Norwalk Man Busted In $81K Scam Of Elderly Victim: Greenwich Cops

GREENWICH, CT — A 25-year-old Norwalk man is facing multiple larceny charges following his arrest by Greenwich police Wednesday in connection with an $81,000 scam of an elderly Suffolk County, NY woman, according to authorities.

Under the alleged scam, a caller convinced the woman that her nephew was in trouble and had been arrested. She was then told that she needed to send large sums of cash to various addresses in Fairfield County to help him.

"The elderly victim recent sent several UPS packages to various towns in Fairfield County at the unknown male's instruction," wrote Greenwich police in a statement. "On 04/02/2019, the unknown male again contacted the victim instructing her to send another $20,000 to a house in Greenwich. The victim then went to Suffolk County Police to make a complaint.

"The female sent the package as instructed, but this time did not include the money. Investigation revealed that all packages were sent to houses that were being foreclosed on, including this one in Greenwich."

Police officers from Greenwich and Suffolk County set up a surveillance detail near the Doubling Road address in Greenwich where the package was sent, and at about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday a UPS driver pulled up to make the delivery.

Before the UPS driver arrived, the officers saw a black Ford Focus near the home with a lone occupant. That person, later identified as Emmanuel Bazil of Nash Place, first tried to flag down the UPS driver on the street, and then approached him at the house and told him that the package was for him.

At that point, officers swooped in and arrested Bazil and searched his vehicle where they found three marijuana blunts weighing a total of 3.11 grams, in addition to other evidence.

"Inside his vehicle was several pieces of mail that were not his that he later admitted to taking," said Greenwich police. "An envelope with a Stamford address was located in the hidden compartment for the spare tire. Inside the envelope was $9,000 sent by elderly victims of a similar scam who reside in California. Bazil admitted to taking the package from a Stamford address prior in the day.

"Investigation revealed other scheduled pick up locations, and an additional package in Stamford containing $12,000 cash was recovered."

A similar scam recently was reported in Darien. Patch reached out to the Darien police department but did not immediately receive a reply about whether Bazil was a suspect in that case.

Bazil was charged with the following:

• Criminal attempt at larceny, first degree
• Larceny, second degree through embezzlement of a victim over 60 years old
• Larceny, third degree
• Larceny, sixth degree
• Illegal possession of marijuana
• Simple trespass

He was held in lieu of bail of $250,000 and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on April 17.