Ann Arbor police want to know: Do you recognize this quick change artist?
Ann Arbor police are attempting to identify this man.
Ann Arbor police say he’s a quick change artist with a penchant for pennies and enough bravado to openly show his face while scamming local banks and businesses out of cash.
Now, after exhausting several leads since December, police are hoping his boldness works against him.
Detectives on Wednesday released surveillance photos of the man they believe is responsible for five separate incidents of quick-change scams in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. But instead of using dollar bills and the typical slight-of-hand familiar to police, this thief prefers pennies.
The man allegedly approaches cashiers with a bag full of rolled coins that appear to be dimes, but are really full of mostly pennies, Det. Michael Lencioni said. Dimes are usually placed at the ends of the rolls to avert suspicion by the cashiers, who didn’t open the rolls until later.
In each instance, he’s either asked for cash back or purchased something with the money before leaving without so much as a threat. The first incident was reported at an Ypsilanti bank on Dec. 20 when he got away with $50, reports said. He used the scam at an Ann Arbor bank the next day and appeared to stop for more than a month. Another Ann Arbor bank reported the same scam to police on Feb. 11, as did the owners of a pizzeria on the city’s south side, according to reports.
Lencioni said the man stole a few hundred dollars collectively, but escalated the crime spree last week when he brought hundreds of dollars worth of coin rolls to an Ann Arbor GameStop and purchased a Sony Playstation III. He then resold the item, worth an estimated $400, to a GameStop in Ypsilanti.
Lencioni said the thief is likely banking on his trustworthy and quaint approach, and the cashier’s focus on getting to the next customer, to pull off the scam. He wore the same black leather coat and either a black baseball cap or black watch cap in each incident.
Once identified, the man would likely face multiple counts of obtaining money under false pretenses. The amount stolen must exceed $1,000 for felony charges to apply.
Though misdemeanor crimes, Lencioni said that in this economy, businesses can ill afford to lose a dime.
“He’s out there committing frauds all over the community and hurting businesses, and we hope somebody will do the right thing and give us a call before he preys on somebody else,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ann Arbor police anonymous tip-line at 734-794-6939.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
Ryouko
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 : 7:05 p.m.
When I worked in a bank branch several years ago, the coin machines were just being put into place. After that, we were not allowed to accept rolled coins. The customer had to go over to the coin machine, take the coins out of the rolls and feed them through the machine. I'm rather surprised to hear that, several years later, there are still places accepted rolled coins.
krc
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 : 4:02 p.m.
My Credit Union has a Coinstar machine. No need for rolled coin anymore. Banks need to catch up with the times.
Gorc
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 : 2:48 a.m.
@John B - to get a credit from the FRB you need both serial numbers of the bill intact, not necessarily 50% of the bill. In most cases if you have both serials numbers, then you probably have at least 50% of the bill.
Somewhat Concerned
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 : 1:25 a.m.
There are only two ways the crook gets caught. One is if somebody recognizes him and gives police his home address and the times of the day he is at home so they can conveniently drive over and pick him up. The second is if the crook walks up to a police car at a stop light and bangs hard enough on the drivers' side window to get the officer to put down his cell phone and glare at him long enough to recognize him (assuming the officer has looked at the pictures of him). We had better hope he gets caught the first way, because if it's the second way, we are going to have a cop driving around Ann Arbor angry over having his conversation interrupted, and the last thing we want is an angry cop on the prowl.
A2Susie
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 : 12:21 a.m.
I think a "quick change artist" is one who changes his clothing quickly in order to avoid identification. A "short change artist" is one who distracts and is fleet of hand in order to confuse and cheat a person with whom he is exchanging money.
janejane
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 11:12 p.m.
@dading- As former bank trainer, rolled coin is not considered legal tender to make retail purchases. I have not heard of stores accepting rolled coins to purchase items since the '70's. I'm amazed that the standard has changed. As far as the bank is concerned, customers wihtout accounts are not usually serviced for rolled coin exchanges. If they do have accounts, the rolls are numbered with their account numbers. It seems like mistakes were made all around....or times have changed. What an idiot ... any way to steal, I guess, is his M.O. Big jerk.
