Aug. 24, 2015 By Michael Florio
Two men have been arrested after posing as police officers and swiping their victims’ credit cards and cash, after stopping them to see their identification, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.
Wilfredo Rodriguez, 33, and Manauri Olivares, 30, allegedly used a fake NYPD badge to stop two victims on August 14th in Corona.
The alleged perpetrators drove around in a red official-looking minivan and would stopped the victims and ask them for their identification. When the victims would pull out their wallet, the two would snatch it and flee, according to the criminal complaint.
The minivan had a logo on the side of the vehicle that read: First Response Disaster Restoration Specialist, which was the company they worked for.
The first victim was sitting in the passenger seat of his friend’s vehicle, in front of 108-13 44th Ave, on August 14th at 2:50 AM. He observed the minivan pass the location, stop, back up and stop again.
The two alleged perpetrators got out of the car, shined a flashlight at the victim and demanded to see his identification. Rodriguez snatched the wallet after the victim removed it from his pocket and handed it to Olivares.
Olivares removed $100 in cash and two credit cards from the wallet, before throwing it back in the vehicle, according to the complaint.
The two used the credit card at a convenience store in Ozone Park, at 3:28 am, charging $14, which was caught on surveillance tape.
The two also stopped another man at 3:00 am, at the corner of 104th Street and Alstyne Ave, as he was walking to the subway.
Rodriguez told the victim that he was a police officer and demanded to see his identification. Rodriguez snatched the man’s wallet as the victim was taking it out of his pocket, flung it to Olivares and the two fled in the minivan.
The wallet contained $50.
The two were arrested on August 18th and face charges of grand larceny, criminal impersonation, identity theft and petit larceny, according to the complaint.
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