Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County said today (Friday), they’ve taken two reports within the past month of scams aimed at siphoning money from victims’ bank accounts. One of the scams involved a relationship that developed over the internet, and was brought to the attention of the Sheriff’s Office a couple of weeks ago, after a man lost $16,000.

Authorities say an elderly gentleman from Guthrie County met a much younger lady from Florida over the internet. The two sparked up a relationship and kept in regular contact with each other over the course of three to four months. During that time, the woman from Florida started asking for money to help her pay for things she was in “desperate need of” such as food for her children and vehicle repairs. The Guthrie County resident was kind hearted and felt sorry for her, so he sent her a few dollars to help her out. Over time, the demands kept coming and the situations kept getting more dire.

The gentleman continued sending money to help the young lady out. The amounts of money he was sending her kept getting larger and larger. After a few months, he had sent the “desperate” young lady nearly $16,000. The transactions were usually done through money wire transfers or with gift cards.  When the man contacted authorities, they advised him to quit sending the lady money.

The second scam involved a person who claimed to be the granddaughter of an elderly Guthrie County woman. The resident got a phone call from a person who said she was the woman’s “granddaughter, and that the “granddaughter” had been in an accident in Minneapolis. She also claimed she had been arrested, and wanted the woman to speak with the granddaughters’ female “lawyer.”

The so called “lawyer” told the elderly woman her client had ran a red light and hit an undercover Minneapolis police officer. Due to the officer’s undercover status, the judge had issued a gag-order and the case could not be discussed with anyone under penalty of law. The “lawyer” advised grandma she needed to drive to her closest Wal-Mart and purchase $4,000 worth of gift cards and sent the numbers on the cards to her law office and she would get “granddaughter” released from jail.

The resident drove to the closest Wal-Mart and purchased $4,000 worth of gift cards and sent the numbers off the cards to the “lawyer’s” office.  A short time later, the ‘judge” in the case called grandmother. The “judge” advised grandma that there was also damage to a utility pole and the cost to replace the pole was $3,000. The “judge” told grandma that “granddaughter” could not be released from jail until the utility pole was paid for.

Once again, the woman drove back to Wal-Mart and purchased another $3,000 in gift cards and sent the numbers off the cards to the “judge”.  Somewhere along the line, authorities say the resident got wise that something was not right. She contacted her credit card company, which she used to purchase the gift cards, and was directed to their fraud department. The fraud department advised her she had fallen for a common scam and a report needed to be filed with the local sheriff’s office.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says it takes similar scam reports like that almost daily. Usually people do not send money, but in the cases mentioned, almost $23,000 was bilked from Guthrie County residents.

Authorities warn you to please be cautious anytime someone asks you for money over the phone or through the internet. Be sure also, your elderly relatives and neighbors are aware of these types of scams. The bottom line, they say, is :If it sounds fishy, it is. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Silver City was arrested this (Friday) morning for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 33-year old Jeremy Wayne Garner was taken into custody at around 1:50-a.m. His bond was set at $300.

And, two people were injured during an accident Wednesday night in Mills County. Authorities say the driver of the vehicle, 72-year old Phillip May, of Hastings, and his passenger, 61-year old Rosetta May, also of Hastings, suffered minor injuries, and were transported to the Montgomery County Hospital by Red Oak Rescue. The couple was hurt when the 2001 Nissan they were in went out of control on Highway 34 near 390th Street, entered the south ditch, and rolled several times. The accident happened at around 8:50-p.m.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports a woman from Council Bluffs was arrested last Sunday (Jan. 22nd), on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Parole Violation. 42-year old Tracie Lynn Frolich-Lappe was transferred to the Audubon County Jail after being taken into custody, and was being held pending transfer to Pottawattamie County.  Audubon County Sheriffs Deputies assisted in the arrest.

Deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office were busy Wednesday, covering numerous accidents. At around 12:45-a.m., deputies responded to a report of a skid steer colliding with parked vehicles near Clark and 4^th Streets in Griswold. Authorities say a 2012 Bobcat Skid Steer tractor owned and driven by 33-year old Landon Rex Preston, of Griswold, was northbound on Clark Street when the bucket of the steer began to come loose, causing the skid steer and bucket to strike two vehicles in a driveway: A 1998 Chevy pickup owned by Titus Wayne Jackson, and a 2013 Ford pickup owned by Jessica Renee Jackson. The vehicles sustained a total of $4,500 damage. No injuries were reported.

At around 8-a.m. Wednesday, Cass County deputies responded to a report of a one-vehicle accident on White Pole Road. Officials say a 1997 International 4700 driven by 32-year old Paul T. Murphy, of Omaha, was eastbound on White Pole Road west of 542^nd Street, when the vehicle was pulled off the road by the snowy conditions. It went into the southbound ditch and came to rest in a field. Murphy denied medical assistance was needed at the time of the wreck. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $3,000.

And, a little after Noon on Wednesday, a single-vehicle accident happened on Highway 173 in Cass County. Officials say a 2016 Chevy Equinox driven by 59-year old Roger Berry Fleener, of Des Moines, was northbound on Highway 173 when Fleener lost control due to the snowy roadway. The SUV entered the west ditch and sustained $5,000 damage. No injuries were reported.

A traffic stop early this (Friday) morning in Council Bluffs resulted the arrest of a man on an OWI charge and for Carrying Weapons. A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a 2002 Acura driven by 36-year old Dontar Ternell Lewis, of Council Bluffs, at around 2:10-a.m.  The vehicle was pulled over because Lewis failed to dim his headlights. During an investigation, Lewis reportedly displayed signs of impairment, but he refused to take the standard Field Sobriety Test. He was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and since he was in possession of a stun gun that he did not have a permit to carry, Lewis was also charged with Carrying Weapons. He was booked into the Pott. County Jail.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy responding to a residence in Carson Thursday afternoon, arrested a man for Domestic Abuse Assault by impeding air flow. 27-year old Michael Jay Burns, of Carson, allegedly assaulted his wife during an argument. He was transported to the Pott. County Jail.

And, a Missouri Valley man was arrested Thursday night for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop in Pott. County. A 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 31-year old Benjamin John Hoyt, of Missouri Valley, was pulled over at around 11:55-p.m. because it did not have a functioning brake light. The deputy observed Hoyt had bloodshot, watery eyes and emitted a strong odor of alcohol. A fresh container of beer was in the center console of his vehicle. Based on the results of a Field Sobriety Test, Hoyt was taken into custody. He was also cited for Improper Brake Light.