Elderly RC man bilked out of thousands; one arrested
A suspect recently arrived from Jamaica has been arrested for alleged involvement in scamming over $100,000 from a Grant County resident.
EPHRATA – Grant County sheriff’s deputies on Sunday arrested a suspect recently arrived from Jamaica who has been charged with first-degree theft for alleged involvement in scamming over $100,000 from an elderly Royal City man.
The defendant, 36-year-old Damion Omar McDonald, is listed in court documents as a resident of The Bronx, New York. He pled not guilty to the felony charge during an initial appearance Tuesday in Grant County Superior Court and remains jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail pending a March 11 trial.
Deputies were initially notified Sunday by a family member who said his 89-year-old father-in-law might be the victim of an ongoing fraud scheme which began in October. It was alleged that the older man, Norm, had numerous phone conversations with someone named “Andrew,” who promised him two Mercedes-Benz luxury cars, 10 acres of land in Seattle, and other prizes in exchange for cash payments.
Authorities were informed that “Andrew” had arranged a meeting between Norm and an unidentified person for Sunday afternoon at the intersection of State Route 26 West and Beverly-Burke Road in Grant County.
Deputies with the sheriff office’s Crime Reduction Team staked out the location from a distance. According to their report, a black SUV arrived around 3 p.m., the driver got out and contacted Norm, followed moments later by a passenger who accepted a plastic bag from Norm.
Deputies said a later examination showed the bag contained $64,400 in $100 bills.
Immediately following the exchange, patrol units stopped the departing SUV and detained the two occupants, identifying McDonald as the passenger who allegedly accepted the money. He declined to talk with deputies and instead requested a lawyer, according to the report.
During the stop, deputies said one of two cell phones in McDonald’s possession rang several times with an identifying name of Andrew. The money, phones, and luggage were collected as evidence pending a search warrant application.
The driver turned out to be an Uber ride-share provider who said he picked up McDonald that morning at SeaTac International Airport and drove him to the location in Grant County. After the exchange, the driver said he was supposed to take McDonald to an airport in the Tri-Cities to catch a departure flight.
Deputies said McDonald had arrived in the United States on Friday, Jan. 16, on a flight from Jamaica.
The investigation is ongoing.
During Tuesday’s court hearing, Judge Anna Gigliotti set bail at the request of county prosecutor Brandon Guernsey plus conditions of potential pre-trial release for McDonald. Those included him staying at an address in Burlington, Washington; not leaving Washington state without prior court approval; and maintaining weekly contact with an attorney. It was not immediately determined whether McDonald qualified for representation by a public defender.
