Concrete Man Steals over $100,000 via Wire Fraud

Concrete, WA:  According to a Certification for Determination of Probable Cause from the United States Department of Homeland Security, Carl R.  Flores, of Concrete, WA has been arrested on charges of First Degree Theft.

In November 2013, Special Agents with the Department of Homeland Security received information from Western Union and Money Gram that the defendant, Carl Flores, of Concrete, Washington was the recipient of numerous suspicious money transfers from individuals located throughout the United States.

Between the dates of October 10th, 2012 and October 11th, 2013, victim Lois Wayne, a resident of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina sent a total of $8,600.00 to Mr. Flores via Western Union Wire Transfers. Between the dates of May 3rd, and May 13th, 2013, Victim Lois Wayne sent a total of $16,250.00 to Mr. Flores via MOney Gram Wire Transfers. Between the dates of July 19th, and September 9th, 2013, Victim Lois Wayne conducted inter-bank transfers, sending a total of $94,250.00 to the following bank accounts that Mr. Flores maintained. The victim sent Wells Fargo $37,250.00, Chase Bank $25000.00, Columbia Bank $22,500.00 and Key Bank $9,500.00.

On October 11th, 2012, Victim Junius Condrey, a resident of Richmond, Virginia sent $2,000.00 to Mr. Flores via a Western Union Wire Transfer.

On December 20th, 2012, Victim Irma Gonzales, a resident of La Conste, Texas sent Mr. Flores $1,500.00 via a Western Union wire Transfer.

Between the dates of December 28th, 2012 and May 17th, 2013, victim Russell Eldridge, a resident of Northwood, New Hampshire sent a total of $9,500.00 to Mr. Flores via Money Gram Wire Transfers.

Between October 31st and November 5th, 2013, victim Virginia Dvorak, a resident of Pasadena, California conducted inter-bank transfers, sending a total of $7,200.00 to Mr. Flores’ Key Bank Account.

All but two of the wire transfers were received by Mr. Flores in Skagit County, Washington.  The two wire transactions that were not received in Skagit County, Washington include a $6,000.00 transfer from victim Russell Eldridge to Mr. Flores on May 17th, 2013, which he received in Island County, Washington and a $900.00 transfer from victim, Lois Wayne to Mr. Flores on October 11th, 2013, received in Snohomish County, Washington.

Special Agents contacted Mr. Flores at approximately 11 am on December 19th, 2013 at his residence in the 44900 block of Concrete Road, in Concrete, Washington. Mr. Flores was informed he was not under arrest. Agents provided him a spreadsheet that documented the wire transactions that he had made or received through Western Union, Money Gram, Columbia Bank, Chase Bank, Key Bank and Wells Fargo Bank.  Mr. Flores was then asked to explain the transfers.

Mr. Flores stated he had received the transfers from the victims after the victims had contacted him and asked him to perform maintenance on several buildings they own in Western Washington.  He stated the money wired to him was payment for the maintenance he performed on those buildings.  Mr. Flores stated after the initial contact via Craigslist he had communicated with the victims via telephone.

When asked to provide the telephone numbers for the victims, Mr. Flores stated he had lost his phone and could not remember them.

When Mr. Flores was asked by agents to provide the addresses of the properties he had performed maintenance on for the victims, he could not remember the addresses but stated the properties were located in Mount Vernon, and “around”.

The agents offered to drive Mr. Flores to the properties if Mr. Flores was willing to provide directions and identify the properties. Mr. Flores refused.   Mr. Flores was then asked if he wanted to change his explanation of why he received money. Mr. Flores stated “it’s not a crime to receive money.”  Mr. Flores then promptly asked the agents to “leave his residence” and “never come back.”  The agents left.

According to the Skagit County Assessor’s database, none of the victims own property in Skagit County.

On January, 16th, 2014, at approximately 10:30 am agents interviewed victim Russell  Eldridge. When asked why he wired large sums of money to Mr. Flores, Mr. Eldridge state he was contacted over the phone and informed he had won a lottery. He said he was told he needed to pay the lottery taxes in order to “claim” his prize. The person on the phone instructed Mr. Eldridge to wire money to a “Carl Flores” to which Mr. Eldridge complied.

One January 30th, 2014, at approximately noon, agents with the assistance of Mount Pleasant Police Department, interviewed victim Lois Wayne.  When she was asked why she was wiring large sums of money to Mr. Flores, she stated she was contacted by an individual who stated his name was “Carl Flores” and that Mr. Flores had told her she won $1,000,000.00 in a sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes on the winnings to collect the prize.  She stated she was instructed to send the taxes to “Carl Flores” who was a “judge” in charge of dispersing the funds. She stated she thought she had really won the sweepstakes and did as the man asked.  She stated although she sent the money, she never received any money from the winnings Mr. Flores described to her.

On March 25th, 2014, Agents interviewed victim, Irma Gonzales. She stated that she began receiving phone calls and letters from unknown individuals on or about December 2012 informing her she had won a lottery prize. In order to collect her winning, she stated she was told she needed to send money to pay taxes and fees. In January 2013, she stated she realized she had falled victim to a scam and reported the incident to the LaCoste, Texas Police Department.  She provided the Police with 11 wire transaction receipts she sent in connection with the fraud. One Receipt recovered, dated for Decemeber 20th, 2012, indicated the receiver as Carl R. Flores in Concrete, Washington.   It was in the amount of $1,500.00.

On March 27th, 2014, agents interviewed victim Junius Condrey. He stated that he received a telephone call from an individual claiming to be “Paul Mason” from Bank of America.  He said Mr. Mason informed him he had won 2.5 million dollars through a Publisher’s Clearinghouse contest, but he would be required to pay $2,000.00 for shipping and insurance. He was instructed to go to his local Bank of America in Business attire and send the $2,000.00 via Western Union. Mr. Condrey stated he followed the instructions provided and wired $2,000.00 to Carl Flores in Concrete, Washington.  Mr. Condrey explained he did not know Carl Flores personally and had not heard of him otherwise. He stated he later found out “Paul Mason” from Bank of America was an impostor and “if the agents that had shown up had introduced themselves as Carl, he would have shot them.”

The department of Homeland Security has requested that Carl Flores be charged with Theft in the First Degree.  He is currently in Jail on the charges.

Please note: All subjects are presumed innocent until found guilty in a Court of Law.