On January 16, at around 1:30 p.m., the Wiscasset Police Department responded to First National Bank in Wiscasset regarding an attempted fraud. A male suspect impersonated a customer using the customer’s information from a false military identification card. They tried a $6,700 withdrawal from the victim’s account.
The suspect declined to answer security questions and fled the bank on foot. He was reported as wearing a white leather jacket, wielding a cane, and carrying an earphone, all of which are methods common in organized imposter fraud operations.
The same individual allegedly tried the same transaction at a bank in Boothbay Harbor about 30 minutes before, using the same victim’s account information.
A security photo was distributed to law enforcement in the region. Shortly afterwards, the guy was seen getting into a black SUV near a bank in Brunswick. Brunswick police halted the vehicle and identified the occupants as George Mendez, 66; Miguel Molinar, 35; and Leigh A. Jackson, 34, all of Brooklyn, New York. They were all discovered to have counterfeit documentation, including forged passports, military identification cards, and state-issued licenses. They also found notes with sensitive client information in the vehicle, which led police to assume there could be more victims.
They are each charged with Class C Theft by Deception, Misuse of Identification, and Criminal Conspiracy and are being held on a $10,000 cash bond at the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was aided by Wiscasset Police, Boothbay Harbor Police, Brunswick Police, and Freeport Police. This is an example of how Midcoast law enforcement and banking institutions collaborate to promptly resolve these types of investigations.
Anyone with additional information should contact Detective Jared Mitkus at 207-882-7332 or [email protected].
People can anonymously provide information about this event by texting the phrase “LTIP” and their tip to 847411.
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