Gardner, Massachusetts - MySpace robbery scheme
Four held in alleged MySpace scheme
Boston.com, The Boston Globe, By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff, May 19, 2007
Using a popular Internet social networking site and a picture of an attractive young woman, they allegedly lured men into a wooded area in Dunn State Park in Gardner to rob them. Two men showed up there at different times last Saturday, but drove away after becoming suspicious. Later that night, another man drove up and parked his car, according to court records.
Instead of meeting the woman he saw on his computer screen, the man found himself face down on the ground, two men standing over him and pushing what he believed was a handgun into his back. The victim, after being robbed of $87 and other items, emerged from the woods with tattered clothes and bruises and knocked on the first door he saw and called police.
Yesterday in Gardner District Court, prosecutors alleged that siblings Amanda Lafrennie, 18, Thomas Lafrennie, 19, and Lawrence Lafrennie, 24, all of Gardner, and Bryan Bowers, 19, of Orange, used MySpace.com to commit robbery, burglary, and identity fraud.
"We have seen an uptick in the number of Internet crimes, and we are beefing up investigators in that area," said Tim Connolly, spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
Connolly said Early's office has a white-collar crime unit that focuses on Internet crime.
The computer trail left by websites and chatrooms is being used more frequently by law enforcement to find criminals. In this case, the robbery victim was able to direct police to the MySpace page set up by the foursome, accord ing to court records. In their investigation, police became aware that a burglary five days earlier was probably tied to the robbery, and through Internet evidence, telephone records, and witnesses, focused on the Lafrennies' Gardner home. All four suspects confessed, according to court records.
The three male suspects were each ordered held yesterday on $10,000 cash bail. They were all charged with armed robbery, burglary, and conspiracy.
Amanda Lafrennie was held on $2,500 bail, after being charged with conspiracy and identity fraud. All four are due back in court June 8 .
Brian R. Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com.
The New York Times Company
Retrieved May 21, 2007 from http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/05/19/four_held_in_alleged_myspace_scheme?mode=PF
Boston.com, The Boston Globe, By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff, May 19, 2007
Using a popular Internet social networking site and a picture of an attractive young woman, they allegedly lured men into a wooded area in Dunn State Park in Gardner to rob them. Two men showed up there at different times last Saturday, but drove away after becoming suspicious. Later that night, another man drove up and parked his car, according to court records.
Instead of meeting the woman he saw on his computer screen, the man found himself face down on the ground, two men standing over him and pushing what he believed was a handgun into his back. The victim, after being robbed of $87 and other items, emerged from the woods with tattered clothes and bruises and knocked on the first door he saw and called police.
Yesterday in Gardner District Court, prosecutors alleged that siblings Amanda Lafrennie, 18, Thomas Lafrennie, 19, and Lawrence Lafrennie, 24, all of Gardner, and Bryan Bowers, 19, of Orange, used MySpace.com to commit robbery, burglary, and identity fraud.
"We have seen an uptick in the number of Internet crimes, and we are beefing up investigators in that area," said Tim Connolly, spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
Connolly said Early's office has a white-collar crime unit that focuses on Internet crime.
The computer trail left by websites and chatrooms is being used more frequently by law enforcement to find criminals. In this case, the robbery victim was able to direct police to the MySpace page set up by the foursome, accord ing to court records. In their investigation, police became aware that a burglary five days earlier was probably tied to the robbery, and through Internet evidence, telephone records, and witnesses, focused on the Lafrennies' Gardner home. All four suspects confessed, according to court records.
The three male suspects were each ordered held yesterday on $10,000 cash bail. They were all charged with armed robbery, burglary, and conspiracy.
Amanda Lafrennie was held on $2,500 bail, after being charged with conspiracy and identity fraud. All four are due back in court June 8 .
Brian R. Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com.
The New York Times Company
Retrieved May 21, 2007 from http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/05/19/four_held_in_alleged_myspace_scheme?mode=PF