Local Cops Bring Down Notorious Scam Artists

April’s “Cop of the Month” awards went to some of the unsung heroes of the police department at the meeting on Wednesday night — two plainclothes intelligence officers.

Sgt. Neil O’Keeffe and Officer James McNellis were honored by the Precinct for their most recent collar. They helped arrange a sting that brought down some notorious scam artists in the city.

The sting that the officers arranged was designed to catch a pair of con men who had been moving throughout New York City, Nassau County and New Jersey purporting to sell TV’s in mass quantities.

In the scams, the suspects in question would knock on doors and ask residents if they wanted televisions in bulk at cheap, wholesale prices. When the men found a buyer, they would take large amounts of cash and run, leaving the hapless victim in their wake.

According to Deputy Inspector Christopher Tamola, the intelligence officers from the 112 Precinct were able to get an inside track on where the con men would be located and draw them out.

“There were over 14 incidents, not just here in the 112 Precinct, but in New York City,” Tamola said. “We had some of them going back to 2009. My intelligence officers got some information on this, they were able to sign up a confidential informant, and we did our own reverse sting where we put officers in to be the victims.”

Tamola said the officers met the would-be “television salesmen” at a location to pick up a dozen TV’s, and made an arrest after money changed hands.

“We were able to apprehend two individuals who had been doing this for many years,” Tamola added.