Crooked Contractor Schemed To Scam Elderly Woman Out of $10K In Arlington, Police Say

Mugshot: Ronald George Matranga, of Melrose

What Arlington Police are calling a scam to bilk an elderly woman out of $10,000 backfired famously today, and 31-year-old Ronald George Matranga, of Melrose - already on probation for heroin charges - is accused of attempted larceny by false pretense.

Unspecified charges are pending against an as of yet unnamed accomplice.

Authorities say an 83-year-old Boston woman hired Matranga to do remodeling work on her home. Somehow, he convinced her to transfer $10,000 into an account at an Arlington bank for reasons unrelated to the contracting project.

Apparently the defendant’s would-be victim set off a red flag when she made the initial transfer, and the bank alerted police when Matranga brought her back to the bank to withdraw the $10,000.

Following Matranga’s arrest, police say they discovered jewelry, silver, and other potentially pawnable objects in Matranga’s car, and they are searching for an explanation as to how they got there.