Man arrested for fraud impersonated doctor for free resort stays
Committing fraud can lead to jail time, restitution payments, and a record that most reputable employers will scoff at when they do your background check. Impersonating someone else of high status in order to monetarily benefit from the good faith others are duped into having in you is considered fraud, and if you’re caught you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney to advocate for you in court. A man from Michigan was recently arrested and will spend his Thanksgiving in Fayette County Prison after he was caught impersonating a physician in order to con resorts out of more than $16,000 in lodging and services. The 41-year-old from Scottville, Michigan was arraigned Wednesday morning in front of North Union District Judge Wendy Dennis for theft of services and theft by deception. His bond was set at $150,000 and he was taken to county lock-up when he couldn’t come up with it. The suspect was arrested on 12 November when police got a tip that his mother had passed away and that he would likely be at the funeral. Police allowed the man to finish the graveside service in Jamestown, Michigan at around 2 p.m., then nabbed him as he left, about four miles down the road after what they disguised as a routine traffic stop. In addition to committing fraud here in Pennsylvania, police say he pulled the same scheme in Nebraska, telling hotel staff that he was both a heart surgeon and a golf pro. At Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, PA, the man told the same story and stayed there from 15 May until 28 May of this year. When Nemacolin employees figured out what was going on, he essentially slipped out the back door, leaving a bill totaling $16,146 completely unpaid. The Nebraska scam had taken place just months prior, from December 2013 to February 2014, at the Candlewood Suites in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was able to stay there for forty-seven days and left without paying a bill that amounted to $3182.If you have been arrested for fraud or other white collar crimes, call Pittsburgh fraud attorney Gary Gerson for a free consultation at 412-219-6875 today. Source: TribLive.com, “Man charged with playing doctor for free Nemacolin stay” 26 November 2014
