Suspects Linked To Pigeon Drop Scam Targeting Senior Citizens Arrested In Prince George's

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Four suspects have been arrested in connection to a pigeon drop scam that targeted a woman from Prince George's County.

According to Prince George's Police, a pigeon drop scam involves persuading a victim to give the suspect(s) a large amount of cash as collateral with the hope of then sharing a sum of money.

On Oct. 22, the victim called 911 to report she’d been the victim of a scam. She told detectives that on Oct. 21, she ran into a man and a woman outside of a business located in the 7700 block of Marlboro Pike. The individuals told her they found a bag full of money and asked if it belonged to the victim, which it did not. The suspects convinced the victim that instead of turning the money into police, they should donate it to charity. They then convinced the victim to withdraw money from her account so the newly withdrawn bills couldn’t be traced. Over a two-day period, the victim withdrew nearly $40,000 from her account, which the suspects stole, police said.

They have been charged with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the victim in District Heights. Detectives tracked down and arrested the suspects in a shopping center in Clinton moments after approaching their next potential victim, the police department stated.

Financial crimes unit detectives found the suspects Oct. 24 at a shopping center on Woodyard Road in Clinton. Two of the suspects were seen approaching another older woman in the parking lot. The suspects now in custody are 77-year-old James Davis of Birmingham, Alabama; 64-year-old Connie Williams of Birmingham, Alabama; 59-year-old Mary Daniel of Antioch, Tennessee; and 36-year-old Kenneth Gooden of Birmingham, Alabama.

Detectives believe these suspects likely targeted other victims in the county and would like for any victims to report the crime, regardless whether the victim suffered a financial loss or not, the police department stated. Anyone with information about these suspects or who could be a potential victim and would like to speak to a detective can call 301-516-1464.