Scam Arrests Announced, Local Police Seek Additional Victims

Montgomery County authorities have arrested two people in two separate schemes allegedly designed to steal money from local victims. Now they are asking the public to come forward if they, too, have been victims to the two scams — one involving a rental apartment and another involving a fake life insurance policy.

Danna Shirlette Ntaka, 48, of Wilmington Delaware and Stephen Strope, 62, of Royersford have been arrested, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, Lansdale Borough Police Chief Robert McDyre and West Norriton Police Chief Dale Mabry announced Friday.

According to authorities, Ntaka carried out an apartment rental scam. In 2012, police said she leased an apartment in Lansdale and allegedly lied about her name and occupation.

After living at the apartment for a period of time, she listed the same apartment for rent on Craigslist.com. When a prospective tenant responded to the advertisement, Ntaka purported herself to her as the true property owner and executed a fraudulent lease agreement for the apartment, authorites said.

Ntaka collected a $1,200 security deposit and $2,400, which constituted the first and last month’s rent payments, police said. The “tenant” subsequently discovered the fraud when she called 911 to report a gas leak at the apartment. A longtime neighbor saw the emergency vehicles and notified the legitimate property owner.

She is charged with Forgery, Theft by Unlawful Taking, Securing Execution of Documents by Deception and related charges for her role in the alleged rental scam.

Ntaka’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 22, 2015 at 12 PM in front of District Justice Sobeck in Blue Bell.

Stephen Strope has been charged with Forgery, Insurance Fraud, Theft by Deception and related charges after taking more than $32,000 from victims of his scheme in which he collected money for a non-existent insurance policy, authorities allege.

According to police, in April, West Norriton Police received a complaint from a couple, who said they signed a contract with Strope to invest money into a flexible premium deferred annuity with American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company.

The victims gave Strope two checks totaling more than $32,000. The couple became suspicious after they requested a statement and Strope gave him one that appeared to be fraudulent. “Upon contacting the fraud department at American Equity, the couple was told that the account did not exist within their company,” police said.

Police said they later learned that Strope had deposited the checks into his account and were never forwarded to American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company.

Strope’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 15.

“We are alerting the pubic to these schemes and ask anyone who believes they may have been a victim of either one of these defendants to call Detective Chad Bruckner (267) 642-9413, Detective Michael McGettigan (610) 630-1701 X 309 or Lieutenant Christopher Kuklentz of the Montgomery County Detective Bureau at (610) 278-3685,” police asid.