Black Money Scam Suspect Issues Threats, Insults Against FrontPage Editor
 

Posted to the web 8 April 2008

 

 
Philadelphia - A Liberian charged with grand theft and scheming to defraud his victims by Tampa Police for his alleged involvement in a black money scam has issued threats against the life of FrontpageAfrica Editor.

 

Suspect John Davis, who was arrested along with two other Liberians called Editor Sidiki Trawally’s cell phone from a blocked number Tuesday afternoon and started raining insults and threats against the journalist.

 

He was among those arrested who allegedly ran the scam out of their hotel room in Tampa. Police say the three men were arrested in the Bay Area after allegedly conning people into thinking they could double their cash quickly.

 

Undercover detectives who made the arrest said the Liberians took their cash, wrapped it in tape and dipped it in a bucket of chemicals, then tried to switch it for a worthless rag also wrapped in tape.

 

“I know your address; I know where you live…” suspect John Davis said in a telephone message. “The news you been giving, this is the worst one you na (have) do. And it will be the last one you ever deliver. You are in serious serious problem. I just want to let you know. I got your address, I know your house and they are gonna pick your ass up and put your f…king ass on frontpage. You damn Mandingo fool. You foolish ass, you are in serious trouble. That will be the last story in your f…king life. You dirty dog…”

 

The money scam suspect went on to insult the Editor’s mother in explicit terms. He continued to rain insults and threats against the journalist and his family. Some of his tirades are so explicit that we have decided not to post them.

 

Meanwhile, through the help of high profile state officials and law enforcement agents, the Editor has filed formal complaint to the Secret Service, the FBI and the Tampa Police department, where suspect Davis was arrested and charged for his criminal act.

 

The Liberian Embassy near Washington DC is being contacted.

 

The Philadelphia police department has also been notified and the voice recording of the suspect submitted to the department for further action. “I am not taking the threats lightly. I filed the complaint for the law to take its course,” said the Editor when contacted.

 

Suspect Davis blamed Editor Trawally for authoring the news story that broke the money scam saga, which appeared first on Fox 13 news channel in Florida. “It sounds naïve for someone to accuse me of writing a story for FOX News. We all saw the story first on Fox news from Florida, but this criminal decided to find his scapegoat by calling me this afternoon and issuing threats against me. It’s unfortunate!”

 

Read the original Fox 13 news story:

 

If someone said they could double your money with a secret formula, what would you do? It's one of the oldest scams in the book, and police say hucksters have been running it right here in Tampa.

Watch the video of the arrest.

 

Undercover detectives just arrested three Liberian Nationals who allegedly ran the scam out of their hotel room in Tampa. They say the men took their cash, wrapped it in tape and dipped it in a bucket of chemicals, then tried to switch it for a worthless rag also wrapped in tape.

 

"It's sleight of hand, and people actually fall for it," said Tampa Detective Fred Naranjo.

 

Detectives say the suspects' secret formula was actually Coke, ammonia, and iodine. They are asking anyone who may have been ripped off to give them a call.

 

According to investigators, the suspects approached people and told them they had a magic chemical. Police say they claimed it would transfer ink from money to blank white paper.

 

Detectives say there's are at least two variations to this scam. Sometimes they show the victims black paper, claim its painted money they smuggled through customs, then sell chemicals they claim will get the paint off.  Sometimes they offer the formula that clones money. In this version, they tell victims they have wait six hours before you open the tape, and that's how victims get duped.

 

Police say the suspects have been here since Saturday, and were in Orlando before that. They don't know how many victims they may have scammed.

 

Detectives arrested the suspects in an undercover sting. They've been charged with grand theft and scheming to defraud