Clinton woman charged with theft in sob story scams
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By Steven Martens | Saturday, December 01, 2007 |
CLINTON, Iowa — According to court records, Tamara Rohn’s alleged sob story sometimes included real tears.
But police say it was a scam perpetrated mostly against older citizens.
Rohn, 37, of 2700 N. 2nd St., No. 2, Clinton, was arrested Friday and charged with 10 counts of third-degree theft in connection with a scam she allegedly used on 10 people in Clinton in June and July.
According to court records, Alan Green, director of the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office’s Seniors vs. Crime program, started receiving calls in August about a woman who would knock on people’s doors or approach them in their yards claiming that her mother was seriously ill. The woman would say she needed gas money to go be with her mother in the hospital.
After Green published an article about the alleged scam in September, more calls started to come in, according to court records.
After an investigation, police identified Rohn as the suspect. According to court records, she has two prior theft convictions in Whiteside County, Ill., including a 2000 conviction for theft by deception.
Rohn was released Friday from the Clinton County Jail after posting $750 bond. She will make a court appearance Monday. Third-degree theft is an aggravated misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in prison.
The victims of the scam ranged in age from about 50 to 85, but most of the people approached by Rohn were at least 60 years old, said Capt. Randy Meier of the Clinton Police Department.
The amounts of money they gave her ranged from $10 to $95.
Meier said there are resources in the community for people with real emergencies like the one allegedly described by Rohn, and that people should use caution when approached for money by strangers.
“It’s never a good sign when people come to your door begging for money,” he said.
Steven Martens can be contacted at (563) 659-2595 or smartens@qctimes.com.
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