Police Log: DUI, Scam Attempts, Fight Outside KB

DUI
North Kingstown police charged Marc E. Harris, 37, of 9 Mollusk Drive, North Kingstown, with driving under the influence Feb. 12 at 12:57 a.m.

Police said Harris was clocked driving 61 mph in a 35 mph zone and crossed the double yellow line before he was stopped.

Harris reportedly failed a field sobriety test at the scene and was taken into custody without incident. Later, at police headquarters, he registered .175 and .172 blood alcohol readings in two preliminary breath tests.

Police said Harris said he had one or two beers at Gillian’s before he was pulled over.

SCAM ATTEMPT
A Pinecrest Drive resident told police on Feb. 10 that he received threatening phone calls from a man who demanded payment for a nonexistent debt.

The caller identified himself as a process server and said the North Kingstown man would be subject to arrest if he didn’t pay up immediatley.

The caller was rude, according to a police report, and made threats like “I would love to meet you face to face to teach you a lesson.”

The North Kingstown resident called a number provided by the purported process server and reached a company named Lakefront Processing Group, which said he owned $2,000 to Vista Holdings Group Corporation and if he didn’t pay $700 immediately, he would be arrested.

The resident then called Vista Holdings directly, which apparently had been bought out by a company named The Marketing Solution, Inc., which acknowledged when contacted that he owned no such debt to the company despite what any collections firm might claim.

The resident conducted more research and eventually learned that one of the companies involved in the apparent scam was represented by Peltan Law, LLC, out of New York. Lawyer David Peltan apparently had been involved in “numerous lawsuits in which a scam was used to defraud people out of their money,” according to a police report.

Police are investigating.

On Feb. 9, a Laurel Ridge Lane resident told police that her husband recieved a letter from the Internal Revenue Service informing him of possible identity theft.

Police said someone tried to file their 2014 tax return using the couple’s Social Security numbers as well as an outdated address.

The IRS flagged the return because of the outdated address on the filing.

The couple notified the IRS that they had not filed their tax returns yet. They also contacted all three credit bureaus and their bank.

Police documented the incident.

FIGHT
Police arrested three men on charges of disorderly conduct for their involvement in a fight outside Kingstown Bowl on Feb. 8 at around 12:30 a.m.

Police said Joseph Brooks, 39, of 2111 Plainfield Pike, Johnston; Shawn Steven Lewis, 39, of 233 Sleepy Hollow Farm Road, Warwick; and Laurence Reyes, 44, of 8 Mill St., Scituate, were part of a brawl that started outside the establishment after Brooks and Lewis were asked to leave the bar due to their intoxicated state.

Once outside, Brooks reportedly came back inside and tried to hit a Kingston Bowl staff member in the face with a beer bottle and struck another person in the face.

After that, police said, a “large fight erupted outside of the bar near the entrance ramp” involving Brooks, Lewis and Reyes. During the fight, Lewis allegedly bit a staff member on his pinky finger, Brooks hit a patron with a beer bottle and a woman said she was struck in the face by an unknown subject.

Police said they were unable to find any independent witnesses and “no one was willing to cooperate or come forward.”

Lewis reportedly vomited in a police cruiser at the scene and was transported to Kent Hospital due to his high level of intoxication.

Brooks was also transported to Kent Hospital after complaining of pain, police said.

All three were released with Third Division District Court summonses to appear on Feb. 24.

SHOPLIFTING
Police charged Ruby Elizabeth Dewar, 20, of 407 Chimney Rock Drive, North Kingstown, with shoplifting Feb. 10 for allegedly concealing an assortment of cosmetics in her purse at the Ten Rod Road Walmart at around 2 p.m.

Police said a loss prevention officer saw Dewar “rapidly selecting cosmetic items” in her purse before walking past all points of sale without making an effort to pay.

Dewar was approached by a loss prevention officer by the entrance and she was escorted back into the store until police arrived.

She was later released with a Third Division District Court summons.

About two hours later, police charged Ladan Tehrani, 58, of 3 New Lexington Road, North Kingstown, with shoplifting from the Ten Rod Road Walmart after she allegedly concealed various items from the clothing, cosmetic and grocery departments in her purse and jacket

Police said Tehrani was seen by a loss prevention officer as she pocketed the goods and walked past all points of sale without making an effort to pay.

She was escorted back into the store until police arrived and took her into custody.

She was later released with a District Court summons.

PARKING LOT FENDER BENDER
Police cited a 69-year-old North Kingstown man for bumping into a car in a parking lot and leaving, thanks to a Good Samaritan who took note of his license plate number and left a note on the damaged car.

Police said the accident occurred at the Dave’s Marketplace parking lot on Gate Road between 1 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 6.

The victim, 80, called police after she came out from the store and saw scuffs on her 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis and a note on the windshield that stated “a truck hit your car and took off” along with the license plate number.

Police said that number matched a 1998 Ford truck belonging to the North Kingstown man who admitted to being in the parking lot but said he didn’t recall hitting a car. He said he pulled into a parking space in front of the store but hit a snow mound, so he backed out and left.

The man then came to police headquarters with his vehicle and police noticed fresh scuff marks along the side of the truck. He said the parking lot was very busy at the time and realized the space he pulled into was too tight. That’s why he decided to leave and go to the other Dave’s Marketplace on Tower Hill Road instead.

Police ultimately cited the man for duty on collision with an unattended vehicle.