ROTTERDAM -- Two Newburgh residents have been accused of targeting Capital Region senior citizens, gaining their trust in order to get at their bank accounts.
Terry J. Monroe and Elizabeth Lowery, both 49, were arrested Monday and charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony.
Police said the pair befriended an 89-year-old Rotterdam man and persuaded him to hire them to do repair work on his home. They told him they needed cash up front, but no work was performed, according to police who allege the pair stole about $2,000.
Police believe there may be more victims, and anyone who may have been a victim should call Rotterdam police at 355-7397.
ROTTERDAM Two face grand larceny charges Police: Pair hired to do roofing work bilked thousands from elderly man BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
Rotterdam police arrested a pair of Newburgh-area residents on grand larceny charges Monday after they allegedly bilked thousands of dollars from an elderly man for contract work they never started. Terry J. Monroe, 48, and Elizabeth Lowery, 49, were both arraigned on the charge of felony grand larceny and sent to the Schenectady County Jail Monday. Investigators said they had been staying at the Imperial Motel in Schenectady for the past two months and had been actively looking for elderly people in the area to scam. “They appear to have been going to public places, identifying and targeting senior citizens that lived alone,” said Investigator Christopher Foster. Monroe and Lowery became acquainted with an 89-year-old Rotterdam man, who later hired them to do roofing work at his residence, according to police. Though he declined to identify the sum of money involved, Foster said they made off with “a substantial amount” of cash up front for the work they promised at a later date. Over a five-week period, Monroe and Lowery repeatedly contacted the man and asked for more money to complete the work, police said. On at least one occasion, they accompanied the man to his bank, where he withdrew even more cash. “They would keep going back to him,” Foster said. “Sometimes, they’d call him and he’d pick them up.” Police believe the two were targeting elderly residents in the Altamont Avenue area and may have specifically staked out the Hannaford Plaza. Foster said they approached several senior citizens in these areas and attempted to gain their trust. “The investigation is still open,” he said. “We’re looking at the potential that there could be more victims out there.” Any individuals who may have been approached or victimized are asked to contact Rotterdam police at 355-7397.
2 allegedly talked victims out of cash Robbery charges filed in 3 incidents BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Steven Cook at 395-3122 or scook@dailygazette.net.
Two people charged last week with scamming an elderly Rotterdam man now are accused of intimidating two Schenectady residents into handing over cash, authorities said. Charges were filed Monday against Terry J. Monroe, 48, and Elizabeth J. Lowery, 49, accusing them of felony robbery. They are accused of intimidating an 83-year-old man into handing over money Oct. 31 in Mont Pleasant. They did so, according to papers filed in court, by jumping into the man’s car as he pulled into his driveway. Monroe then asked if the man could help jump start their car. The man reluctantly agreed, feeling intimidated, according to papers. Then further requests started coming. Monroe allegedly asked for $20 to get his car keys. He then asked for another $10. When the elderly man said he didn’t have it, they had him pull into a lot on Third Avenue and they left. Monroe allegedly said he would have the money in 40 minutes. But the elderly man decided he was lucky they got out and he left, according to papers. Both Monroe and Lowery were charged with second-degree robbery. In the second Schenectady case, Monroe is accused of using a similar tale to take more than $400 from a 49-year-old disabled man. Monroe allegedly first accosted the man at the Aldi’s supermarket on State Street. Monroe allegedly took the man to an ATM twice, telling him at one point if he didn’t comply, “you will be sorry,” according to papers fi led in court. Monroe faces one count of third-degree robbery, a felony, in that case. He also faces one misdemeanor count of fraudulent accosting. Both Monroe and Lowery were charged last week in Rotterdam with felony grand larceny, accused of using a different story to scam an 89-year-old Rotterdam man out of a large amount of cash, police there said. Over a five-week period, Monroe and Lowery allegedly repeatedly contacted the man and asked for more money to complete roofi ng work, police said. On at least one occasion, they accompanied the man to his bank, where he withdrew even more cash. Both Monroe and Lowery remained at the Schenectady County Jail Monday, Monroe held without bail, Lowery held on a total of $20,000 bail.
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