Greenwich Detective Named Officer Of The Month

GREENWICH, CT — A Greenwich police detective has been named "Officer of the Month" for helping an elderly resident recover over $200,000 lost in a scam.

Lt. Mark Zuccerella said the detective, James Manning, was assigned to the case in September 2019 after the resident fell victim to a "sweetheart" internet scam and lost over $200,000. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Through his investigation, Manning uncovered "a complex international network of fraud," and coordinated the investigation with assistance from numerous law enforcement agencies across the country, Zuccerella said.

See also: Greenwich Resident Loses $200,000 In 'Sweetheart Scam': Police

Manning was ultimately able to identify the accused scammer, who was arrested on the detective's warrant by United States Secret Service and local Illinois law enforcement in June.

"The best part of the investigation was that Det. Manning was able to recover the money lost by the victim," Zuccerella said in an email.

Chief James Heavey praised Manning's work on the case and for helping the elderly resident regain a significant financial loss.

"Det. Manning's persistence and dedication to the victim is an exemplar of how Greenwich police officers and detectives perform their duties," Heavey said in a statement. "We cannot accept suspects preying upon our elders. Jimmy's excellent police work has helped several other elderly victims regain their financial loss and dignity."

Zuccerella also encouraged residents to talk to elderly family members and friends about how to avoid being victimized by scams.

"Many scams out there," Zuccerella said. "We have posted about many of them on our social media platforms. We need to look out for the ones who took care of us when we were younger."