapped with charges for posing as a bogus barrister in a scam that fleeced an elderly man out of his hard-earned cash. Manuel Alfonso Lopez, 36, got busted by Miami-Dade Police, accused of grand theft and masterminding a scheme to defraud, as reported by NBC Miami. Under the guise of legal help, Lopez is alleged to have conned a 75-year-old victim in December by claiming his grandson was in a heap of trouble after a traffic accident.
The cunning ploy was to pretend the grandson could avoid criminal charges if the old man coughed up $8,280. Authorities say Lopez showed up to collect the dough, posing as a courier. The senior had the wherewithal to snap a photo of Lopez and snagged a shot of his license plate to boot, according to the arrest report. The po-po reckon there might be more marks out there and are asking anyone with the skinny to buzz Broward Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
Meanwhile, in a twisted tale of deception, an Oakland Park man is accused of swindling a Miami-Dade man out of a bundle, as recounted by CBS News Miami. Steve Jordan got a ring from a fella going by Walter Higgins, who sold him a bill of goods about his grandson causing a ruckus in a crash involving a Bahamian diplomat and needing $600 for a get-out-of-jail card. Without reach to his grandson, Jordan took the bait.
Higgins kept Jordan on the hook and on the line for a staggering four hours, convincing the frantic granddad his kin would be socked with a felony unless he ponied up an additional $8,000. The money was supposed to go to the innocuously named Pinecrest Village Clerk's Office, collected by none other than Lopez, disguised in a medical mask. Jordan, quick on the draw, managed to capture a photo of Lopez and his truck's plates as well.
The whole charade came crashing down when Jordan touched base with his grandson, who was fine and dandy, clueing the senior into the elaborate swindle. Despite an attempt to smooth things over with a return of the stolen cash, the law wasn't amused. Lopez was nabbed on January 10, after cops matched him to the vehicle and linked him to the crime. During the grilling by the boys in blue, Lopez tried to deflect, claiming he was just running an errand for a Canadian cousin, but his story was as full of holes as a sieve, leading to his arrest on charges of organized scheme to defraud and grand theft.
