COPS CORNER

Ormond man scammed out of over $50,000 by online chatroom acquaintance

This week in Cops Corner...


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May 1

Mining a scam

12:36 p.m. — First block of Coquina Point Drive, Ormond Beach

Fraud. All that glitters is not gold. A 71-year-old Ormond Beach man discovered that the hard way when he was scammed out of over $50,000 by a so-called “Belgian miner.”

The man met the suspect in an online chat room a month prior, according to a police report. The suspect convinced the man that the suspect was a miner who needed money to send gold bars to America from Belgium. 

The suspect sent the man a contract and photos of the alleged mining. The man sent him significant sums of money three times. The man wants to pursue charges if the suspect’s identity is discovered.

May 3

Need for speed

12:14 p.m. — 200 block of South Atlantic Avenue, Ormond Beach

DUI. A 72-year-old man from Georgia was arrested for drunk driving after a police officer spotted him going about 15 mph over the speed limit. 

The man was swerving and striking the curb of the road prior to being stopped, according to a police report. The man, who smelled of alcohol, immediately told the reporting officer that he had gotten caught in the sand and had to get home to use the restroom. He apologized for speeding. 

As he waited for the man to hand over his vehicle’s registration, the officer saw the man move a bottle of what he later discovered was vodka from the passenger seat to the floor. When the officer asked to see the bottle, the man initially showed him a water bottle instead. He eventually handed over the bottle of vodka, but said he hadn’t drunk any of it that day.

The man failed sobriety exercises and was taken to jail.

 

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