Crystal City Police Officer Jack Montgomery and dispatchers Brittney Meyer and Tyler Reed recently were honored for their work on a recent fraud case.
Crystal City Police Chief Chad Helms recognized the three at a March Crystal City Council meeting for their response to a call the Crystal City Police Department received in February from a resident who said she had been the victim of a scam.
Helms said the woman explained that she received a call from a man who identified himself as a police officer and then claimed criminal charges had been filed against the woman and a felony warrant had been issued for her arrest.
The man went on to say he could take care of the problem for the victim if she met with his female colleague outside Crystal City Hall and gave her $12,000 in cash. The victim met with the female suspect and gave her the money but then became skeptical and called the Crystal City Police Department, Helms said.
He said Montgomery arrived on the scene and recognized the woman had fallen victim to a scam and began to investigate the incident with Meyer and Reed. The trio had a limited amount of information to use for their investigation, which included the suspect’s vehicle color, model and first three letters on the license plate.
They reviewed city video footage and Flock camera footage to try piece together a full license plate number and state of origin.
After getting that information, they identified a person connected to the vehicle and searched social media to get a physical description and location for the female suspect involved in the scam, Helms said.
He said Montgomery contacted and worked with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which located the suspect’s vehicle the following day outside of Lexington, Ky. The local law enforcement agency took three female suspects into custody, and a search warrant tied to the vehicle allowed them to recover more than $8,000 in cash, along with numerous cell phones and voice-disguising software.
Helms said DHS informed Crystal City Police that the February incident was part of a multi-state scam throughout the Midwest, adding that the quick actions of Montgomery, Meyer and Reed helped to break up this major fraud ring.
The Crystal City Police Department is working to see if it can recover money for the victim, he added.
Reed is attending the police academy and is expected to graduate this summer.