Patience paid off last week as police nabbed a man they believe used the guise of lottery winnings to scam people out of thousands of dollars.
Issa Rashid Maganga, 35, is being held in the Stark County Jail on three felony charges, while the FBI, U.S. Postal Service and Immigration Naturalization Service look into his activities.
Police arrested Maganga on May 24 after he retrieved two packages from a post office box at the UPS Store at 1937 E. Maple St. Maganga tossed away the packages and tried to run when police approached, but was quickly caught.
His arrest came more than two months after police had been tipped that someone was using the post office box as an address where people could claim lottery winnings, said Lt. Stanley B. Strausser, a North Canton police detective.
West Virginia State Police contacted the North Canton department in mid-March. A woman living in Parkersburg, W.Va., said she sent $2,750 to the post office box after being told she had won a $275,000 lottery. The notice about her winnings had been postmarked in Canada, police were told.
The woman said she sent the money to the North Canton address in early February, but she never received her winnings. Police learned the envelope with the $2,750 had been picked up Feb. 14.
Strausser decided to wait and see if the post office box was used again.
Police told the store operators about the case, Strausser said. "They were very cooperative."
Strausser and detective John R. Minock set up their stakeout after being told that another package had arrived at Maganga's post office box.
As it turned out, a second package arrived before Maganga checked the box. When police arrested Maganga, they said, he had one package with $2,750 sent by an elderly woman from Knoxville, Tenn.
The second package — sent from Canada — contained phony identification with Maganga's photo. He was using the name Jonathan Edison.
It turned out that Maganga used a phony INS card with the name Jonathan Edison to open the post office box, Strausser said. He also had a phony Canadian driver's license with the name.
"He had some very good phony IDs. They were professionally made," Strausser said.
Maganga has told police that he is from Tanzania. Police know he was living in Canton, but staying at more than one residence. He was driving a car he had borrowed.
Police don't know if any other people mailed money to the post office box, Strausser said. That's one reason federal investigators have gotten involved, he said.
North Canton police charged Maganga with two counts of felony theft for the money sent by the women in Parkersburg, W.Va., and Knoxville, Tenn. He also faces a felony count of taking the identity of another because of the fake identification he was carrying.
He is being held on $300,000 bond. His case is pending in Canton Municipal Court.
While this guy was wrong, I'm sorry people need to stop being so gullable. I've received plenty of letters and emails about claim your winnings. I know it's a big hoax and throw it away. I even got an email once where the title subject said "we have not heard from you." I simply hit the delete button and laughed. Thing is there are people so desperate for a good thing, it's really easy to scam people out of their money, which is a shame.
NOW THEY ARE EVEN GETTING ON INSTANT MESSENGER TRYING TO GET YOU TO HELP. I HAD THIS GUY THE OTHER DAY IM ME AND HE TYPED AS IF HE WAS FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY (BY THE WAY HE MADE HIS SENTENCES) AND TOLD ME THAT HE KNOWS THIS GUY THAT DIED AND HAS ALL THIS MONEY AND THAT THEY NEED SOMEONE TO COME OVER THERE AND CLAIM THE MONEY AND OF COURSE I TALKED TO HIM CAUSE I HAVE DONE SEEN MY BEST FRIEND GET SCAMMED, SO he is typing to me and telling me what all that I have to do and that I will make like 500,000 from doing this ..blah THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN The catch came that I was waiting for he told me that I needed to send 600.00 for a ticket and a I.D. to be sent to me that was going to be made that would make it seem that Iwas a realative and colletct the money I HAD SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN I PLAYED AWHILE THEN LET EM KNOW THAT I HAD MY ARCHIVES ON AND THAT I WOULD BE SENDING HIS INFORMATION AND HIS IM SCREEN NAME ECT TO THE FBI AND I DID ... THIS IS SAD TO SAY BUT IT WILL NEVER STOP THERE IS ALWAYS NEW PEOPLE IN THE CIRLCE AND NEW SCAMS AND SO THERE WILL SADLY ALWAYS BE SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT FALLS FOR IT and everyone have a greattttttttt weekend coming!
