Cops: Con man faked blindness to steal $9,000 ring

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A suspected con man who allegedly uses fake cashier’s checks to buy vehicles, electronics and jewelry has been charged with stealing a $9,000 diamond ring from a Pittsburgh jewelry store the same way –while also pretending to be blind.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (http://bit.ly/RUsXxz ) reports the suspect, 47-year-old Taurus Centaur, of McHenry, Maryland, has been jailed in Georgia, one of seven states where a Pennsylvania state police alert say he’s suspected of crimes.

Police say Centaur used the name Joseph Carroll when he called Goldstock Diamonds in February and claimed to be a blind man who needed help from an expert jeweler to buy an engagement ring. Centaur arrived at the store the next day wearing fancy clothes, and a blind man’s cane and sunglasses and paid with a cashier’s check that later turned out to be fake.

___

Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, http://pghtrib.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up