CLAY COUNTY – A suspect is facing charges concerning a “pigeon drop” scam investigation in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

William Coleman, 51, of Orange Park, was charged with scamming victims by asking for money or collateral to share a larger sum of money.

Coleman was arrested Tuesday in Orange County.

There have been nine pigeon drop scams reported in the county in 2023. Coleman has been charged in connection with of the two cases.

In one case, he and his accomplice(s) successfully stole thousands of dollars from their victim. In the second case, the victim ultimately did not lose any money. In both incidents, the victims are females and senior citizens. The successful scam occurred on June 8 in District Heights, Maryland. The attempted theft occurred on June 1 in Mitchellville, Maryland.

Following an extensive investigation into these two incidents, PGPD detectives identified Coleman as a suspect. At the time of his arrest on Tuesday, and through subsequent search warrants, PGPD Financial Crimes detectives recovered multiple pieces of evidence indicative of these scams, including more than $100,000 in counterfeit cash recovered by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at his Orange Park home.

Pigeon drop scammers often carry notes or fake letters from non-existent law firms confirming the receipt of a large amount of money from either a settlement or inheritance. A similar letter was recovered inside of Coleman’s car. Deputies also found a newspaper wrapped in a bandana. In many pigeon drop scams, scammers use bandanas to wrap the money a victim withdraws from their bank. Scammers then swap out the money for bundled newspapers unbeknownst to the victims.

“These crimes target some of the most vulnerable in our community. I want residents in Prince George’s County to know our detectives work relentlessly to identify and arrest suspects in these scams. Regarding Coleman, we do not believe he acted alone and that he worked with accomplices. Detectives are looking into whether he is linked to similar crimes along the East Coast. We sincerely thank our law enforcement partners in Florida for assisting us with this significant arrest,” said Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department.

“I commend the coordinated efforts of Financial Crimes Investigators from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Investigators from the Prince George’s County Police Department. The team worked seamlessly to execute a warrant, demonstrating exceptional teamwork. Such crimes occur all too frequently and are predatory in nature, making this arrest a significant success. Thanks to the arrest, law enforcement has prevented further losses to potential victims and put another scammer behind bars. Through the collective efforts of law enforcement, we have effectively put an end to this scammer’s ability to target innocent people, whether in Clay County or elsewhere,” said CCSO Sheriff Michelle Cook.

Coleman remains in custody in Florida pending extradition to Prince George’s County.

Law enforcement agencies remind residents to never give money or financial information to anyone you just met in person, online or on the phone. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

If you have any information or believe you may have been a victim of Coleman, please contact investigators from the CCSO Financial Crimes Unit or PGPD in Maryland.