Oelwein Police Complete Robbery Investigation – Arrests Made
On January 11, 2017 at approximately 2116 hours, the Oelwein Police Department was notified of an armed robbery that occurred in the 300 block of West Charles St. During this incident, a person walking was approached by two males. The victim was grabbed by one male and placed into a choke hold. One male displayed a firearm at the victim, and physically struck the victim about the head with the firearm. The victim was subsequently struck two more times in the head with the firearm. The two males then ran from the area, after taking property from the victim.
Two suspects were identified through the investigation that ensued. As a result of the investigation, on January 13th, a search warrant was executed at 102 8th Ave NW Apt 13D in Oelwein. During the course of this search warrant execution, a traffic stop was also conducted in the 300 block of East Charles St, where Officers located a suspect and also seized a handgun and ammunition.
As a result, Oelwein Police have arrested and charged Stephan Andrew Loers, 19, of Cedar Falls, with Robbery in the 1st Degree, a Class B Felony, and Carrying Weapons, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.
Tyrin James Jones, 18, of Waterloo, is charged with Robbery in the 1st Degree, a Class B Felony.
Shawnnessy Washington, 18, of Oelwein, is charged with Accessory After the Fact, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.
The Oelwein Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the Cedar Falls Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol. Additional charges are pending, as the investigation is ongoing.
On January 23, 2017 at 7:10 a.m., Oelwein Officers cited Leslie Ann Thornton, age 44 of Oelwein, for Failure to Abate Property as Ordered. This abatement was for a property in the 10 block of 5th Avenue SE.
On January 23, 2017 at 2:50 p.m., Oelwein Officers were called to the 10 block of East Charles in Oelwein to check on a male acting in a concerning manner. Upon arrival, officers arrested Jesus Martinez, age 24, of Independence for Public Intoxication, a Simple Misdemeanor.
Officers were called to the 100 block of 5th Avenue SE in Oelwein on January 23 at 6:50 p.m., for a male acting in a suspicious manner. Officers cited Steven Allen Troy, age 41 of Oelwein for Disturbing the Public Quiet.
On January 23, 2017 at 7:30 p.m., Oelwein Officers checked for a wanted individual in Oelwein. Officers arrested Adam James Nielsen, age 32 of Oelwein for a Fayette County Sheriff's Office warrant for Failure to Appear for an Original Offense of Carrying a Concealed Weapon.
At 1:12 p.m., on January 20, 2017 Oelwein Police arrested William James Gibson, 66 of Oelwein. Gibson was arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Offense-Class D Felony. This arrest followed and incident in the 1500 block of South Frederick Avenue.
On January 20, 2017 at 1:56 a.m., Oelwein Police Arrested Kenneth Ray Ogle, 35, of West Union. Ogle was arrested and charged with Criminal Mischief 4th Degree-Serious Misdemeanor. This arrest followed an officer’s interaction with the subject at the intersection of 1st St ne and North Frederick Avenue.
On January 19, 2017, Oelwein Police arrested Jonathon A Long, 24, of Oelwein. Long was arrested and charged with Assault-Simple Misdemeanor. This arrest came following an incident in the 200 block of Lincoln Drive.
Press Release 1/18/17
For More Information Contact: Lt. David Niedert
Recently the Oelwein Police Department has received a report of an attempted scam on one of our citizens. This scam is usually aimed at elderly residents with family, so it is named the “grandparents” scam.
The Grandparent Scam:
A grandparent receives a frantic call from someone they believe to be their grandchild. The supposed grandchild sounds distressed and may be calling from a noisy location. The supposed grandchild claims to be involved in some type of trouble while traveling in Canada or overseas, such as being arrested or in a car accident or needing emergency car repairs, and asks the grandparent to immediately wire money to post bail or pay for medical treatment or car repairs. The scammer typically asks for several thousand dollars, and may even call back again several hours or days later asking for more money. He or she may claim embarrassment about the alleged trouble and ask the grandparent to keep it a secret. A common theme of the scam across the nation is the caller's request for the grandparent to wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram or to provide bank account routing numbers. Wiring money is like sending cash; there are no protections for the sender. Typically, there is no way you can reverse the transaction, trace the money, or recover payment from the telephone con artists.
How to Avoid Being Scammed
Be suspicious when you receive a telephone call where:
- A grandchild calls you from a faraway location.
- The grandchild says, "It's me," or "It's your grandson," or "It's your favorite grandchild."
- The grandchild is in some trouble or some type of distress.
- The caller asks for money to be wire transferred
If you receive such a call, you should verify the identity and location of the grandchild claiming to be in trouble. You should hang up and call another family member who can confirm your grandchild's whereabouts. Try calling your grandchild at the telephone number through which you normally reach him or her. Stay calm and avoid acting out of a sense of urgency. Do not wire money unless you have verified with an independent third party that your grandchild is truly in trouble.
In addition, never give out any personal identifying information such as bank account or credit card numbers to anyone who calls you on the phone. As in the Grandparents Scam, con artists will lie, cheat, steal, and make up plausible stories to convince you to wire money or divulge sensitive information. The callers are often professional criminals who are skillfully able to get you to wire money or give personal information before you have time to properly assess the situation.
If you feel you, or a relative are a victim of a scam, you should immediately call your local law enforcement agency.