Prosecutors say a group of men scammed at least 150 Philadelphia seniors through an elaborate scheme involving impersonation, utility companies, banks and mail theft.
District Attorney Larry Krasner believes the suspects stole more than $1 million from their victims, primarily individuals in their 70s and 80s living in the Northwest and Southwest sections of Philadelphia.
Anthony Ringgold, 43, Winston A. Haynes, 31, Michael Turner, 44, and Mark Chappell, 39, were apprehended Wednesday and each charged with dozens of counts of felony first-degree conspiracy, corrupt organizations, theft and a host of other offenses, authorities said.
Detoine Darryl Davis, 41, who has yet to be arraigned, was hospitalized after jumping off a balcony in an attempt to elude law enforcement, according to Assistant District Attorney Gillian Dagress. He will face similar charges, and more arrests are expected, officials added.
“We believe that those individuals are really central to the scheme and really the architects of it,” Dagress said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Dagress explained that the perpetrators would call older residents and claim to be representing Philadelphia Gas Works, PECO or the Philadelphia Water Department. They would explain that the person had a problem with their account, citing a recent payment, she said.
The suspects had knowledge of the victim’s actual billing information, through access to the mail, according to the DA’s Office. However, prosecutors would not detail how they acquired the paperwork, saying that the probe is still active.
At the same time, the men called and impersonated bank employees — from the very institutions where the seniors had active accounts, Dagress added.
As part of the operation, someone would be dispatched to the victim’s house to get debit card information, including pins, she told reporters. In many cases, they would swap a fake card with the real one, telling the individual that it was their new card, according to prosecutors.
Equipped with the pin, the suspects began quickly making withdrawals, often contacting the bank to raise daily limits, Dagress said. They made personal purchases and converted the funds into money orders, the DA’s Office contends.
“These defendants created a scheme that would target this population,” Dagress added. “They knew they could access them. They knew they would have assets. They knew that they could empty those accounts quickly.”
Ringgold, Haynes, Turner and Chappel have been charged with defrauding 35 seniors and Citizens Bank of about $500,000 since June 2024. Authorities believe there are many more victims, and they indicated that they are gathering evidence to add more charges.
“We are moving forward on the complaints that we are able to prosecute at this time,” Dagress said. "Because we have a real concentrated interest in getting this group off the streets, so they can stop committing this crime.”
Financial institutions, in most instances, have reimbursed the victims, she added. The DA’s Office said investigators have frozen the bank accounts where the stolen money was being stored.
Law enforcement officials advised residents that utility companies do not call customers for their personal information. They recommended that individuals not give out their debit card pins and other details. People should also know that utilities do not send someone ‘right over’ to settle account balances in person.
Any senior who was a victim of this scam or any other fraud is encouraged to call the DA’s Elder Justice Unit at 215-686-5710.
