Norwood Officers Drive Six Hours to Arrest Alleged Scammer

Originally published May 9, 2017

NORWOOD, MA — A man accused of scamming thousands of dollars from a Norwood resident was arrested after a road trip by two Norwood police officers.

Richie Winters, 26, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was arrested Monday and charged with larceny over $250 by false pretense and receiving stolen property. He was taken into custody after officers Kevin Riley and Brendan Sweeney drove six hours to arrest him, according to the Norwood Police Department.

The investigation into Winters began in December 2016, when Riley took a police report of a financial scam. The officer learned that the victim received a phone call from a person claiming to be her grandson, telling the victim that was arrested out of state and he money to get out of jail, police said. The call began with a request for $1,450, but the figure increased over a few days before the victim had over $8,200 stolen from them, police said.

Once Winters was identified, police learned that he has a criminal record which includes charges of receiving stolen property, theft, and robbery.

Winters is due to be arraigned in Dedham District Court Tuesday.

Following the arrest, police are reminding residents to be on the lookout for scams and never send money to strangers by Western Union, Green Dot cards, iTunes cards, or any other unconventional way. If you come across a scam, you can call the Norwood Police Department at 781-440-5170.

Image: File Photo