Cops trick alleged trickster
Police nabbed a man accused of posing as a wounded war veteran to fraudulently lease a BMW by getting him to walk right into the Tenth Precinct.
On Wed., Dec. 30, the N.Y.P.D received information that a 2016 BMW X3 — a luxury SUV starting at $38,950 — was obtained through fraudulent means. The police located the car at a parking garage in the Financial District and seized it, and further investigation revealed that the man had pretended to be a wounded war vet to fraudulently lease the vehicle in the Boston area, according to cops.
When the police took the car, they left a note at the garage for the suspect with a name and phone number of a detective. The man called the detective and was told that his vehicle was taken into custody in relation to a police investigation.
The police made arrangements for him to come to the Tenth Precinct at 230 W. 20th St., where he thought he would be getting his vehicle back. But when he showed up on Mon., Jan. 4, he was arrested.
The next day, during a search of the suspect’s apartment in Hanover Square in the Financial District, the police seized military uniforms, Harvard and MIT hats as well as coffee mugs, computers, cash and passports.
The alleged fraudster has been charged with two counts of grand larceny, possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a forged instrument, according to police.
Robber hits double-bank shot
Police are looking for a man who allegedly robbed two Downtown banks in less than two weeks.
In the first robbery, the man went into an Apple Bank in Tribeca at 11 a.m. on Dec. 21 and showed a note demanding cash to a teller, police say. He got $907 in cash and fled.
The second incident happened on Dec. 20, when he entered a Chase Bank, in the East Village sometime between 4:25 and 4:45 p.m., police say. He used the same modus operandi: displaying a note demanding cash. In that robbery, he got $307 in cash and jetted.
Police say the man is around 40-years-old, about 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.
Scary Soho stickup
Two women walking back from a Soho bar were mugged by a gunman who got away with their purses, fleeing in his accomplice’s vehicle, police say.
On Fri., Jan 1 at 11:50 p.m., the two women had been at Lucky Strike and were walking back home on Greene St. when a man approached them, brandished a silver semiautomatic pistol and demanded their stuff, according to the report. One woman complied, immediately turning over her purse to the mugger. The other victim initially refused — prompting the man to press the muzzle of the gun against her stomach, police say.
Once the thief got what he wanted, police say he fled in his confederate’s 2012 brown Honda Civic.
Unhappy New Year
A Financial District resident finished off a night of New Year’s reveling, by bringing two men he met back to his apartment — where they stole his $499 iPhone, some jewelry, and $100 in cash, police say.
The 30-year-old man told police he meet the two men — both described as 35-years-old — in the Lower East Side after imbibing in the area. All three went to his place on Gold St. 20 minutes after the ball dropped on Fri., Jan. 1. The two suspects were only there for 20 minutes, according to the report, but managed to grab the victim’s smartphone, wallet and a gold chain.
After they left, the man promptly fell asleep, but when he awoke a short time later, he discovered the theft. He also received an email saying his Find My iPhone app had been disabled. He told police he cancelled his cards, but there were two charges for taxi rides, and the victim couldn’t remember if they were his to get home.
Sunglasses snatched
With the weather finally turning wintery, two thieves took it upon themselves to make sure their eyes were protected, ripping off more than $3,000 worth of sunglasses, according to the police.
On Sun., Jan. 3 at 12:40 p.m., a female employee told police that two men came into the Sunglass Hut at 183 Broadway in the Financial District and grabbed nine pairs of pricey shades — mostly Bulgari — and took off.
Bewitching bullhorns
Bullhorns don’t seem like likely items thieves would snatch, but one burglar recently stole two, police say.
Seamless Showroom, which sells women’s clothing at 343 Canal St. in Soho, had closed for the holidays on Wed., Dec. 30, according to the report. When a female employee came back to work on Mon., Jan. 4, two bullhorns, worth $100 each, were gone, along with six checkbooks.
The report said there was no forced entry but the windows were open. The employee told police that they had been closed before everyone left for vacation.
Welcome home!
One should come back from vacation relaxed, but one Soho resident returned home to find that more than $5,700 worth of electronics, perfume, jewelry and luxury items were stolen from her apartment, police say.
The 39-year-old left for vacation on Dec. 21 and came back ten days later to her apartment on Prince St. to find several things gone, including a $2,800 maroon Louis Vuitton purse, a $1,000 Louis Vuitton wallet, two bottles of pricey perfume, $151 earrings, a $151 necklace, and various electronic gadgets, according to the report.
She told police that both the front and rear doors of the apartment were unlocked and the report said there were no signs of forced entry. Police say there were unauthorized charges on the victim’s cards in Brooklyn and at vending machines in Manhattan.
— Dusica Sue Malesevic
