SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A Scottsdale man with a history of scamming Valley residents was arrested this week for allegedly swindling money out of golfers who had been duped into paying donations for a fake charity event.
Robert F. Alexander, 57, is facing fraud charges after he allegedly tricked golfers into believing he was organizing a charity tournament to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that services military veterans.
Court records show a golfer allegedly paid Alexander $900 in cash last month after the defendant invited them to play at an upcoming charity event in Scottsdale.
The golfer later called the venue where the tournament was supposed to take place and discovered there was no such event scheduled. Police say the golfer eventually got his money back.
Another golfer told police they donated $700 and a couple of gift cards to Alexander under similar pretenses.
Representatives of Wounded Warrior confirmed to investigators that Alexander was not affiliated with their organization, court records show.
The manager of a local golf club told police they had been getting several phone calls from individuals asking about the nonexistent charity tournament.
Public records indicate Alexander has been accused of conducting other golf-related scams in the past.
The Arizona Corporation Commission ordered Alexander to pay $382,000 in restitution last year for tricking locals to invest in a fraudulent golf ball business. A majority of the investors did not receive their full principal amount or any return on their investment, ACC records show.
He also spent several years in federal prison after he was convicted of a "Ponzi-like scheme" in which he promised investors big financial returns on golf ball investments, records show.
Alexander allegedly told police he knew it was wrong to use the Wounded Warrior organization to trick people into giving him money but claimed he needed that cash to pay his bills.
Online court records indicate Alexander had warrants out for his arrest involving separate fraud and theft charges filed last year in Maricopa County.
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