A 20-year-old man in New Dorp was threatened over a social media app, wired $1,000 to a stranger, and then handed over more cash to a second man who flashed a badge and a gun before speeding off in a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now, the NYPD is asking the public to help identify the man caught in a photo tied to the case.
According to silive.com, the incident unfolded on Sept. 30, just before 9 p.m., in the vicinity of Bancroft Avenue and Clawson Street. An unidentified individual contacted the victim through a social media application, verbally threatening him and demanding money. The young man complied, wiring $1,000 to the person making the threats.
The scheme didn't end there. Police say the victim then met up with a second individual who claimed to be a law enforcement official, displaying both a badge and a firearm. That man demanded roughly $3,800, telling the victim it would help resolve the original threats against him. The victim paid him.
Suspect Fled in a Gray Jeep
Once he had the money, the second individual fled the scene in a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee, heading in an unknown direction, the outlet's report states. No injuries were reported in connection with the robbery, according to police. The NYPD has not said whether the reward or wire-transfer threat and the badge-and-gun confrontation were carried out by the same person or coordinated between two separate suspects.
On Wednesday, the NYPD's Crime Stoppers unit posted a photo of a man wanted for questioning in connection with the robbery, asking anyone with information to come forward. The department, based in New York, NY, is investigating the case as a robbery involving threats and a person impersonating a law enforcement official.
How to Submit a Tip
Anyone with information can send a direct message to @NYPDTips or call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The NYPD Crime Stoppers program states that it offers rewards of up to $3,500 for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest and indictment.
Police impersonation scams tied to extortion schemes have surfaced elsewhere recently. In Palm Beach County, Florida, two men were arrested this week in connection with a string of robberies in which they allegedly posed as law enforcement officers, according to CBS 12. Sean Armas, 39, and Billy Brewer, 37, each face charges of robbery without a firearm or weapon and falsely personating an officer, with detectives linking them to three robberies on Oct. 19 involving a pickup truck marked with fake “State Trapper” lettering and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission logo stickers.
No arrests have been announced in the New Dorp case as of this report. The NYPD has not released the identity of either individual involved, and investigators continue to seek tips that could help identify the man pictured in the photo released this week.
