Florida man arrested in Peters Township for scam
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A Florida man accused of defrauding a Peters Township resident out of about $24,000 was arrested Thursday.
Naresh Kumar Garapati, 37, of Crystal River, faces multiple felony charges of theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
According to the criminal complaint, the resident reported to Peters police Wednesday that he had been locked out of his computer, and his device displayed a message with a phone number for “Microsoft.” After calling the number, the man was asked to pay $10,000. Garapati allegedly went to his house on May 11 to collect the money, and a few days later, returned for $14,700, according to court documents.
After being contacted for a third payment, the man notified police. According to the complaint, police arrested Garapati as he attempted to collect another $14,000.
Garapati was arraigned Thursday afternoon before District Judge Phillippe Melograne, who sent him to the Washington County jail without bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. June 3.