Alleged Bentleyville scam artist found
A Bentleyville man accused of posing as a law enforcement officer and conning prospective sellers or buyers of vehicles had his life on the lam come to an end Tuesday.
Timothy Rossell, 25, whose last known address was 721 Main St., was taken into custody Tuesday night by U.S. marshals and police in Washington City, Mo.
Tracking down Rossell combined the use of social media and good, old-fashioned police work, said Southwest Regional police Chief John Hartman.
Police said Rossell faces a number of felony charges ranging from impersonating a public servant to theft and fraud. Police filed the charges stemming from three incidents. “He was neither a constable or retired trooper,” Hartman said. “But by identifying himself as one, he made himself seem credible.”
A Glassport man told police he was selling a vehicle on Craigslist when he was contacted by a man who identified himself as a state constable, John Tobisti. He claimed he needed the vehicle for work and took delivery but never paid. He also got a pickup truck from a Bentleyville couple, but never paid, and lied about his identification. In another case, Rossell identified himself as a retired Missouri state trooper when he sold a vehicle to a Charleroi man. He allegedly took the money but never delivered the vehicle.
“We were able to track down his whereabouts using social media plus through the information we developed through the course of the investigation,” Hartman said Wednesday. The department contacted the U.S. marshals’ fugitive unit, which was able to track Rossell’s location in about two weeks.
“They did an excellent job, as did police in Missouri,” Hartman said. “Social media makes it harder for a wanted person to hide. It is a huge tool.”
“When we started using Facebook there years ago, we wanted to make use of the electronic highway to assist us in our investigations,” he added. “It has proved invaluable. But you still need boots on the ground and some good, old-fashioned police work.”
Police continue to get reports of similar incidents that may involve Rossell. Information not pertaining to Southwest’s jurisdictions has been forwarded to the appropriate agencies.
Rossell is in the Franklin County (Mo.) Jail awaiting extradition to Washington County.
The Bentleyville man is not the only fugitive awaiting extradition back to Southwestern Pennsylvania after being captured by marshals on charges filed by Southwest police. Frank Gillon Jr., 24, and Kayla Kathleen Creamer, 28, were caught Tuesday in Riverside, Calif. They were wanted on charges including endangering the welfare of children, drug charges and animal cruelty stemming from an incident last August in Belle Vernon.