A suspect has been arrested after a Florida Keys man lost over $22,000 in a common phone scam involving people posing as law enforcement, authorities said.
Thomas Kelly Pullen, 20, was arrested Friday on charges including grand theft, organized scheme to defraud and impersonation of a law enforcement officer, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office officials said.
The victim, who lives in Marathon, had received multiple phone calls from people claiming to be with the sheriff’s office telling him he’d missed jury duty and had to pay money to avoid arrest.
He later agreed to pay $22,450 to an unknown man who posed as an undercover law enforcement officer at a Marathon grocery store parking lot.
When the victim received another call requesting $31,500 later that day, he suspected he was being scammed and contacted authorities.
An investigation was launched and the victim later identified Pullen as a suspect, officials said.
Pullen, of Savannah, Georgia, was booked into jail. Attorney information wasn’t available.
An investigation was ongoing and additional charges and arrests may be pending, officials said.