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Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
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NY man posing as Publishers Clearing House rep pleads guilty Beshear's investigation leads to man being arrested, ordered to repay victim $20,000 Click on headline for complete story By Terry Sebastian or Crystal Staley News from Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear's Office LOUISVILLE, KY (Feb. 8, 2018) - Attorney General Andy Beshear today announced the arrest and guilty plea of a man who pretended to be a Publishers Clearing House employee in order to scam a Jefferson County resident out of thousands of dollars. Michael Rhoden, 28, of Mount Vernon, New York, pleaded guilty in Jefferson Circuit Court to one count of criminal attempt theft by unlawful taking over $500, a Class A misdemeanor, and was ordered to repay the victim $20,000. "Thanks to the hard work of our investigator, we were able to complete the often difficult task of catching and stopping a con artist," Beshear said. "We appreciate the support received from the Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney Office for helping us bring justice to the victim. Kentuckians who receive calls saying they have won a lottery should know that if they are asked to pay upfront to collect the winnings - it is a scam." The charges follow an investigation into Rhoden by the Office of the Attorney General after the office received complaints regarding December 2016 scam calls. An investigator with Beshear's office found that a Louisville resident received fraudulent phone calls claiming she had won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes and was asked to send checks to cover the cost of lottery winning expenses. The victim then sent thousands of dollars in cash and checks to a bank account in New York created and controlled by the defendant. Surveillance photos obtained showed the defendant withdrawing the victim's money from an ATM in New York affiliated with his bank account, Beshear said. As part of the plea agreement, Rhoden also agreed to serve a 10-day sentence and repay the victim. The Office of the Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney handled the prosecution of the case. Beshear's office has previously warned Kentuckians about reports of Publishers Clearing House scams. Beshear said lottery scams are a popular choice for con artists and account for more than $63,000 in reported losses for Kentucky families last year. Beshear said he has made preventing scams and prosecuting con artists one of the top priorities because scams and fraud impact far too many Kentucky families, especially senior citizens. In January, Beshear and AARP Kentucky launched Mission Veterans Protected, which aims to reverse the high rate of veterans, service members and military families being targeted and falling victim to scams. Military personnel may visit ag.ky.gov/veterans to learn how to avoid the top 10 most common veteran-specific scams. Upon taking office, Beshear and his Office of Senior Protection and Mediation launched Scam Alerts, the state's first direct text message and email alert system, which notifies Kentuckians when new and trending scams are reporting in Kentucky. Kentuckians interested in receiving Scam Alerts can text the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311), or visit ag.ky.gov/scams to sign up with mobile phone number or email address. Kentucky residents who want to report a consumer complaint should call the Kentucky Attorney General's Office at 888-432-9257 or visit the website. This story was posted on 2018-02-09 04:28:10
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Kentucky:
Applications for $10k Leopold Award due Apr 15 Kentucky Flu Epidemic Influenza-related deaths reach 100 Senator Max Wise's Legislative Update - Fri 2 Feb 2018 Hart Co., KY, man sentenced to 70 months for unlawful possession of firearms Capital Plaza Tower Implosion will be March 11, 2018 Corbin man found guilty of devising murder-for-hire scheme Lexington man receives 60 months for arson of Qdoba restaurant Rep. Comer, KY delegation remember shooting victims KY Carfentanil death case: Ohioan gets life imprisonment terms Neighbor of Sen. Paul signs plea agreement in alleged attack View even more articles in topic Kentucky |
 
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