Bogus warrant scam uncovered!

A Montgomery Deputy Sheriff called my house and told me I had a warrant for missing a court date (Bench Warrant) . It came from this name and number: Huerta Maria 281-761-9112  The officer was very professional and believable.   However, the longer we talked the alarm bells began to ring.  He said my vehicle had been photographed by a red light camera and "the judge has flagged my offense, believing the infraction as bogus".  However, I had missed my court date and it was rescheduled for June 12th, in Richmond Texas.


Richmond Texas?  One thing after another sounded wrong, so I hung up and called the number back.  This time I got a different officer, who passed me off to a Lieutenant Stevens who gave me his badge number.  He explained it in great detail and it seemed legitimate and I am not usually fooled.  I told the officer I had never received notice of the infraction and this and that and the fine was $473, which I could pay with a credit card.  I slammed down the phone and wrote an email to my old friend Robocop, better known as Assistant Chief of police David Alford.  He's my goto source when I need something involving police work explained and totally trustworthy, in my book.


We passed an email or two, then talked on the phone.  It sounded fishy to him too and he verified I did NOT have a warrant.  here is the letter I received today from Lieutenant Eric Freed.
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Mr. Marshall,

I applaud your gut instinct to reach out to Assistant Chief Alford and verify Lt. Stevens’ request for payment.  I wish more people would follow your lead when they get a suspicious call.

The calls you received are a scam to get your money.  You do not have warrants for your arrest.  This fact has been confirmed with both the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department as well as our own local, state and federal government databases.

I spoke with Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department (F.B.C.S.O) Organized Crime Unit Sergeant David Schultz and he is already aware of this scam.  One of Sergeant Schultz’ detectives is tasked with investigating a number of reports involving calls received from the fictitious Lt. Stevens #2443 demanding payment for non-existent warrants.  F.B.C.S.O. has issued a subpoena for the number that called you.  They have discovered it is a voice over internet number that shows a Cleveland, TX origin but is actually being made via computer somewhere else.  This complicates tracing the origin but sometimes the good guys catch a break.  F.B.C.S.O. actually had a detective call the number and the suspect cursed the investigator out!  Folks get brave when they are anonymous.  I have shared your experience and your contact information with Sergeant Schultz and he is adding it to his detective’s case.  The non-emergency number to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division is 281-341-4686.

If you receive further calls from Lt. Stevens or one of his fictitious coworkers, you have options: 

-        If you do not want to be bothered, you may ignore them or block the calls by contacting your service provider.

-        If you are a curious soul, you may log the time and date and share it with Assistant Chief Alford or myself.

I do not recommend talking to the suspect(s) because they might continue to pry or even harass you.

If you have any questions about this matter, feel free to contact me.  I hope we have been able to help you today,

Lieutenant Eric Freed
Investigations Division
City of Baytown Police Department

Super Stop in Baytown May Be Over-Charging!

Has anyone else suspected or noticed the older Middle Eastern fellow who man's the counter at the Super Stop SHELL gas station at N. Main & E. Cedar Bayou Lynchburg Road punches the keyboard on the register instead of scanning the item and will "accidentally" over-charge?

I've called the guy out on it twice and I won't go in the store now. Try it yourself. Know the cost of an item or two or three, figure the taxes and watch to see if you are being scalped.

Do it routinely at any convenience store by the way. If they do not scan your items, it is a sign they might be doing fancy math in their favor.

 It's not just me.  Here is what other people are saying about the place:

 - Yes, price diff everyday..I quit going too.. sad part is how many people go there and totally unaware.... makes u want to put up signs... wonder if BBB would work? Nah:.. he's making too much to care.

-This guy also been know to run "8 liners" in the back of the store also.

-Most do this that I have come across. I've tried to stick to Exxon stations for this reason. They have consistently been stable on prices and they scan everything plus there prices are usually cheaper especially on tobacco products.

-Call the comptrollers office. Sounds like a case of tax fraud. They WILL investigate. They probably have a way you can report anonymously. They will go in, hang out and watch them to catch them not ringing the products properly.

-Especially the ones that have separate registers for cash and credit

-I have noticed it going on there for several years now. You definitely have to watch him IF you go in that station. I usually try not to go there because of this reason.

-I called the guy on it one night and the next time I came in he did it again. I walked out without paying the second time. I don't go back.

-Hate that store !! Prices are never consistent and they always overcharge on everything !

-Hillboys Chevron on 146 does the same thing as well as steal from the cars stopping through.

Another scam to watch for in Baytown?

I want to alert my fellow Baytonians about an alarming trend I’ve noticed at convenience stores and twice I’ve witnessed it here in town. Beware of any convenience store that does not scan your purchase, but punches in the keys. Know what the basic amount of your purchase items are before you approach the counter, or you can easily be over-charged. Ask for a receipt every time.

On two occasions I questioned the total and both times was asked what the item cost. Both times the counter person refunded the overage with no show of emotion, or objection, leading me to believe this is common practice.

Both stores are now on my do not enter list incidentally, but because it may have been an isolated incident, I will not name the Baytown stores, however, the Shell gas station on S. Hwy 225 past Miller Cutoff Road needs to be watched very closely. The Exxon station on the corner of Massey Tompkins and N. Main always scans every item, so they will continue to get my business.

If anyone has had similar experiences, please email me at baytownbert at gmail.com and I will try to press a formal complaint. Please be as specific as possible.

Incidentally, one of the Baytown stores where this happened is also a Shell gas station. Am I saying that there may be a brotherhood of rip-off artists at Shell stations? No, but consumers need to realize that just because a person is working the counter at a 7-11 or fast food joint, doesn't make them honest. Get that receipt!