Law Enforcement Impersonation Scammers Charged for Swindling Rochester Woman Out Thousands of Dollars

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Two out-of-state men have been charged in connection to a law enforcement impersonation scam that cost a Rochester woman thousands of dollars. 

Read More: Third Rochester-Area Resident Falls Victim to Costly Law Enforcement Scam

The scam, described in criminal complaints filed in Olmsted County Court on Thursday, is similar to a scheme that resulted in a combined $8,000 in losses for three Rochester-area residents at the end of April. 

The scammer will call their target and demand a payment to settle a legal matter. Scammers lately have been using the names of people who are legitimate members of law enforcement agencies. 

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Unlike last month’s scam, the victim turned over money during an in person meeting that happened near the Olmsted County Government Center in downtown Rochester on Saturday. 

2 Men Charged for Impersonating Olmsted County Law Enforcement to Scam Woman

The charges say the victim received a call from a person claiming to be Lt. Rossman from the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, who retired from the agency two years ago. 

The caller told the victim she missed a court date and would be arrested unless she paid an outstanding $10,000 bond. The woman said she complied with the instructions and handed the large sum of money over to a man she thought was a bail bondsman, the complaint says. 

She also provided the same man with another $6,000 about an hour after the first exchange. The charges state the woman then suspected she was being scammed and reported it to the Rochester Police Department. 

Officers reviewed surveillance camera footage of the transactions and identified a suspect vehicle, which was later pulled over in the City of Rochester on Tuesday. 

One of the passengers, identified as 31-year-old Demonte Tequis Brazil of Atlanta, GA,  matched the description of the man seen on video and was identified by the victim as the fake bail bondsman, the complaint says.

The driver was identified as 21-year-old Gabriel Jude Weatherspoon of South Bend, IN. 

Both Brazil and Weatherspoon have been charged with felony theft by swindle and impersonating another with the intent to defraud another. They were arraigned on the charges on Thursday and are each being held on $500,000 bail. 

Authorities have previously stated that law enforcement will never call and ask for a payment to settle a legal matter over the phone.

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