CBS 2 Chicago wbbm7801059 670 The Score

Local

Police Chief Unhappy With ‘Extremely Light’ Sentence For Scammer

Handcuffs

(Credit: CBS)

Don't Miss This
Don't Miss This

CHICAGO (CBS) — An Ohio man is in jail here in Cook County for 60 days–accused of a magazine sales scam–and a suburban police chief is upset because he thinks the sentence should have been tougher.

Frederick Dawson, 42, of Youngstown, Ohio, was arrested in suburban Riverside and accused of pretending to sell magazines but merely pocketing the money.

And Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel says Dawson said he’d pulled the scam in Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas and Utah.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller Reports


“He told is that the greater Chicago metro area was the easiest pickings for his scam that he had ever been able to perpetrate,” Weitzel said.

Weitzel said Dawson pleaded guilty and got 60 days in jail and 18 months felony probation.

“An extremely light sentence when the likelihood of him returning here to comply with his 18-months felony probation, when he’s not even a resident of the state of Illinois, is highly unlikely,” Weitzel said.

Weitzel says most of Dawson’s victims here were elderly.

Listen Live!

RSS Most Popular News

Follow CBS Chicago

Like us on foursquare

RSS Contests & Promotions

  • Benjamin Moore Which Team Colors Matter Most? May 24, 2013
    Which Team Colors matter most to you? Either way, you could be a winner! Just sign up now for a chance to win $500 Depot Dollars to the Chicago Sports Depot to pick up some gear with your favorite team colors as they battle it out this week!
  • AVEENO® MEN’S “Building a Healthier Foundation” Sweepstakes May 21, 2013
    AVEENO® Men’s™ knows your family is your foundation. And to take good care of them, you need to take good care of yourself. Win a family day at the ballpark from AVEENO® Men’s™.
  • Join Hankook Tire To Reel In The Next Big Catch May 20, 2013
    Join Hankook tire to reel in the next great catch! Click here to go to www.TirePrize.com and enter for your chance to win the ultimate fishing excursion in Puerto Rico!
  • Meet Jim Rome On Set In Los Angeles May 20, 2013
    AutoZone and the Jim Rome Show are giving one winner and a guest a trip to meet Jim Rome in Los Angeles on the set of his Showtime television show! Enter for your chance to win!
WBBM Newsradio 780, Radio Stations & Broadcast Companies, Chicago, IL

Twitter Updates