A con man managed to trick a front-desk employee at Starke Fitness out of an undisclosed sum of money around 3:00 PM today in Gluckstadt. Owner Lee Sahler said the thief worked as part of a tag team to deceive his staff.
Mr. Sahler said a black male walked into his gym and asked for a tour of the place as he was thinking about joining. He only stayed for a short time but long enough to learn the names of the managers and see where the cameras were located. Another black male drove up a few minutes later in a maroon Camaro. He was wearing attire that spelled out "FBI" in bright letters and told front desk employee he was from the alarm company. He mentioned the right names in management, got on the phone, and then proceeded to act as if he was calling one of the managers and have a conversation with the manager. He walked behind the desk and stayed there for a few minutes as he followed the old axiom of thieves everywhere- if you act as if you belong somewhere, people will think you actually do belong.
The suspect told the employee the manager approved the transfer and proceeded to leave with money removed from the till. Mr. Sahler said the entire episode took place within a few minutes after he left and ended three or four minutes before he returned. He said he thinks they were watching to see when he left as he considered the timing to be very suspicious. The Madison County Sheriff's Office is investigating the theft.
25 comments:
Looking at Google Earth the Storagemax across the street appears to have a camera on the exterior. I wonder if it caught a plate image?
That be cra cra. I saw the video of the man on the news tonight. He looked more like a Pizza Slut manager than an FBI Agent
Looks official to me. Slouching on the counter, suckin' on a toothpick, FBI logo on cap. Yep, I'd hand over all my cash too. Why not go through the lockers and give him all the rings and watches too?
He hung around long enough to learn the names of managers and see where the cameras were located so a few minutes later his accomplice, after learning where the cameras are, poses for each camera, looking directly at them and parks out front in full view of another camera. Slick. Slick.
Please don't allow my email to be posted on any comments. I hate how it automatically pops up. I won't post any more smart ass comments.
Autocorrect hilarity at 11:00, it seems.
What an idiot employee--
There are so many WTFs in this article until I am simply a tad exhausted trying to piece this together. At what point during this imposter's interaction with the employee is it indicated the reason for the employee just allowed this person to take out all the cash from the register? Just wearing FBI lettering and saying you're from an alarm company was enough? Employer, you need different employees if someone you've hired thought this would be ok. There's a dead cat on the line.
I imagine the comments would be going a completely different route if the story was about a gym in Jackson.
Those are the best security camera images I have ever seen. Every business needs to find out what camera they are using.
Sounds fishie to me. I would give the employee a real good look.
OMG GLUCKSTADT IS SO DANGEROUS!!!!!!! THIS IS WHY I'M MOVING MY FAMILY TO oh, wait, where do we go now????????
Knew a comment like 10:25 was coming. Rest assured, this guy will be caught and put in jail for a long time. Keep yourself in Hinds County. We don't want or need your type in our lovely community.
10:25am, next stop, Grenada! Surely there's no crime up there.
I'm sure a minimum wage front desk worker, isn't going to argue with someone perceived as, and acting as, someone who is supposed to be there, supposedly talking to the owner.
Of course there is crime anywhere there are humans, but have you ever heard of odds. My odds of getting car jacked and/or shot go up exponentially once I enter the city with soul. My odds of getting burglarized would increase dramatically if I were a Jackson resident. The odds of someone harming one of my children or wife would go up as well. I would much rather live where there are a few dogs that get out of the fence from time to time (and may bite) rather than a place were rabid packs run wild in the streets.
Inside job?
This is rather bold... a gym? Sahler himself is quite a 'healthy' young man who would probably love to have gotten his hands on this dude. Maybe a hair salon... or cell store?
The upside of this is the publicity Starke has gotten. I've about had it with the skuzzy foreign medical personnel who are showing up, now, at The Courthouse (whose hygiene habits, incidentally, leave me seriously worried about the future of healthcare in America). And I was about to start shopping for a new gym. This one looks good. I'm going to take a look at Starke, sometime this week. I bet lots of people will.
Their competition, next generation fitness, was on the Ashley Madison list. I go to starke simply because I don't want next generation getting my money.
The political correct crowd have made it to where you don't challenge black people. They have gotten so many laws protecting them that the path of least resistance is the best course to follow. Welcome to
circa 2016.I love it that the FBI is used to dupe into a con job. Does any one know what the writing below the FBI initial says?
how is it robbery if there was no force or threat of force?
sounds more like larceny
Heard the guy is from Arkansas and was in town visiting his dad in Canton.
Canton is a festering sore, ready to bust all over Gluckstadt.
3:19 is correct. Being scammed out of money is not a robbery. Regardless, hopefully this con will be identified and apprehended quickly.
"You're with the alarm company? Oh, in that case here's all our cash."
What next; the meter reader asks for all firearms in the house? The man with the city logo on the door of his S-10 asks everybody on your street for a spare garage door opener? No prollem.
How fookin' stupit is peepul gonna git?
it's not a crime if you voluntarily and willingly give over your money or other possessions. it's foolish if you do without checking the credentials first.
Starke cannot file a complaint for their foolishness.
Post a Comment