After April 2026 Fraud Scheme Across State Lines Cost Resident $50K, North Branford Police Charge Man: NBPD

NORTH BRANFORD, CT — Following a lengthy investigation into a reported $50,000 financial fraud, North Branford Police Department detectives identified and secured the surrender of a Georgia resident wanted in connection with the case into a reported $50,000 financial fraud, according to Chief of Police James Lovelace.

On April 27, a 70-year-old resident reported to authorities that they were the victim of a suspected financial fraud scheme, police said.

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The incident began when the victim received a text message regarding a suspected charge at a Walmart Supercenter in Miami, Florida, police said.

The victim responded that they had not authorized the transaction, and soon after, got a call from a number with an 888 area code. During the call, an unknown male asked the victim which bank they used, according to a news release. The victim named two TD Bank locations, and the caller told them "they could assist with a fraud investigation involving a branch manager at one of those locations."

The victim said the caller instructed them to go to the TD Bank located at 90 Washington Ave. in North Haven, where they were told they would meet with FBI agents, police noted. While at the bank, the caller "instructed the victim not to speak with anyone about the matter."

What happened next, according to police: "The caller then instructed the victim to wire $50,000 to a PNC bank account using information provided by the caller. After completing the transaction, the victim became concerned that they had done something wrong. The victim reported that the funds came from a family member's estate account. The victim contacted TD Bank's fraud department. Because it was after 6 p.m., the wire transfer department was closed. At that time, the wire transfer was listed as pending. The victim stated that TD Bank's fraud department continued to monitor the transaction and advised that the review process could take up to 10 days.
The victim later received a letter stating that the claim had been denied. The victim also confirmed that the $50,000 transfer had been processed from their account on April 27, despite the earlier information indicating the transaction remained pending."

It was noted in the news release that the North Branford police investigation included numerous search and investigative warrants, as well as reviews of law-enforcement databases.

Through the investigation, lead investigator Detective Craig Miller, assisted by Detective Massimo Piroli, identified Thomas Lloyd IV, 29, as a New Jersey native currently residing in Georgia.

Detective Miller contacted Lloyd regarding an outstanding arrest warrant. Thursday, Lloyd surrendered himself to the North Branford Police Department. He was charged with first-degree larceny and first-degree conspiracy to commit telephone fraud. Police said Lloyd could not post bail and was taken to New Haven Superior Court Thursday, to be arraigned on the charges.

"It does not matter where you decide to live after committing a crime in North Branford. Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia – we have apparently started collecting states," said Lovelace. "The good news for us is that the Internet, financial records, investigative warrants, and law enforcement partnerships make state lines a lot less intimidating than some offenders may think. If you commit a crime against one of our residents or businesses, living out of state does not make the investigation go away. It simply gives our detectives another place to look. Our messages straightforward: we will identify you, we will investigate the crime, and when probable cause exists and end, and an arrest warrant is issued, we will make every reasonable effort to bring you back to Connecticut to answer the charges."

The NBPD Detective Bureau continues to work on additional cases involving suspects located outside Connecticut, Lovelace said, adding there are additional arrest warrants in process.

"Our detectives are persistent, our partnerships are strong, and apparently our frequent flyer program is becoming a little too busy," he said.

In a post to Facebook, police thanked "everyone who assisted with this investigation, particularly the members of the detective Bureau and the New Haven State's Attorney's office.