An Orlando man has been taken into custody after police say he was involved in an attempted scam aimed at a 76-year-old New Smyrna Beach woman.
According to the New Smyrna Beach Police Department, the woman received a call on October 29 from someone purporting to be her son. The caller informed her that he had been involved in a fatal crash and needed $9,800 to get out of jail.
Police said the woman later got phone calls from people pretending to be attorneys and representatives of a “pretrial intervention program.” The calls told her to withdraw cash, package it, and have it picked up from her home.
The woman felt suspicious and called the police before handing him any money.
While cops were present, authorities claimed the suspect continued to communicate with the woman and arranged for an Uber driver to pick up the envelope. Police established that the driver was legitimate and was unintentionally involved in the alleged plot.
Working with Orlando police, investigators followed the delivery to Orlando, where they say 27-year-old Marcus Richard Ristie received the mail.
New Smyrna Beach police acquired an arrest warrant, and Orlando police arrested Ristie on a felony charge of organized fraud.
Police are warning citizens to independently verify any unexpected requests for money, especially if callers claim a family member has been arrested or is in an emergency.
Ristie is assumed innocent unless found guilty in court.
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