Many of the more than 20 complaints that the Sheriff’s Office received came from female medical professionals. At least four people who received Hardy’s call paid him the money, the Sheriff’s Office said. — Photo by Vladimir Mun on Unsplash
A man posing as Broward Sheriff’s sergeant made more than US$50,000 (RM237,250) over the course of four days by calling South Florida residents and telling them there were warrants out of their arrest, then pocketing what he claimed was the bond money, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Raquan Hardy, 25, of South Carolina, faces charges in multiple states. In Broward, he faces 21 counts including grand theft and impersonating a law enforcement officer. The total bond is US$900,000 (RM4.27mil).
Hardy was booked into Allegheny County Jail in Pennsylvania, where he faces 12 charges for similar crimes. The judge denied him bail.
Hardy arrived in South Florida in early September. A few days later, between Sept 7 and Sept 10, he spoofed a Broward Sheriff’s Office Courthouse Control Room number, called victims and told them that there were warrants out for their arrest and that they needed to pay a surety bond in cash to avoid arrest, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Many of the more than 20 complaints that the Sheriff’s Office received came from female medical professionals.
At least four people who received Hardy’s call paid him the money, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Hardy proved difficult to pin down. By the time the Broward Sheriff’s Office had named him as a suspect and tracked his location, he was in Georgia, authorities said. Then he went to Texas, where Dallas Police conducted a traffic stop and arrested him Oct 7 on a warrant issued in Pennsylvania.
In Pennsylvania, Hardy and another man, Richard Long, 48, posed as deputies and sergeants with the Allegheny Sheriff’s Office. They met three victims together, according to the Allegheny Sheriff’s Office, raking in a total of approximately US$43,000 (RM204,035). Allegheny deputies had already arrested Long before discovering that he and Hardy had contacted the victims together.
In Broward, authorities have not yet served a warrant for anyone besides Hardy.
“The investigation into Hardy’s crimes and whether anyone assisted him is ongoing,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
If you receive a call that claims to be from the Sheriff’s Office but asks for personal information or payment, hang up and call police. – South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Tribune News Service
