CULPEPER COUNTY, Va. (7News) — Detectives with the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said a quick-thinking family member and a coordinated law enforcement effort helped stop an 82-year-old person from losing thousands of dollars to a scam targeting the elderly.
On Oct. 6, detectives were alerted to a fraud in progress involving an elderly victim who had been called by someone claiming to be an attorney representing their son in a criminal case.
The scammer reportedly demanded over $20,000 in cash for legal assistance, even using a man crying in the background to make the ruse more convincing.
CCSO officials said, fortunately, the victim’s family intervened before any money was lost. Investigators said they eventually learned the scammer had falsely used the name of a dead attorney, “Harvey Goldman,” and was connected to a similar scheme previously reported in Georgia.
According to the sheriff’s office, detectives arranged a fake cash pickup during which the alleged scammer, identified as Yordanys Rodriguez, 33, of Bronx, New York, sent a rideshare driver from Chester, Pennsylvania, to collect the money. The driver cooperated with detectives and was not involved in the scam.
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With the help of Chester City Police, Rodriguez was found and arrested on unrelated charges. During his arrest, authorities said Rodriguez had a New York City Police Sergeant badge and credentials, impersonating a law enforcement officer.
Rodriguez now faces charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and obtaining money by false pretenses in Virginia. As of Friday, he was in custody in Pennsylvania pending extradition.
CCSO Sheriff T.W. Chilton condemned the alleged crime, emphasizing the department’s commitment to protecting vulnerable people.
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“We are gonna protect our seniors,” said Sheriff Chilton. “Our detectives know to run these cases out as far as we can and arrest everyone we can get our hands on that’s involved. It’s sick what these people are doing to the elderly across the country. The punishment should fit the age group they target in my opinion!”
Authorities are urging people to be cautious of phone or email scams, particularly those involving urgent requests for money or claims of family emergencies. Anyone who believes they’ve been targeted is encouraged to call CCSO for help.
