A Lithonia man has been arrested by Fayetteville police detectives in connection with “pigeon drop” scams that have occurred locally over the past several years.
Department spokesman Mike Whitlow said Thomas Richardson, 63, was charged with four counts of theft by deception, with additional charges likely.
Whitlow said detectives believe Richardson has been involved in numerous “pigeon drop” scams that have occurred in Fayetteville over the last several years.
Richardson was arrested by Fayetteville officers after returning to Atlanta following months of being in hiding out of state. He was taken into custody after being released from Grady Hospital, Whitlow said.
“Richardson is believed by police to be the ‘mastermind’ and organizer of a group that included several other people who committed this scam,” Whitlow said. “Richardson was identified in 2015 when his vehicle was spotted by detectives near a location where the scam had just been attempted.”
Whitlow said Fayetteville detectives then began surveilling Richardson, spotted him, followed and watched as two members of his group approached a female victim and initiated the scam.
“Fayetteville police thwarted the scam and those two suspects, Marie Mangham (in her 70s) and Juan Jackson were apprehended, arrested and convicted of theft by deception,” said Whitlow.
Whitlow said Richardson was able to elude police and left the state shortly after.
Whitlow said Richardson has been arrested in multiple states back to the 1970s for the same type of crimes.
A pigeon drop is a confidence trick in which a mark or “pigeon” is persuaded to give up a sum of money in order to secure the rights to a larger sum of money, or more valuable object. In reality, the scammers make off with the money and the mark is left with nothing.
