Police Log: Wild Money Scams & A Late-Fall Sailor

Monday, Nov. 18

6:27 p.m. – A North Kingstown woman told police a friend of hers sent her threatening text messages after he learned she had a boyfriend. In looking at the text messages, police noticed references to money owed. The woman said she'd "borrowed a little bit from him a while ago." Police spoke with the man, who said he had been trying to date the woman for several months and during that time had lent her "a bunch of money." He admitted to becoming angry when he learned the woman was living with someone, believing he'd been taken advantage of. Police issued him a no-trespass order for her residence.

7:02 p.m. – Police arrested Francis M. Tarantino, 67, of Post Road, for simple assault, disorderly conduct and a bench warrant, after allegedly assaulting a child staying at his apartment. According to the report, the boy, 8, was playing with friends. When his mother asked him to clean up, he behaved rudely and she walked outside to regain her composure. At that point, according to the report, Tarantino came in, grabbed the boy and the boy hit his head on the door. When his mother returned, the boy ran out. Tarantino said he did not hit the boy but the boy's injuries did not match the man's version of events. Routine checks turned up the warrant. He was held at the station for court in the morning.

Tuesday, Nov. 19

9:04 a.m. – Police assisted NKFD after a boating incident in which a North Kingstown man, 61, fell off his boat into the water. He was picked up after a few minutes but appeared to be suffering from hypothermia. The man had been sailing his sunfish near Quonset when the boat capsized. The man was taken to Kent Hospital for treatment.

3:48 p.m. – Police arrested Christopher Andrew McLeod, 42, of Valiant Drive, Coventry, for stealing copper flashing from the former Fire Maintenance building on Belver Avenue in Quonset, which is in the process of being demolished. When police asked McLeod if he had permission to take the copper, he said, "No, I'm just trying to put a little food on the table and fuel in my vehicle." He was charged with one count of larceny under $1,500.

Wednesday, Nov. 20

11:13 p.m. – A North Kingstown man told police about a man who contacted him on behalf of the North Kingstown Police Department looking for a donation. The caller said he would come by to pick up the donation. The resident told him to come in a police car. The caller arrived, but not in a police car and he did not have any police identification. The resident said he wouldn't make a donation and called the police after the man had left. It turned out the man was employed by Telemarking Concepts, Inc., to pick up donations and that TCI had been contracted by the NK police union (IBPO Local 473) over the summer to solicit on behalf of the union. The company's solicitation permit had expired, however. Police contacted TCI and told them to cease and desist further activity in North Kingstown.

2:39 p.m. – Police arrested Roberta Elizabeth Martino, 48, of Gardiner Road, Richmond, for shoplifting after she was stopped outside Wal-Mart on Ten Rod Road with $122.43 worth of items she had not paid for. She told police she was going out to her car to get her temporary license so she could write a check. Police noted in the report Martino's valid license was with her in her purse.

Thursday, Nov. 21

9:57 p.m. – A Saunderstown woman, 58, told police she got a call from someone who said he was from the IRS, who told her she owed $7,500 in back taxes and it was due immediately. He instructed her to withdraw the funds, then meet him in the parking lot at Wal-Mart to make the payment. He said she would get an IRS voucher in return. After that phone call, the woman talked to someone at the IRS, who denied contacting her earlier. 

10:52 p.m. – Police arrested Katrina C. Elswick, 22, of Asqah Drive, on a bench warrant for failing to appear in court, finding her at her residence. She was processed at the station, then taken to the Adult Correctional Institutions.

Friday, Nov. 22

10:58 p.m. – Police arrested Albert S. Perreault, 47, of Cross Street, Smithfield, on a bench warrant after he was involved in a fight with two other men on Union Drive. Perreault ran off when police pulled up, admitted when police found him in the woods nearby that he didn't want to talk to police because of an outstanding warrant. The warrant was confirmed. He was processed at the station, then taken to the ACI.

1:02 p.m. – A North Kingstown man told police he got a call on his personal cell phone from a man named Dave Sawyer who asked for the NK man's father. When the NK man said his dad, who is 83, was in a nursing home, Sawyer said the NK man could received the prize he was calling about since he was a relative. Sawyer said the man had won a $2.5 million prize from Publishers Clearing House. Sawyer gave the man his phone number and directed him to buy three Green Dot Money Pack cards, two for $1,000, the third for $400 – the money needed to cover Rhode Island state tax and delivery insurance. The NK man was then to call Sawyer and give him the 14-digit number on the back of the cards. After that, Sawyer could then set up the delivery of the prize. The NK man admitted to police he was initially elated, but realized it sounded fishy. Using speakerphone, the NK man called Sawyer back with police listening. Sawyer demanded the numbers, becoming increasingly agitated, according to the report, when the NK man did not read any numbers to him. When police intervened, Sawyer said his business was legitimate and that he would be contacting the FBI and CIA to force the officer to relinquish the numbers, or he'd have to go to trial and end up in prison. The police officer hung up, only to have Sawyer call back and tell the NK man to ignore the officer and give him the numbers. The man told Sawyer to stop calling.