Category: Crime

Warm weather is just around the corner, and seasonal driveway scammers are already at work. These hit-and-run crooks knock on doors, usually saying they just finished a job nearby and have leftover materials. If your driveway is already paved, they may offer to “reseal” it at a bargain price. But the price turns out to be exorbitantly high, and the quality of the materials and the workmanship are rock-bottom. That “seal” will wash away with the next rain, and if …

Many seniors have been ripped off in recent years by scam artists posing as grandchildren. In most versions of the scam, the phony grandchild claims to have gotten into trouble while traveling overseas and needs cash to get out of the jam. But some seniors knew that their grandchildren weren’t overseas, so the crooks came up with a new variation of the scam. Now the phony grandchild pretends to have caused an accident that injured a foreign tourist visiting the …

On Thursday, March 13, 2014, members of the Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigation Division arrested Darius Montreal Benson, 26, 858 Eastway Drive, Henderson. Benson has been charged with one count of first degree murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and one count of first degree burglary. Benson was arrested at the Vance County Jail where he was being detained for charges not related to this incident. Benson was returned to the Vance County …

Kidnapping & Assault Case: On Sunday, February 09, 2014 at 10:15pm, members of the Henderson Police Department responded to to 500 block of Young Ave to a report kidnapping & assault. Angella Gallinger stated that a black male had kidnapped and assaulted her in the woods. The suspect is Steven Osborne Williams. The Henderson Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this case to contact Henderson – Vance Crime Stoppers at 492-1925 and also you can leave anonymous tips …

Watch out for scammers using a real tax form to try to trick you out of your money. A North Carolina consumer recently got an email with tax form IRS Form W-2G, which is used to report gambling winnings. The form was already filled out with the consumer’s name and address, and it showed that he had recently won $2.5 million dollars in a lottery. Later, the consumer got a call telling him to be ready to pay $485 in …

Snow and ice expected to fall on much of North Carolina today and tomorrow could be followed by scammers seeking to take advantage of consumers who need help removing trees brought down by the storm. To avoid problems when hiring a tree removal service: Don’t pay upfront.  Be very wary of any request to pay deposits or other fees for tree work in advance.  Out-of-state tree cutters have been known to collect deposits from entire neighborhoods and then disappear without …

With the April 15th tax filing deadline coming up, watch out for criminals and con artists posing as the Internal Revenue Service to try to win your trust and steal your money. We’ve warned you before about phony calls from the IRS. One North Carolina consumer recently reported getting one of these threatening calls from someone claiming to be with the IRS. The fake IRS agent told him a warrant had been issued for his arrest and, if he did …

  On Thursday, February 6, 2014, members of the Henderson Police Department Special Operations Division executed a search warrant at 514 Hargrove Street, Henderson. Agents conducted an investigation into drug sales at this location after citizen complaints were received about illegal activity in the area. Fatay Baskett, 27, 514 Hargrove Street, Henderson was charged with one count of possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver marijuana as well as maintaining a dwelling for keeping/selling a controlled substance. Baskett …

Crime Stoppers will pay rewards up to $2,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of persons responsible for this and other criminal offenses. All information received is kept confidential. The Crime Stoppers phone number is 492-1925. Callers do not have to give their name. Hit & Run Serious Injury Case: On February 02, 2014 at approximately 1:41A.M., members of the Henderson Police Department responded to the area of Arch Flint Streets in reference to a hit and run involving serious …

Phone-based crooks are always on the lookout for a new way to take your money. In their latest scam, they use computers to place calls to thousands of phones, including to numbers in North Carolina. After your phone rings one time, the computer ends the call but your phone captures the number of that incoming “missed” call. Even though the number is unfamiliar, some people call back to see who called them. However, calling the number may connect you to …

On Thursday January 30, 2014, members of the Henderson Police Department arrested Tyheem Person, 23, 830 Hughes Street Henderson. Henderson was charged with possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver marijuana. At the time of his arrest, Person was found to be in possession of 169.4 grams of marijuana. Person was placed in the Vance County Jail after failing to post a 20,000.00 secured bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in Vance County District Court on February …

  The Henderson Police Department Special Operations Division recently concluded an investigation into the street level sales of narcotics. Undercover officers from other jurisdictions were sent to locations in the Henderson area in which complaints of illegal drug activity have been received. On Thursday, January 30, 2014, members of the Henderson Police Department Special Operations Division arrested Jonathan Arthur Brodie, 35, 208 Gillburg Estates Ct., Henderson. Brodie was charged with the following offenses: Two counts of possession with the intent …

  On Thursday, January 30, 2014, Henderson Police Department Special Operations Division officers arrested Brian Antwon Johnson, 38, 412 Bobbitt Street, Henderson. Johnson was charged with one count of possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver heroin and one count of maintaining a vehicle for keeping a controlled substance. At the time of his arrest, Johnson was found in possession of 2 “bricks” or 99 dosage unit of heroin. Johnson was released from custody after posting a 30,000.00 …

If you’re a retiree receiving a pension, beware of a new scam: offers that claim to let you borrow against your pension without actually taking out a loan. Pension advance companies promises retirees quick access to cash.  The catch?  You’re signing over the rights to your pension ­— often for years. Recently, North Carolinians have been filing complaints with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division about pension advance companies. These companies disguise high-interest rate loans as pension advances, with fees …

More fallout from that massive data breach from national retailer Target: fraudulent emails could be headed to your inbox.  If you get an email asking you to click on a link with “Target” in the web address, be cautious. Soon after Target announced the security breach in December, dozens of new domain names were registered online that include “Target” along with words like “breach” or “credit cards” in the web address. Email addresses for as many as 70 million U.S. …

The massive data breach from national retailer Target may have affected even more North Carolina consumers.  If you’ve shopped at Target in recent weeks, please take steps immediately to protect your personal information and avoid fraud.   Target first announced the security breach last month, estimating that about 40 million consumers’ credit and debit card accounts had been stolen during the peak of holiday shopping, including 1.2 million accounts used by consumers in North Carolina. Target now says that phone …

The Henderson Vance Crime Stoppers Crimes request your assistance in solving these cases: Fraud Case: The Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigation Division is requesting the public’s help locating Takirra Hargrove.  Hargrove, 24, last known address of 650 Gun Club Road Lot 5, Henderson is wanted for obtaining property by false pretense, attempting to obtain property by false pretense and misdemeanor larceny.  Anyone with information is asked to call Det. John Hammond at 252-438-4141.   All information is confidential. The Henderson Police …

North Carolina consumers and businesses need to beware of patent trolls trying to charge high fees for using everyday office equipment. Patent trolls are businesses that don’t invent or manufacture anything. Instead, they acquire patents and then try to make consumers, small businesses and non-profits pay questionable fees for using things like printers, scanners and wireless routers. Patent trolls often succeed at collecting fees because victims want to avoid expensive and complex lawsuits. Three North Carolina small-business owners recently complained …

By now you may have heard the news that national retailer Target experienced a massive data breach that could affect approximately 40 million credit and debit card accounts. A data or security breach happens when records containing personal information, such as Social Security numbers or credit card or bank account numbers, are lost, stolen or accessed improperly.  Just because your information was part of a security breach doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll become a victim of fraud or identity theft, but …