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The Ossining Police Department received a report out of Houston, Texas last week alerting investigators that a local resident received a call claiming that her favorite grandson had been arrested and required bail money. The caller stated that the money had to be in cash, sent overnight to a vacant home - not a police station - on Ann Street in Ossining.
Police said that the grandmother sent the package, and later received a second call demanding more money, and another box of cash was required. She once again sent the money, and received a third call from the fraudster, which prompted her to alert police.
Once warned of the third attempt, police intercepted the scammer, Jason Butler Pope, of Valley Stream, who was arrested when he attempted to pick up the third package at Ann Street. When he was arrested, Pope was also in possession of another package filled with cash, addressed to a location in Ossining, which was shipped from a grandfather in Missouri.
Pope, 28, was arrested and charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and attempted grand larceny, all felonies. He was arraigned in Ossining Town Court and is currently being held at the Westchester County jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.
Investigators said that they believe Pope has been having packages shipped to unsuspecting residents in Ossining and retrieving them before the homeowners could find them. Police have asked that anyone with surveillance cameras or doorbell cameras to review their video to see if Pope, or any other suspicious suspects, can be spotted.
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