'Son Held Captive': Oakland Detective Finds Caller Who Conned Dad Out Of $5,000

Believing that his son was being held captive at gunpoint, an Oakland man gave $5,000 to a con artist who was arrested by police, authorities said.

Oakland Police Dept.
Photo Credit: *Jerry DeMarco*

Jerry DeMarco

05/14/2019 4:34 p.m.

Borough police Detective Michael Griffin obtained subpoenas, as well as surveillance video from a Walmart in Pennsylvania, to identify Johnny Figueroa Ferreira, 38, of Oak Ridge, Detective Lt. Christian Eldridge said.

Ferreira had convinced the victim by phone to send him gift cards and a money order last November by making the bogus claim, Eldridge said.

Bergen County sheriff’s officers arrested Ferreira on Oakland’s warrant when he showed up at the county courthouse in Hackensack to answer another charge on Monday.

He remained held Tuesday in the Bergen County Jail pending further action on charges that include theft by extortion, theft by deception, harassment to cause alarm and making terroristic threats.

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