Pair charged with stealing $43K while posing as members of Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office
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Two out-of-state residents are in the Allegheny County Jail, accused of stealing money from three victims in a scam that involved posing as deputies and sergeants with the county sheriff’s office.
The suspects are Richard Long, 48, of Ellenwood, Ga., and Raquan Hardy, 25, of Anderson, S.C. according to Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus.
Victims were told they had to give money to the suspects to pay fines for failing to appear in court as an expert witness, Kraus said. The victims were threatened with being taken to jail if they did not provide the money, he said.
Beginning in July, three victims reported losing a combined total of about $43,000 in the scam, Kraus said. Two of the victims paid cash and the third was instructed to transfer the money electronically, using an app, he said.
The victims each described meeting a middle-aged white man with grayish hair.
Using surveillance video, investigators were able to identify the suspect and his vehicle, tracing them to Georgia. As a result, Kraus said, an arrest warrant was issued for Long, who was taken into custody by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
As the investigation developed, Kraus said, police determined that Hardy was present with Long when the victims were contacted. A warrant was issued for Hardy, who was tracked to Broward County, Fla., and Dallas, Texas, where he was taken into custody.
Authorities in Broward County and Dallas plan to file their own charges, Kraus said.
Both suspects were extradited to Allegheny County, where the sheriff’s office is continuing its investigation.
Each of the men is charged with multiple counts of theft, theft by deception, and theft by extortion. In addition, Long is charged with impersonating a public servant and Hardy is charged with conspiracy to theft.
Anyone who believes they may have been an additional victim of the scam is asked to call the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office at 412-350-4714.