Lakeland: Big Bad Wolves (why?) arrested for scamming elderly folks


Reference to Little Red Riding Hood Story: I will huff, I will puff, and I will blow your house down!

These two scammer cum robber forced their way into the homes of elderly folks and demand to be paid for repairing the "leaking roof". Otherwise, they would "Fine" them for $600 bucks. But the roof isn't leaking.

Good riddance.

LAKELAND | Sheriff's deputies have arrested two men they accuse of operating a scam designed to victimize elderly people.

Daniel Thomas Cooper, 41, of Arkansas, was arrested Feb. 3 after he forced his way into an 89-year-old North Lakeland woman's home and said he would fine her $600 if she did not pay him to fix leaks in her roof, according to a news release from the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The roof did not need repairs.

When the victim attempted to call her son, who lives in Georgia, the man twice took the phone away from her, according to the release, and told the son that he was in the woman's house because she was giving him directions.

The son became suspicious and called back after the man left, and his mother told him what had happened. The son then called authorities.

Deputies quickly found Danny Cooper and Richard Norman Squires, 50, of Pennsylvania, near the victim's home, and the victim identified Cooper as the man who had forced his way into her home and battered her, according to the release.

Cooper was charged with charged with burglary with assault, battery on person older than 65 and theft from person older than 65, the release said, and he is being held without bail. He has a multistate criminal history of using scams against the elderly involving unlicensed repairs in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana and Ohio.

Deputies found a GPS in Cooper's vehicle and used it to figure out where Cooper and Squires had recently visited, according to the release, and the investigation is continuing...


Scammers Targeting Elderly


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Comments (1)

contractonrns
Said this on 2-12-2010 At 08:30 am

As of 2-10-10, two additional victims have come foward, the 2nd victim is also in Polk County, the 3rd victim is in Seminole County. The more these dirt-bags pictured are displayed thru all media outlets, the more victims will come foward.       Richard Norman Squires, watch your back, you robbed the wrong victim, this redneck's grandma. You're safe in the Polk County jail but the next stop for you is Lake County jail, can't wait for you to arrive! Revenge is a dish best served cold! It may take me years to make you pay for your actions. No problem, You're my long term project.

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