2 Men Scammed Manhattan Township Senior Out Of More Than $10K: Sheriff

MANHATTAN TOWNSHIP, IL — Two men were arrested Thursday in connection with scamming an elderly Manhattan resident out of more than $10,000 for a purported driveway sealing job, the Will County Sheriff's Office said Friday.

On Oct. 30, just before 2 p.m., Will County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the 500 block of West North Street in Manhattan for a report of a fraud in progress.

Deputies met with officers from the Manhattan Police Department who had two men detained in a parking lot. Manhattan police had been alerted by a local bank about suspicious withdrawals made by an elderly customer.

The victim told deputies that two men had contacted her, claiming her driveway needed to be sealed, the sheriff's office said. Over the course of three weeks, the men accompanied the woman to her bank multiple times, convincing her to withdraw large sums of money totaling more than $10,000, the sheriff's office said.

Taken into custody were 24-year-old Spanky S. Stone, of Chicago, and Eli Miller, 69, of Cicero. Based on statements made during interviews with detectives and evidence gathered, the two were brought to the Will County Jail, and have initially been charged with aggravated home repair fraud, victim over the age of 60.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents to remain alert to potential scams targeting older adults after two men were arrested this week for defrauding an elderly victim of more than $10,000.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges could be forthcoming.

"Our elderly residents are among the most vulnerable targets for scammers who use trust and intimidation to take advantage of them," said Sheriff Mike Kelley. "I’m grateful to our deputies, the Manhattan Police Department, and the alert bank employees whose quick actions prevented this situation from becoming worse."

Manhattan Police Chief Ryan Gulli said he was grateful to see charges against the two men involved.

"It's great to see neighboring agencies work together to bring charges against offenders who try to exploit our senior citizens. This proves as another example as to why residents need to keep an eye on their neighbors—especially the elderly—and report anything suspicious or out of place to police."

"We also want to truly thank employees of the bank who stopped this scam in its tracks. This is more great police work by Will County Sheriff's Office and its investigators."

The Will County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents to remain alert to potential scams. If you believe you may have been a victim of these offenders or a similar scam, please contact the Will County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at (815) 727-8574.