Westport Man Charged With Fraud in Yankee Stadium Dirt Scam in Fairfield

Westport resident Mark Hayward, 52, is accused of asking the alleged victim to invest in gift items such as a key chain containing dirt from the Bronx, N.Y., ballpark, according to a report from the Connecticut Post.

Police say the unidentified man agreed to invest $35,000 through a series of transactions in 2008 and 2009 for a 20 percent share.

Hayward, who resides on Conte Place in Westport, said he had more than $1 million in a foreign bank account he would use to pay the Fairfield resident, according to police.

After the investor became suspicious, Hayward supplied him with several false documents from his bank, which established that Hayward had a hold on more than $1,000,000, but the man eventually demanded Hayward return his $35,000.

Hayward was charged with larceny and forgery after a police investigation determined the bank documents were forged and that Hayward had insufficient funds in his account to cover the investment. He is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Jan. 23.