A West Palm Beach man is facing felony charges after Delray Beach police said he was connected to a phone scam that tried to get a woman to hand over nearly $10,000 in cash to a courier.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the woman told police that a caller claiming to be an FDIC investigator said her bank accounts had been compromised. The caller told her to withdraw $9,895 and meet a “bank courier” in Delray Beach.
The woman grew suspicious and contacted someone she knew, who then called Delray Beach police. Officers went to a shopping center along South Federal Highway while the woman stayed on the phone with the caller.
Police said an Uber driver had been hired to pick up a package and take it to a nearby CVS. He arrived near a Carrabba’s restaurant, and the caller hung up around the time officers approached him. Investigators then saw a gray Kia SUV leaving the lot and stopped it on northbound Interstate 95.
Police identified the driver as Ronald Garcia, of West Palm Beach. The affidavit says officers found a 9mm handgun in his waistband. Investigators also called the number that had contacted the woman, and a phone in Garcia’s possession began ringing. A database search linked that number to him, police said.
Garcia was charged with organized scheme to defraud under $20,000 and possession of a firearm during a felony, according to records.
