Oxford Police Reports, July 25-Aug. 1, 2022

Research assistant job was a fraud

What appeared to be a job as a lab assistant for a professor at Miami University turned out to be a scam after a victim told police he had turned over several sums of money and it appeared someone had cloned or hacked the professor’s e-mail. The report was made July 26 when the victim said he had been offered $365 a week for the position but did not hear back after sending money twice to the scammer.

The victim said he had called saying he was interested in the position and was texted from the phone number saying to send a resume and asked several questions. He was then sent several tasks, one of which was to buy a $250 Visa gift card, which he did, and was then sent a check for $2,350. It was marked with Miami’s logo. He said he deposited the check into his bank account and it seemed to clear.

He was told the check was to reimburse him for the gift card purchase and cover cleaning and PPE supplies needed for the research assistant position. He was then instructed to deposit $1,750 of the money into a separate account, which he did.

He was then sent a second check, for $1,500 and deposited it into his account and then sent it to the account he believed was for the professor. He began to suspect something was fraudulent and was contacted by his bank with information both checks were fraudulent.

He then spoke to Miami University and determined the professor’s e-mail account had been cloned or hacked. He provided information to the police including the fraudulent checks and correspondence.

Sublease proposal proves to be scam

A Miami student looking for an apartment to sublease for himself and his roommates told police he had been the victim of a scam which cost him a total of $171 in three transfer transactions, supposedly to cover the cost for a deposit and for attorney fees to write the lease. When he was contacted again asking for more money, he became suspicious, refused to send more money and contacted police.

The police report was made July 28.

The victim said he found a person online claiming to be affiliated with a local apartment complex. He had an e-mail address and two phone numbers for the person, but after he refused to send money the fourth time, he was unable to get a response from him.

The victim contacted the apartment complex and was told no one with the name he had been given is affiliated with them.

Window damaged in empty house

An officer met with a property manager for a residence in the 300 block of South Main Street at 1:35 p.m. July 29 for a report of a burglary.

The property manager said new flooring had been installed with work completed at 5 p.m. July 25. She had checked on the property on July 24 but had not been back there until the day of the report. She said she approached the front door but was able to push it open without unlocking it. The officer saw no signs of forced entry on the door.

Once inside, she said she saw trash on the floor and then looked into a room immediately to the left of the door and saw the lower window frame broken on the floor. She said she walked through the rest of the house and id not see other damage or property missing. There was, however, a crack on a small window pane on the rear door. She said she was not sure if that was new or old damage. She told the officer she also checked the basement, where she found a door leading to the outside standing open.

The officer walked through the house with her and confirmed nothing else damaged or missing. A detective was called to process the scene.

Suspected drugs found in backpack

Three individuals were seen by a police officer walking on the railroad tracks behind a business on College Corner Pike at 3:31 a.m. Aug. 1. They were stopped in the rear of another business nearby and identified.

One of the three had a backpack and was asked for consent to search it, which he allowed. He removed the backpack and handed it to the officer. The search revealed a blue glasses case holding a small clear baggie, a silver gum wrapper containing a crystalized residue and a glass pipe wrapped in paper towels with white residue and burn marks.

The individual was listed in the report as an uncharged suspect because no charges had yet been filed.

In his wallet were three cards not in his name, one an identification card, and also a Social Security card in another name he said was that of his nephew. In the front pocket of he backpack, the officer also allegedly found a film container with white powder residue on top.

The uncharged suspect was read his rights and said he would talk to the officer. He said two cards found on him belonged to his son who loads money onto them as a savings account. He said an EBT card given to him by his nephew had $14 on it because his nephew knew he was homeless. He said the glasses case had methamphetamine in it.

The items were logged into property as evidence pending lab results.

Police find man passed out in car

A report of a man possibly slumped over behind the wheel of a car in the parking lot of the Speedway station on South Locust Street took police there at 3:01 a.m. July 25. The vehicle in question was parked at the air pumps. The responding officer approached the white Ford and woke the male by tapping on his chest.

He was identified by the officer but was not named in the report because he had not yet been charged with any offense. He was asked if he was okay and responded that he was and said he was waiting for his mother, although his speech was slurred.

He was asked to step out of the vehicle and was told by police they had been called because he appeared to be passed out. He said his phone was broken and asked if there was a problem with the vehicle. He said there was a flat tire. The front passenger-side tire was found to be flat. He said he did not have the lug lock for the vehicle.

He was asked for identification and said it was on the seat of the vehicle and gave the officer permission to get it. The ID was not on the seat and the male gave permission to search for it inside. During the search, the officer discovered a small baggie containing suspected marijuana. He admitted it was old marijuana and a search of the vehicle was conducted.

That search yielded a clear plastic straw with residue of a crystalized substance inside, a green marijuana pipe and a baggie with a crystalized substance, a white cylinder of the substance as well as a glass pipe with burn marks and residue.

He was read his rights and agreed to talk to the officer and he admitted use of methamphetamine. The items were taken into evidence and any possible charges are pending lab analysis of them.

He said he wanted to leave the vehicle at Speedway and was given permission to stay with the vehicle until morning. He was also advised his vehicle registration was expired and needed to be renewed.