CHANDLER, Ariz. — Two men have been arrested by Chandler police for their alleged involvement in a scam that tried swindling money out of people by telling them their relatives had been kidnapped.
On Tuesday, Chandler officers were dispatched to a car dealership near Interstate 10 and Ray Road after employees found an envelope containing $15,000 in cash.
The envelope was addressed to someone named Paul and had been delivered by a ride-share driver, court records show.
Investigators later learned that an elderly Prescott Valley woman had asked for the money to be delivered to the Chandler location after she got a call from someone telling her that her son had allegedly been kidnapped. The woman was told to pay $15,000.
When the ride-share driver arrived at the dealership, two men approached him and claimed the envelope was for them.
Chandler police later detained these two individuals and identified them as Julio Paulino Rosario, 21, and Raul Roque Reyes, 22, from the Dominican Republic.
Court records show Rosario allegedly told police that someone from the Dominican Republic had paid for him to travel to Arizona and retrieve envelopes of money.
After searching the car the two suspects were driving, investigators recovered over $50,000 and identified other people who may have also fallen victim to a similar scam.
Both suspects were arrested and are facing multiple felony charges. The investigation is ongoing.
The Chandler Police Department is asking anyone who may have additional info about this kidnapping scheme to call 480-782-4130.
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