In addition to claims that he illegally deceived a number of local store clerks, police allege that a Wisconsin man was also dealing drugs. Prosecutors claim the man took illegal advantage of roughly 50 businesses in the last few months. This past summer, police arrested the man but lacked enough evidence to charge him. However, on Oct. 20, policed charged the man with drug trafficking after they purportedly found cocaine in his residence allegedly wrapped for resale.
Police accuse the 54-year-old of convincing local store clerks of dropping off money at a McDonald’s in Milwaukee. Purportedly, the man did this by calling the clerks and pretending to represent their company headquarters. He then allegedly told the clerks to transport thousands of dollars to a customer whose cash had been supposedly stolen in the clerk’s store. On Oct. 18, police were alerted by a suspicious clerk who claims to have received one of these calls. The clerk then helped set up a sting operation in which police arrested the accused man.
After he was taken into custody, police went on to search the 54-year-old’s residence, where they claim to have found rock cocaine. Along with the drug charges, police say they are also considering charging the man with scamming the clerks. The drug trafficking charges the man faces carry a maximum 16-year sentence.
Regarding a situation such as this one, it is important to remember a few things about the law. First, not everyone accused of drug crimes is guilty. Secondly, there might well be aspects of the investigation and the arrest that could result in reduced charges. And thirdly, individuals facing such serious charges should know their rights, not the least of which is the right to remain silent.
Source: wisn.com, “Known Con Man Facing Drug Charges,” Oct. 20, 2011