3 Suspects Arrested In Separate Westport Fraud Cases: Police

Westport CT

09 June, 2022

11:32 AM

Description

WESTPORT, CT — Three people, two from Bridgeport and one from the Bronx, New York, were arrested by Westport police this month in connection with separate fraud cases, according to authorities. In each case, checks were stolen from the Westport victims, and the suspects then cashed them or used bank information in an attempt to siphon funds from the accounts. The first case dates back to early June 2021, when a Westport resident contacted police to report that "multiple fraudulent checks were written against a bank account that he oversees as a conservator." Westport police did not disclose the amounts of the checks. "The payee on all the checks was a man named Charles Kaiser," Westport police said in a statement. "The complainant confirmed that he never wrote out any checks to Mr. Kaiser and is not familiar with that person." Police said that after the stolen checks were deposited into Kaiser's account, the funds were withdrawn by Kaiser "as well as other accomplices via a debit card and used to make various purchases." A warrant was obtained, and police arrested Kaiser, 32, of Bridgeport, on Monday. He was charged with first-degree larceny, two counts of conspiracy, and first-degree forgery. He is being held in lieu of bail of $15,000, and he is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on July 27. The second case began in July 2021 when a local resident reported to police that "an unknown person attempted to electronically transfer funds out of her bank account. Additionally, two fraudulent checks were written against her bank account." Bridgeport resident Eldrege Christmas, 37, was identified as a suspect in the case, after Westport police determined that Christmas and "his accomplices were manufacturing checks, depositing the funds into a bank account, and then spending the money." Christmas was arrested on a warrant Monday, and was charged with the following: First-degree forgery Second-degree larceny Third-degree identity theft (3 counts)Trafficking in personal identifying information (4 counts), andIllegal possession of a personal identifying information device (3 counts) He is being held in lieu of bail of $50,000, and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on July 8. In the final case, a Westport resident told police that in January, he had mailed a $28,000 check in a mailbox at Sylvan Road South and Post Road West. "Sometime after doing so, the check was stolen from the mailbox and the payee was altered to the name Thalia Patrick," Westport police said. "The complainant confirmed that he never wrote a check to anyone by that name and is not familiar with her." Police accuse Patrick, 29, of the Bronx, of depositing the stolen check in her bank account, and detectives obtained a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested last week, and was charged with first-degree larceny, and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny. She was released after posting bond on bail of $75,000, and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on July 1.