3 Scammers Allegedly Stole Over $350K from Investors, Inventors

Three scammers, including a Wilmington native and Arlington resident, allegedly stole over $350,000 from investors and inventors in Wilmington, Chelmsford and Maine, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

Robert Reinhart, 53, a Wilmington native, and Clarissa Rodriguez, 48, of Arlington, were recently indicted by a Middlesex Grand Jury on 11 counts of larceny over $250. Their “business partner,” Michael Muller, 69, of Port Jarvis, New York, and Sebastian, Florida, was indicted on attempted larceny and conspiracy charges.

“People gave thousands of dollars, and their business plans or creative ideas, to these defendants and never got the meetings, or profits, or transactions that were promised,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement.

In 2008, Reinhart and Rodriguez allegedly took $192,000 from a retired couple to build a condominium project on their property in Chelmsford but never delivered.

In 2013, Reinhart allegedly scammed a Billerica woman out of inheritance money and jewelry, by promising he’d place her money and property in high-return investments. Reinhart used the alias “John McCarthy” during this scam, authorities said.

According to authorities, Reinhart and Rodriguez also set up fake inventor seminars and scammed a South Boston man out of $25,000 to develop a marketing and production plan for his game. Another investor paid Reinhart for the marketing and promotion of a fishing lure, but again, Reinhart took the money and never delivered, authorities said.

Also, according to authorities, “In 2009, authorities allege that residents of Townsend, Massachusetts were solicited by the defendants to support an organization called Missing Persons Bureau that would attempt to solve the 1977 disappearance of a 14-year-old girl in that town. Residents received flyers seeking financial contributions and the mother of the missing girl was asked to contribute money. Townsend’s police chief was sent a bill for expenses incurred by the “Bureau” and withdrew support, authorities allege. After unfavorable publicity about Reinhart’s past financial dealings, Reinhart canceled the proposed investigation.”

All three defendants are scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 11.