Excerpts from the Marblehead police log Sept. 18-25. Consistent with state law, Marblehead Police have adopted a policy of not providing media outlets reports related to incidents involving domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation.
Sept. 20
1:32 p.m. — Officer Nicholas Michaud was dispatched to the station lobby concerning a fraud report. Upon arrival, the reporting party, a male, informed the officer that he is the owner of a Salem business. The individual reported that his bookkeeper discovered an unauthorized check written for $23,44.40 and a subsequent review revealed an earlier check written for $36,226. Both checks, which did not originate from his standard checkbook, were cashed on August 24.
The reporting party communicated with his distributor regarding these checks, but the company denied any knowledge. Following the discovery, he contacted his bank, Marblehead Bank. The bank addressed the fraudulent activity by refunding the amount and closing the affected accounts, with new ones subsequently opened. Details of this incident, along with the fraudulent checks, were forwarded internally for further investigation.
4:55 p.m. — Officer Tyler Bates was dispatched to the station concerning a report of a potential scam. Upon arrival, he spoke with a female who expressed concerns regarding a friend’s recent involvement in what she believed to be a scam. The male, who lives on High Street, had reportedly provided his credit card information to a website purporting to be affiliated with the United Parcel Service (UPS), identified as uspzsuzou.top. The female had reached out to UPS, confirming that the aforementioned website has no connection with the company. At the time of reporting, it remains uncertain if the male has incurred any financial loss due to this incident, as the female lacks access to his financial records.
Notably, the male had been victimized by scams previously. The female requested that a detective converse with the male on the following day to gain insight into the recent scam. Officer Bates informed her of the procedure and suggested contacting the station the next day to arrange a report from a patrolman.
Moreover, due to recurring fraudulent activities affecting the male’s finances, the female urged Bates to alert North Shore Elder Services regarding his vulnerability. Complying with her request, Bates filed a report with North Shore Elder Services at 7:25 p.m.
Sept. 21
9:51 a.m. — Officer Luke Peters, patrolling in cruiser 67, was tasked with overseeing the downtown sector during the 7:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m. shift. As part of his duties, from 8:56 a.m.-9:54 a.m., Officer Peters executed selective traffic enforcement on Brookhouse Drive. Within this duration, he spotted a vehicle exceeding the speed limit. Choosing to exercise discretion, Peters issued the driver a verbal warning for the speeding violation and allowed them to continue without further penalties.
Sept. 23
3:01 p.m. — Officer Timothy Morley was dispatched to address a report of a missing phone. The complainant reported that their iPhone was last confirmed to be at the Eat Well Kitchen on Atlantic Avenue around 11 a.m. The phone’s tracking application indicated a vague location in the vicinity of Gilbert Heights Road.
Morley promptly conducted a search in the indicated area, interviewing several residents and inspecting various parts of the neighborhood, including a portable toilet shed. All attempts to locate the missing phone, which was on silent mode, proved unsuccessful.
Upon returning to the station, Morley informed the complainant of the unsuccessful search. The individual mentioned that the phone contained essential items including a credit card, a debit card and their driver’s license. Morley advised the individual to notify their financial institutions about the missing cards and to procure a replacement license if the phone remains untraceable. Before parting, the complainant was provided with a copy of their license data from the MPD system, and a report number was issued for any necessary reference in the future.
Sept. 24
11:46 a.m. — Morley was dispatched to the Marblehead Police Department to meet with a complainant concerning a reported larceny involving a debit account. The individual disclosed that the debit account in question was associated with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (MA DOR).
The complainant shared documentation detailing five alleged, unauthorized transactions that transpired in August, cumulatively amounting to a loss of $4,424.45. She was adamant that no one else possessed access to her debit card or was aware of the funds contained therein.
Further investigation revealed that the loss was discovered on Sept. 9. Subsequent communication with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue uncovered that an unidentified individual had impersonated the complainant in July to request a new debit card. This card was dispatched as per the alleged imposter’s request. The exact address to which this card was sent had been deleted from the DOR system during an update and could not be retrieved. However, assurances were given to the complainant by both the DOR and the bank involved that the stolen funds would be reimbursed. The case has now been transferred to the Detective Division of the Marblehead Police Department for further investigation.
