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Detectives from Suffolk County on Long Island alerted Greenwich Police Department on Tuesday, April 2 of a victim who was scammed out of $81,000 from an unknown male. Police say the woman stated that the man called and claimed that he needed the money to help the woman’s nephew, who had been arrested.
Police say the woman sent several UPS packages to various towns throughout Fairfield County, as instructed by the unknown male.
The male asked the woman to send another $20,000 to a residence in Greenwich, at which point the woman filed a complaint, according to police.
The woman proceeded to send the package as instructed, but this time, she did not include the money, police say.
Further investigation revealed that all of the packages were sent to homes that were being foreclosed on, including the one in Greenwich, according to police.
Greenwich and Suffolk County officers say they set up area surveillance and observed a black Ford Focus with a male in the vicinity of the foreclosed house.
When UPS tried to deliver the package, police say the driver of the Ford Focus tried to flag down the UPS driver in an attempt to obtain the package, but the UPS driver refused to stop until he reached the home.
Police say the male told the UPS driver that he was the intended recipient of the package. At this point, he was arrested by Greenwich Police, who also noticed a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle.
Police say a search of the car resulted in the discovery of three blunts weighing 3.11 grams that later tested positive for marijuana. Police also found several pieces of mail that the man, identified as 25-year-old Emmanuel Bazil of Norwalk, admitted to taking.
Police then say they discovered an envelope with a Stamford address hidden in the compartment for the vehicle’s spare tire. Inside the envelope, police say, was $9,000 sent by elderly victims of a similar scam who live in California.
Police say Bazil admitted to taking the package from a Stamford address earlier that day.
An investigation revealed a series of other pick-up locations, and they recovered an additional package in Stamford containing $12,000 cash, police say.
Bazil faces the following charges:
- Simple trespassing
- First-degree criminal attempt/larceny
- Second-degree larceny
- Third-degree larceny
- Sixth-degree larceny
- Illegal possession of marijuana
Bazil is being held on $250,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Stamford Superior Court on Wednesday, April 17.
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