by Alex Lloyd Gross
The Grandparents scam works like this: You get a phone call from an unfamiliar number and the voice on the other end calls you “grand -mom ( or “grand-pop”.) “I got arrested for fighting in another state, or better yet, I was in a serious accident. I hit a pregnant female, I’m hurt myself. Don’t tell mom or dad.” Then another voice gets on the phone , he tell you he is the lawyer and he was able to secure your grandchild’s release but it will cost bail money which must be paid in cash.
Back on June 1 2022, that is exactly what happened to a Warrington couple. They were advised to get $12,000 in cash and a courier would stop by their home to get it. They would get a receipt. About 5:00 PM a black male driving a white car knocked on their door and said he was there for the cash. He gave them a receipt, took the money and dissapeared.
Soon, the couple realized they were scammed and called police. They were advised to put the receipt into a zip lock bag which they did. Police came , took a report and took the receipt to the state police lab, which returned a DNA match for Engherber Perez-Jimenez, 26, of Reading, PA.
As Warrington Police were doing their investigation, they contacted Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department who informed them that just 13 days prior to this scam in Warrington, Perez-Jimenez entered a guilty plea to the same type of charges in Lancaster County.
After getting more DNA. police slapped Perez-Jimenez with 18) 3922(A)(2) THEFT BY DECEPTION (F3) (18) 4120 (A) IDENTITY THEFT (F3) (18) 3925 (A) RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY (F3) (18) 7512 (A) CRIMINAL USE OF COMMUNICATION FACILITY (F3) (18) 3922 (A1) THEFT BY DECEPTION-FALSE IMPRESSION (F3)
He turned him self in but he sits in jail still, unable to post $100,000 bond/10 percent, no matter who he calls to bail him out.
Police advise anyone getting a similar call to verify the information through law enforcement, or call your grans child .