Two family-member scams took over $20k from local victims
DELMAR – On Wednesday, Dec. 13, the Bethlehem Police Department put out a public alert informing the public about two incidents involving thieves scamming local residents.
“It is not a new type, but what raised concern is that it happened twice in almost the same way,” Bethlehem Deputy Chief James Rexford said. “They were not very far apart, timewise, and they had very specific information about residents. It could be the same person doing this.”
The “scammers” contact elderly residents stating there is an emergency relating to a family member or that bail money is needed to get a family member out of jail. The scammer requests a large amount of money in cash.
In both of these cases, the thieves sent an uber to pick up the package of money, Rexford said.
The Uber in both cases drove to a gas station in the lower Hudson Valley and met a person to give the package.
“We are trying to figure out how they are identifying the victims and how they are getting the victim’s information, like the actual names of relatives,” Rexford said. “Our concern is that if there are already two in this area, there will most likely be more attempts.”
In the two cases being investigated by Bethlehem Detectives, one victim was defrauded of $16,000 and the other was over $10,000.
“Detectives were able to recover some of the money for one of the victims,” he said.
Police are applying for search warrants for phone records at this point in the hope of getting more. The investigation is continuing.
Police request that if you receive a call of this nature to first contact the family member in question to validate any claims and then call the police department to report the incident. The non-emergency number is 518-439-9973
Criminal contempt
LATHAM – On Thursday, Dec. 7 at 12:10 p.m. Colonie police responded to the Price Chopper on Loudon Road and arrested a Cohoes man for violating an order of protection.
Matthew Powers had already been convicted for violating the order prior and was charged with felony criminal contempt – first degree.
He was arraigned by Town Judge Norman Massry.
Outside warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to Central Avenue where a man was crossing central avenue, not in a crosswalk at 7:09 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. Officers asked him to move to a bank parking lot nearby where he provided his name and date of birth.
A check showed that he had an active arrest warrant from State Police in Stormville. He was taken into custody and transported to meet troopers.
Burglary and grand larceny after traffic stop
COLONIE – During a traffic stop on Central Avenue on Friday, Dec. 8 at 12:07 p.m., Colonie police determined a Cohoes man was wanted for other crimes in Latham.
According to reports, Jason Nobile, 47, was driving without a valid license after being stopped for an illegal turn. Officers found he was also the subject of an investigation for a burglary incident three days earlier at the Towneplace Suites hotel in Latham.
Nobile was charged with burglary and grand larceny, both felonies, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor for the Latham incident and aggravated unlicensed operation – three or more suspensions, a misdemeanor for the traffic stop.
He was arraigned.
Larceny and two warrants
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to Marshall’s on Central Avenue for a larceny complaint on Friday, Dec. 8 at 5:11 p.m. and found the subject of the call to have two outstanding warrants. His identity was confirmed by Marshall’s loss-prevention employees at a show up at the store.
Robert Moncur, 44, who is homeless, had one warrant from the Town of Colonie and another from Guilderland.
He was arraigned in Colonie Town Court, then transported to meet Guilderland police.
Two warrants
LATHAM – A check of a subject at the Colonie Inn and Suites on Loudon Road, by Colonie police showed that a Mechanicville woman was wanted by multiple agencies on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 12:27 a.m.
Jennifer Landry, 27, had an outstanding warrant for not showing up for Colonie Town Court in August and also had a State Police warrant.
Police were unable to contact a Colonie Judge and released her on an appearance ticket. Landry was then transported to meet State Police for its warrant.
Warrant after traffic stop
LOUDONVILLE – A Colonie man was taken into custody for an outstanding warrant after a traffic stop on Albany Shaker Road on Thursday, Dec. 14.
Robert Allen, 55, was wanted for a September 22 incident in Saratoga County. The warrant was from Wilton Town Court and he was picked up by State Police.
Larceny and four warrants
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to the Destination -XL store on Wolf Road for the report of a person allegedly stealing merchandise on Thursday, Dec. 14.
According to reports, Umut Tanrikulu, 35, who is homeless, was taken into custody and charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor. A check of his identification found that he had one active arrest warrant from the Town of Colonie for two other larcenies and also had outstanding warrants from Guilderland and Warervliet. He was arraigned by Town Judge David Green.
Criminal mischief
COLONIE – A Nassau man was arrested on Thursday, Dec. 14. by Colonie police on Central Avenue after he was observed damaging a vehicle.
Robert Woods, 35, was taken into custody and charged with criminal mischief – damage to another’s property, a felony. He was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green.
Identity theft
LATHAM – Colonie police arrested a 47-year-old Cohoes man for identity theft, a felony, on Thursday, Dec. 14. at Homegoods on Troy-Schenectady Road.
