[StBernard] Chalmette parking lot con attempt reported; suspect arrested

[Westley Annis]

Chalmette parking lot con attempt reported; suspect arrested

Published: Thursday, February 17, 2011, 9:25 PM     Updated: Thursday,
February 17, 2011, 9:31 PM

 By Leslie Williams, The Times-Picayune 

A man was arrested Thursday in Chalmette on suspicion of trying to defraud a
68-year-old man in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

The St. Bernard Sheriff's Office is attempting to determine the identity of
the man, who has a Tennessee driver's license with the name of 57-year-old
Memphis resident Isaiah Hardaway Jr. on it.

The man was booked with attempted theft by fraud, providing a false name and
being drunk in public, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Based on an interview with a 68-year-old Baton Rouge man who was approached
by the suspect, detectives concluded the arrested man was using a "drop the
pigeon" scheme to separate the elder man from his money.

The Baton Rouge man said the suspect approached him and asked for help with
reading a letter from an insurance company stating the arrested man was
supposed to inherit a large sum of money. The suspect also showed the
68-year-old man a roll of money and asked for help in putting it in a bank.

Typically, these scheme involves a con man trying to gain the confidence of
a victim by asking for help and promising to share money if the victim
withdraws "good faith'' money from a bank, Pohlmann said. The swindler then
steals that money, he said.

The elder man from Baton Rouge walked away from the stranger and later told
investigating detectives something seemed wrong to him.

The arrested suspect was carrying three large rolls of money, each with $100
bills on the outside and numerous $1 bills inside, Pohlmann said.

Another man may have dropped off the arrested suspect just before the
incident, but he hasn't been located.

Anyone who may have been a victim of a similar scheme in which no arrest has
been made should call the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office at
504.271.2501, Pohlmann said.