Westport Police arrest man previously arrested by Border Patrol for allegedly attempting to scam citizens out of thousands

Lieutenant Johnny Couto of the Westport Police Department reports the arrest of an individual attempting to commit a phone scam on Westport citizens.

A Westport couple came into the station to report they had received a phone called from an individual fraudulently identifying himself as their son. This unknown male pleaded that he needed assistance from his parents to raise cash for bond after being arrested by police after a motor vehicle crash in Boston. He stated he was texting at the time of the crash and the accident involved a pregnant woman. He told the potential fraud victims he was currently in the hospital with injuries but if bail money was not delivered, he would be sent immediately to jail.

The caller then put another male on the phone who identified himself as the assigned Public Defender who stated his son’s bond would require a $25,000 cash payment within the hour. After the couple told the “Public Defender” they could not get that amount of cash in an hour, the caller stated he could be released for $10,000. Again, the couple informed the caller that $10,000 cash in one hour was impossible. The caller then negotiated with the couple and an amount of $6,000 cash would be acceptable.

Suspecting this was a fraud, the couple went to the Police Station to report the incident. Detective Sergeant Bryan McCarthy spoke with the couple, and recognized the name given as the Public Defender, Mark Cohen, as well as the cell number, was consistent with a previous scam that occurred the week prior. He instructed the couple to return home and to call back if the fraudster called back with instructions for the money delivery. The fraudster did call back with instructions on how to package the cash and advised that a LYFT driver would be arriving to collect the money for delivery to Boston.

Det. Sgt. McCarthy immediately assembled a surveillance team, which included Detectives from area departments, and followed the LYFT driver to an address in Taunton. An unknown male approached the ride share vehicle and took possession of the package. Upon seeing McCarthy and other plain clothes officers approaching, he fled on foot. McCarthy gave foot chase and apprehended the individual, later identified as 28-year-old Hector Arias-Guzman of Boston.

Guzman was previously apprehended by Customs and Border Patrol in January of this year for entering the United States illegally via the Del Rio area of Texas.

Guzman is being charged with Conspiracy and Attempted Larceny. The case remains under investigation.

The Westport Police Department advises residents to be vigilant of these phone type scams that are plaguing every city and town in Massachusetts. No legitimate business, hospital, police station, or judicial/court department accepts prepaid gift cards, phone cards or cash in an envelope delivered by any ride share company for services rendered.