Sassy!! I read what you said and I HAVE to tell you MY story!!
I had the same type of IM from a guy....and he needed some information from me. So I started giving my husband's ex wife's information. (Looking back, that was mean...but it was hellla funny while I was typing it) So, he asked what my name was....and I "gave" it to him. Then he tried (badly) to make small talk...then asked for some more info...and I gave him a lil more...and this went on for a bit.
He then said that I needed to send $25 dollars to this address and he'll email me when he got it, that way I know it's a legit address. (WTF! LMAO)Then he'll need $600 for paper work and processing fees so he can then send me the money.
So...I'm in an IM, mind you....I typed that I was with the KBI, and he's under arrest. I started typing that he had the right to remain silent, anything he says can be used against him....and I kid you not....he put on all caps and "yelled" at me that I can't prove anything and logged out!!!!
I wonder how much time this guy will get. Probably not enough.
when will people learn - when you win YOU get money - not send in money.
While this guy was wrong, I'm sorry people need to stop being so gullable. I've received plenty of letters and emails about claim your winnings. I know it's a big hoax and throw it away. I even got an email once where the title subject said "we have not heard from you." I simply hit the delete button and laughed. Thing is there are people so desperate for a good thing, it's really easy to scam people out of their money, which is a shame.
I've done the same thing. You are right though.
NOW THEY ARE EVEN GETTING ON INSTANT MESSENGER TRYING TO GET YOU TO HELP. I HAD THIS GUY THE OTHER DAY IM ME AND HE TYPED AS IF HE WAS FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY (BY THE WAY HE MADE HIS SENTENCES) AND TOLD ME THAT HE KNOWS THIS GUY THAT DIED AND HAS ALL THIS MONEY AND THAT THEY NEED SOMEONE TO COME OVER THERE AND CLAIM THE MONEY AND OF COURSE I TALKED TO HIM CAUSE I HAVE DONE SEEN MY BEST FRIEND GET SCAMMED, SO he is typing to me and telling me what all that I have to do and that I will make like 500,000 from doing this ..blah THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN The catch came that I was waiting for he told me that I needed to send 600.00 for a ticket and a I.D. to be sent to me that was going to be made that would make it seem that Iwas a realative and colletct the money I HAD SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN I PLAYED AWHILE THEN LET EM KNOW THAT I HAD MY ARCHIVES ON AND THAT I WOULD BE SENDING HIS INFORMATION AND HIS IM SCREEN NAME ECT TO THE FBI AND I DID ... THIS IS SAD TO SAY BUT IT WILL NEVER STOP THERE IS ALWAYS NEW PEOPLE IN THE CIRLCE AND NEW SCAMS AND SO THERE WILL SADLY ALWAYS BE SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT FALLS FOR IT
and everyone have a greattttttttt weekend coming!
Sassy!! I read what you said and I HAVE to tell you MY story!!
I had the same type of IM from a guy....and he needed some information from me. So I started giving my husband's ex wife's information. (Looking back, that was mean...but it was hellla funny while I was typing it) So, he asked what my name was....and I "gave" it to him. Then he tried (badly) to make small talk...then asked for some more info...and I gave him a lil more...and this went on for a bit.
He then said that I needed to send $25 dollars to this address and he'll email me when he got it, that way I know it's a legit address. (WTF! LMAO)Then he'll need $600 for paper work and processing fees so he can then send me the money.
So...I'm in an IM, mind you....I typed that I was with the KBI, and he's under arrest. I started typing that he had the right to remain silent, anything he says can be used against him....and I kid you not....he put on all caps and "yelled" at me that I can't prove anything and logged out!!!!
TALK ABOUT STUPID!!!
Just wanted to share.
True story.
:)