2 men in custody for allegedly pretending to be deputies, scamming people out of money
Two men were taken into custody for allegedly scamming people out of money by pretending to be deputies with the sheriff’s office.
Richard Long of Ellenwood, Georgia, and Raquan Hardy of Anderson, South Carolina, were arrested after an investigation by the Allegheny County sheriff’s office.
Previous coverage: Man accused of posing as Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputies, scamming 2 women out of $30K
The investigation started after a victim contacted the sheriff’s department, according to a news release from Sheriff Kevin Kraus. The victim said they lost about $10,000 because of the scam. Two more victims came forward, with one saying they lost $25,000 and other saying they lost $8,000.
Long and Hardy allegedly posed as deputies and sergeants, telling the victims they needed to pay fines for failing to appear in court as expert witnesses. The victims were told they would be taken to jail if they didn’t provide the money, according to Kraus. All of the victims provided the same description of the man they spoke to. Using video surveillance, the sheriff’s department was able to identify Long. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was taken into custody by the Gwinnett County sheriff’s office in Georgia.
Following Long’s arrest, information was developed that identified Hardy as a second suspect, as he was allegedly present at the time the victims were contacted. An arrest warrant was issued for Hardy, who was taken into custody by Dallas, Texas, police. According to Kraus, authorities in both Broward County and Dallas plan to file their own set of charges.
Long and Hardy were extradited to the Allegheny County jail.
This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone who believes they are a victim of this scam is asked to call the Allegheny County sheriff’s office at 412-350-4714.
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