YAKIMA, Wash.-A Georgia man was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for impersonating a U.S. Marshal and a bail bond scheme in Yakima, according to the Justice Department.
Charmmorro Vijay Strothers, 31, of Auburn, Georgia must also serve three years of supervised release and pay $85,945 in restitution.
“Mr. Strothers used the threat of arrest as part of a fraudulent scheme to deceive law-abiding people and con them out of significant amounts money,” said Vanessa Waldref, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
According to the Justice Department, Strothers rented a car in Seattle and then drove to Yakima where, on Aug. 15, 2023 a co-schemer of his called a victim purporting to be with law enforcement.
The caller told the victim there was a warrant out for her arrest and to go to a bail bonds business across the street from the Yakima Jail.
The victim got a bond worth $14,000 and was then instructed by the caller to hand it over to Strothers in the jail parking lot.
According to court documents, the victim was called again a short time later and told to get a bond for $25,000 and deliver it to Strothers.
The victim got the money, delivered it and asked Strothers for identification, which he said he could not provide because he was a U.S. Marshal.
On Aug. 16, 2023 a second victim was coerced into withdrawing $44,000 from her account and deliver it to Strothers.
Strothers was arrested on Aug. 18, 2023 at Sea-Tac where investigators found a receipt booklet and $59,000 in cash in his possession during a search, according to a Justice Department press release on the case.
“Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect Eastern Washington from fraudsters and make our communities safe and strong.”