Jason Nobile was taken into custody for an incident that happened at the Towneplace Inns and Suites on December 5. He was arraigned by Judge David Green.
Grand larceny at Macy’s
COLONIE – On Thursday, Dec. 14. at 7:26 p.m., Colonie police responded to Macy’s at Colonie Center for the report of a person taking merchandise. Louis Nadal, 46, of Albany was charged with grand larceny, a felony, and taken into custody. He was given an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on December 27. Grand larceny is not bail eligible and police can only give an appearance ticket.
Reckless driving and DWI
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to the report of an erratic driver on Central Avenue on Friday, Dec. 15 at approximately 12:23 a.m.
According to reports, police observed a vehicle failing to stay in its lane, crossing the center lane, and not using any signals and performed a traffic stop. While interviewing the driver, a 44-year-old Albany woman, the officers observed that she had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, poor motor coordination and had an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath.
The woman was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
She was taken into custody and transported to the police station.
The woman was charged with DWI and reckless driving, both misdemeanors, and ticketed for the traffic violations. She was released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on December 18.
Felony warrant
COLONIE – On Friday, Dec. 15 at approximately 4:08 a.m., Colonie police responded to the Cumberland Farms on Central Avenue to check a subject call.
When officer arrived they found that Nathaneal Mitchell, 36, who is homeless, was wanted for a felony warrant in the City of Troy. Mitchell was processed and transported to meet Troy police.
Criminal contempt
LATHAM – A 37-year-old Village of Colonie man was arrested on Friday, Dec. 15 for violating an order of protection.
Gregory Miller was taken into custody and charged with criminal contempt – first degree- telephones, a felony. Miller was processed and sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee. He was arraigned the next morning.
Larceny call and warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to Target on Central Avenue for an investigation into a larceny. During the investigation, officers found that Sar Nicole Lally, 38, of Albany, had an outstanding warrant from Guilderland.
She was transported to meet officers from Guilderland.
Warrant
LATHAM – On Saturday, Dec. 16 Colonie police found that Jason Flood, 40, of Latham was wanted for not showing up to Colonie Town Court in October.
He was processed on the warrant and then released on an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on December 27 in front of Judge Norman Massry.
Crash, aggravated DWI, no license
LOUDONVILLE – Colonie police responded to a single vehicle crash near the intersection of Chestnut Hill South and Loudon Roads on Saturday, Dec. 16 at approximately 4:25 a.m.
According to reports, when officers arrived they found a 2012 Honda Pilot running and a 25-year-old Schenectady man still in the driver’s seat.
While interviewing the man, officers observed that he had bloodshot and watery eyes and had an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.
He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
The man was taken into custody and at the police station provided a breath sample that returned at least a .18 percent BAC. He was charged with aggravated DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation, both misdemeanors, and ticketed for failing to stay in a single lane and failure to keep right on a two-lane road.
The man was released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on January 8.
Warrant
LATHAM – A 42-year-old man was the subject of a welfare check at his residence and found to be wanted by Troy Police on Sunday, Dec. 17.
Daniel Gorr, of Latham, was placed into custody and transported to meet Troy police.
Warrant
COLONIE – On Monday, Dec. 18, a 19-year-old North Adams, Mass. woman was brought over from the Albany County jail to Colonie Town Court to face charges because she did not show up for court in January 2023.
Cristina Cassidy was processed and arraigned.
Warrant
COLONIE – Jerald Lee Bowden, 54, of Schenectady was brought to Colonie Town Court on Monday, Dec. 18 from the Albany County jail because he didn’t show up for court in March.
He was arraigned by Town Judge Andrew Sommers.
Warrant
COLONIE – A 29-year-old homeless man was brought over from the Albany County jail on Monday, Dec. 18 on an open bench warrant.
Jonathan Hodge was processed and arraigned for not showing up for court in October.
Weapons charges at Siena
LOUDONVILLE – Colonie police arrested a 35-year-old Valatie man on Monday, Dec. 18 for gun charges related to a December 12 incident at Siena College.
Donald Mackey was charged with criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds and criminal possession of a firearm, both felonies. He was released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on January 24.
It is unclear why Mackey was released with an appearance ticket and not arraigned. A judge can consider bail on both charges, but only at an arraignment.
DWI and no license
LATHAM – A 67-year-old Watervliet woman had no license and charged with DWI on Monday, Dec. 18 at 9:55 a.m.
The woman was at the Pioneer Bank on Troy-Schenectady Road. The police report had no other details of the incident. She was charged with DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation, both misdemeanors, and released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on January 8.
This story was featured on page 16 of the December 27, 2023 print edition of the Colonie Spotlight
