By John Domen
Prince George’s County, MD — A dangerous scam that preys on vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly, has resurfaced in the region, with the recent arrest of four suspects involved in defrauding a woman out of more than $30,000. The scam, known as the “pigeon drop,” tricked the victim into believing they had stumbled upon a large sum of money that they needed to quickly “launder” to avoid detection.
The incident took place in a parking lot in District Heights, where the victim, an older woman, was approached by the suspects. The suspects claimed to have found a large sum of money but told the victim that they could not keep it because the serial numbers could be traced by the authorities. They then convinced her to deposit the money into an account to “launder” it and remove the traceable serial numbers.
Lt. Robert Weaver, who heads the Financial Crimes Section of the Prince George’s County Police Department, explained the deceptive nature of the scam. “The suspects created a sense of urgency, telling the victim that she needed to act quickly to avoid being caught up in a crime,” said Lt. Weaver. “This is a scam we’re seeing more often and it’s affecting elderly individuals who often feel uncomfortable confronting strangers.”
On October 25, 2023, the four suspects—James Davis, 77, and Connie Williams, 64, both from Birmingham, Alabama, along with Mary Daniel, 59, from Antioch, Tennessee, and Kenneth Gooden, 36, also from Birmingham—were arrested in Clinton, Maryland, as they approached another elderly person in a different parking lot.
Authorities suspect that these individuals may be connected to similar scams across the U.S., including in California and Illinois, and they are continuing to investigate whether other victims have been targeted by the same group.
