Holmdel Senior Citizen Turns Table On Scammer, Sets Up Sting: PD

HOLMDEL, NJ — A smart-thinking Holmdel senior citizen called police when he realized he was possibly being scammed over the phone, and the sting Holmdel police set up on Wednesday of this week resulted in a man being arrested.

At 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23 Holmdel police received a call from an 89-year-old Township resident. He reported that someone had called him stating his son had been arrested and he would need to pay $6,500 to bail him out.

The caller told the older man someone would be arriving at his house to pick up the money and to go to the bank to withdraw it immediately.

Before withdrawing the money, the Holmdel man called police.

Holmdel police set up surveillance in the area Wednesday and say they watched as Franklyn Pichardo, 29, from Brooklyn, arrived at the victim’s house. Pichardo was observed going up to the front door and attempting to get the money from the victim, said police.

Police said at that point he was placed under arrest by Sgt. William Bernard and Ptl. Brian O’Keefe and transported to Holmdel police headquarters for processing.

Patch asked; police did not say what he was charged with.

If anyone has any information, or has been a victim of these types of frauds, please contact the Holmdel Police Detective Bureau at 732-946-4400.