A 22-year-old man from Missouri City, Texas, found himself in hot water this past Monday after being extradited to Massachusetts for allegedly scamming a Barnstable resident out of nearly $50,000. Deterrjon Johnson was arraigned in Barnstable District Court on charges of Larceny over $1,200 by False Pretense and Receiving Stolen Property Over $1,200, according to a post from the Barnstable Police Department.
In August, an unsuspicious Barnstable local was duped by an individual claiming to be from the FDIC, suggesting that their bank account had been compromised. Urging immediate action, the scammer convinced the victim to transfer their savings into what was portrayed as a "safe and secure" account to protect their assets. Working with dogged determination, Detective Erik McNeice and Officer David Downs of the Barnstable Police Department followed the trail of the fraudulent transactions, which led them to Johnson, who had made several large cash withdrawals from an account registered to "D. Johnson Global LLC."
Despite the stolen funds being depleted, evidence collected during several search warrants clearly showed Johnson was the mastermind behind the scheme. He was the sole individual tied to the bank account and the identifiable perpetrator withdrawing the embezzled capital. The interagency cooperative efforts, including the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office and the attached State Police Detective Unit, culminated in Johnson’s arrest on a warrant issued by the Barnstable District Court, resulting in his subsequent extradition from Texas to Massachusetts.
During his arraignment, Johnson found himself ordered held on $2,500 bail. In light of these troubling events, Barnstable Police issued a stern warning to residents: if you suspect scamming, it's crucial to stop all communications with the perpetrator, inform your bank, and contact your local police. "The faster the Scam is reported the better chance law enforcement has to work with partners in the financial industry to recover any lost funds," as stated by the Barnstable Police Department. They also offered clear advice for dealing with potential scammers: "If the scammer calls, HANG UP!" "If the scammer emails, DELETE!" and "REPORT as soon as possible."
