A New York man was charged on Thursday for his alleged involvement in a scam to steal thousands of dollars from a senior citizen in State College.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, a woman reported that she received a call on Tuesday from a man who claimed her grandson was in the hospital and needed $25,000 for legal fees. She withdrew the money and followed instructions to package it, then handed it over to a male in a truck in front of her residence, police wrote.
The same man called again on Wednesday and said she needed to provide an additional $9,875 for her grandson, according to the affidavit.
The woman contacted State College police, who surveilled the area while she went along with making the arrangements with the caller and waited outside her residence with a “bait package.”
At about 3:20 p.m., a man later identified as 41-year-old Felix S. Martinez, of the Bronx, arrived to pick up the package. The woman was on the phone with the caller as Martinez approached, police wrote. Martinez was not on the phone, and police say he and the caller were working together.
Officers continued following Martinez after he took the money and immediately conducted a traffic stop after he began to drive away.
Martinez told police that he drove to State College from Hazleton after he was asked to pick up the package by a friend who lives in the Dominican Republic. Initially he claimed he did not know what was in it, according to the affidavit, but allegedly later admitted that he was aware it was supposed to contain cash and that the friend was going to give him $200 and gas money for picking it up.
A search of Martinez’s cell phone found text and voice messages with details about the scam from an unidentified contact, police wrote.
He was charged with a felony count of theft by deception and arraigned by District Judge Allen Sinclair, who set bail at $100,000.
Martinez is detained at the Centre County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
