A Georgia man is in McKean County Jail, charged for allegedly impersonating a cop to scam a registered sex offender out of $1,000.
Rashawn Scott, 33, of Claxton, Ga., is charged with identity theft, a third-degree felony; theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking, theft by extortion and receiving stolen property, all first-degree misdemeanors; impersonating a public servant, a second-degree misdemeanor; and furnishing false information, a third-degree misdemeanor.
According to the criminal complaint, on Aug. 23, 2022, a Bradford man who is registered on the state police Megan’s Law website as a sex offender went to the Lewis Run state police barracks and attempted to give two gift cards to the police communications officer. He said he was told to bring the cards to the barracks. He spoke to Trooper Andrew Eliason, explaining that he was called by a Punxsutawney phone number that morning by someone who identified himself as Sgt. Harding. The person on the phone provided a badge number and said he had a warrant for the victim. The caller, who was later found to be Scott, told the victim there were new laws pertaining to Megan’s Law offenders that they needed to provide DNA samples and other testing or a warrant would be issued for their arrest.
The victim said he wanted to take care of the matter so there wasn’t a warrant for him. Scott said if the victim gave him $1,000, he would “make the warrant go away.” When the victim said he didn’t have that kind of money, Scott pretended to be talking to a lieutenant and captain. The victim said he could ask his uncle for money. Scott stayed on the phone with the victim while the victim drove to his uncle’s house to borrow the money, the court records read.
Scott told the victim if he lost the call and didn’t call back, he would send people to arrest the victim. Still on the call, the victim went to CVS and purchased two MoneyPak prepaid cards, and gave the card information to Scott. The victim was told to go to the state police barracks, which he did, the records read.
While investigating, troopers learned that Scott had activated the cards and transferred the funds to another person, and had that person send the money to other people. Scott had been serving a prison sentence in Georgia prior to being arraigned in Bradford on Wednesday.
He was arraigned before District Judge Rich Luther and remanded to jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. A hearing has been scheduled for Central Court on April 10.
