The Wilmington Police Department recently took into custody a Dracut man linked to a social media marketplace scam. The suspect, identified as Keanu Ashtar-Zadeh, age 21, faced multiple charges including an attempt to commit felony crime of larceny over $1200, intimidation of a witness/official, larceny over $1,200 by false pretense, and identity fraud. This information comes following a report published by the Wilmington Police Department on their website.
Ashtar-Zadeh's scam unfolded after arranging to sell an "authentic" gold bar to an unsuspecting victim for $4,150 through Facebook Marketplace. The buyer, after having paid, discovered the gold bar to be a fake upon inspection. Conducting the preliminary investigation, Wilmington Police uncovered the seller had employed a fake name to facilitate the fraud. While arranging a meet-up with Ashtar-Zadeh, the Wilmington Police apprehended him without incident, according to the Wilmington Police Department.
A subsequent search conducted by law enforcement uncovered two Florida IDs with other names in Ashtar-Zadeh's possession, further supporting the charges against him. The suspect had his arraignment in Woburn District Court yesterday. Ashtar-Zadeh's arrest serves as a cautionary tale and the Wilmington Police Department has taken the opportunity to advise residents to exercise caution when engaging in online transactions, particularly with unknown parties. The department invites residents to use the station lobby as a safe space for conducting such transactions. While these charges reflect serious allegations, it's vital to remember that all suspects are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
