Tooele County Sheriff’s deputies warn that if anyone gets a call from them demanding money, it’s a scam.
Over the last couple of weeks, the office has had more than a half dozen reports from county residents who say they’ve had someone call and say they’ve missed a court date or have a warrant issued for their arrest, said Lt. Ron Johnson of the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office.
The caller next says the person will be arrested unless they pay a certain amount by cashier’s check, Johnson said.
Once, a woman was at the sheriff’s office reporting a call when the faux-deputy called her cell phone again. An actual deputy talked to the person and demanded to speak with his supervisor, Johnson said.
“He said, ironically, ‘Let me transfer you,’ and when he picked back up, he said, ‘This is Lt. Johnson,’” Johnson said.
When asked, the person said he was Deputy Morales, and said he worked under Tooele County Sheriff Frank Park at 47 S. Main Street, which is the correct address for the office, Johnson said.
However, there is no current deputy by that name, he said. While there used to be an officer in the Tooele County Detention Center with the last name of Morales, he said this person was not him. Additionally, when asked his badge number, the person gave a number assigned to a different law enforcement agency in the county.
Park said he has spoken with the person, who now also uses Johnson or Bird as an alias, and said the fraudulent officer has said he will continue the scam until he gets enough money and then will move on.
If caught, the person would face federal charges for impersonating a law enforcement officer, a class B misdemeanor, as well as charges for theft and fraud, which range from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the severity of the case. Impersonating a police officer could also be charged federally.
“If we get this guy, it’s definitely a federal offense. And he knows it. He knows the danger. He just knows the chances of getting caught are fairly slim,” Park said. “He just needs to dupe people who don’t think it through. Hopefully he’ll either cease and desist or move on with another ploy.”
Park said residents should be aware that even if they have missed a court date or have a warrant for their arrest, they won’t hear about it from a phone call.
“We want people to know we don’t do business over the phone. If we have a warrant for your arrest, we’ll come knock on your door,” he said. “This is the biggest scam.”
Johnson said subpoenas to appear in court would be served in person, most often, or in the mail. If someone does receive a phone call from someone purporting to be a law enforcement officer, he said, they can confirm the person’s credentials by calling that department’s headquarters or Tooele County Dispatch.
Additionally, he said, people who do receive phone calls they suspect to be part of the scam should report them to the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office at 435-882-5600.