Grand Theft
Money transfer documents found in alleged fraud case..
January 27, 2016
FOSTORIA - A search warrant executed in connection to an alleged fraud involving a senior citizen yielded money transfer documents, according to Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court records.
Personnel from Fostoria Police Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Patricia Stuward, Sampson Cojolo and Tanor Tody, who were not positively identified, Friday afternoon.
Stuward and Cojolo were charged with grand theft, a third-degree felony, and Tody was charged with attempted grand theft, a third-degree felony. All three said they were from Monrovia, Liberia, according to Fostoria Police Department.
They are to appear in Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court today.
According to the search warrant filed in Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court, Fostoria Police Department officers were advised Jan. 14 that grand theft was being investigated at 547 Columbus Ave.The alleged victim reported she had been in contact with suspects via Facebook.
Court records state she reported the people came to her residence and retrieved $16,000 from her and returned two hours later. When they returned, they brought a suitcase with a safe, and they revealed multiple packages of paper blanks in the safe, they state.
They sprayed a "solution" on the blank and handed the woman what appeared to be a $100 bill.
According to court records, they explained the solution would turn all of the other packaged paper blanks into U.S. money, and they would need more money to obtain enough solution to turn the paper blanks into money.
The Fostoria woman reported the incident to police and informed the woman who had come to her residence that she would have money by Friday.
They all set up a meeting for 11 a.m. Friday, and law enforcement officials set up an operation to take the three suspects into custody.
A 2011 Hyundai sport utility vehicle arrived at the rear of the residence at 547 Columbus Ave. about 1:30 p.m. Friday, records state.
A search warrant conducted on the vehicle yielded items such as money, money transfer documents and marijuana cigarettes, records state.
Source: By Jill Gosche The Advertister-Tribune
