Stafford, VA – The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office reported several incidents including fraud and theft. On Tuesday, an individual lost $260,000 to a cryptocurrency scam via WhatsApp.
Deputy C.M. Hidalgo was alerted to the fraud after the victim made numerous wire transfers before realizing the operation was a scam. The victim was initially lured by a supposed data mining company that claimed successful returns.
In a separate case on the same day, Deputy Hidalgo received a complaint regarding identity theft. The victim applied for a job through a fraudulent website and provided personal information during a fake onboarding process.
A larceny case reported on Monday involved stolen HVAC units from a local business. On the evening of the incident, Deputy T.W. Jenkins located the suspects and recovered the stolen items, valued between $200 and $400.
Marion Lee Dowdy, age 33, and Paul Tyler Johnson, age 30, both of Stafford, were charged with trespassing and petit larceny. The stolen goods were returned to the business.
A separate incident of shoplifting was reported at Target in Stafford Marketplace. On Tuesday, Deputy B.E. Vaughn investigated a case where a male and female suspect, accompanied by two children, concealed merchandise and left without payment.
Warrants were issued for the suspects after Deputy Vaughn’s investigation led to their identification. The primary suspect later confessed to the theft.
On Tuesday, a report of public intoxication led Deputy Oliveira-Hernandez to a highly intoxicated individual walking in traffic near Richmond Highway and Sage Lane. Koby Shacar Mangain, age 47, of Dumfries, was arrested and taken into custody for public intoxication.