Kai Petainen
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 10:44 p.m.
Some complain about spending police resources on this, but it seems pretty cheap/easy to post a quick internet article about it? I don't see how large police resources are being spent on this? However, I find it odd that penny crimes are investigated and other questionable incidences are not -- but they are declared 'unknown' and 'closed'.
RJA
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 10:43 p.m.
Great Pictures! Don't know him, haven't seen him. Citizens should continue help giving the Police tips, instead talking about the coin thing. I do have a coin story though, several years ago, going down a lonely dirt road, I saw many dimes scattered in the road. I picked up 2 rolls of dimes, took me 20 minutes. Saw no reason to call the police, put them in my bank.
John B.
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 : 1:42 a.m.
Hey, I dropped those! Were they silver in color, with Eisenhower on the obverse?
mlivesaline
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 9:29 p.m.
We're spending police resources on this? MLiveSaline just shakes his head. How about the banks are just a little more careful when getting change rolls in this manner. Doesn't make sense, especially if it's a large amount of coins that the bank or business wouldn't be more careful. It's like giving them an envelope and telling them the money is all there. Then the bank or business just accepting as they are being told.
M.
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 6:37 p.m.
Barb's Mom, I'm not sure what bank you went to because they have to accept legal tender unless they're denying your business altogether...even if they make you break the packs open and count them. They have clear coin rolls so you can see what is inside the roll...
John B.
Fri, Feb 25, 2011 : 1:40 a.m.
To get a new bill from the Fed, all you need to have is more than 50% of an old one. Not a big deal, generally speaking. One-Dollar bills only last about one year in circulation, btw.
Gorc
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 11:55 p.m.
The clear rolls are directly from the Federal Reserve or armed courier service. Banks do not offer the clear rolls to the customer. And, no banks do not have to accept currency or coins if the have legitimate reason to reject it. For example, if a customer brings in mutiulated bills that the bank can not receive credit from the Fed.; then they can refuse the money. If the customer has damaged bills and they can not get credit from the Fed...the bank won't take the loss for that currency. Whoever damaged the currency needs to eat the loss.
M.
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 6:34 p.m.
I am pretty sure he rides the bus (route 4 I think) very often. The police will probably run into him at the Blake Transit center at some point.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 6:36 p.m.
Does the bus driver take pennies?
Amy
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 5:05 p.m.
<a href="http://www.annarbor.com/about/comment-moderation-guidelines-meant-to-cultivate-community-forum/">http://www.annarbor.com/about/comment-moderation-guidelines-meant-to-cultivate-community-forum/</a>
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 4:45 p.m.
Banks and businesses: need merely to have their cashiers break ONE roll of coins to sample and detect this scam. Oooh, but that would take, uh, 5 seconds of the cashier's time! Smart lot of banks and businesses running our country these days. No, instead, we have to have a police alert issued, have "community involvement" and take up space on local news outlets to "rally" resources against this titanic threat (which are being cut by Gov. $nyder's Republican Mafia). Meanwhile: those crooks who caused the US and world economies to tank got their bonuses and a pardon by TWO PRESIDENTS. Banks and businesses: stop depending on everyone else to do your work for you. I'll take a pass on "fighting" this "awesome" crime wave.
Amy
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 5:08 p.m.
For pete's sake, my dollar bills get refused by the city's parking meters, and I'm told I have to use a credit card or change...that's totally illegal. Dollar bills are marked as "legal tender". These stores are just lazy.
Barb's Mom
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 4:43 p.m.
I took rolled coins to my bank to deposit them and the bank would not accept them. I had to use the coin counter at the bank before I could deposit the money so if a bank won't accept rolled coins, then a business doesn't have to either.
lynel
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 9:14 p.m.
I've had the same experience at TCF, Pauline and Stadium branch.
cholak
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 3:56 p.m.
Det. Lencioni is the best, he will find him, he is the hardest working Detective for the AAPD.......just ask him....
denise1inaa
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 3:45 p.m.
I think I have seen this guy around the west side of Ann Arbor, at the truck stops off of Baker Road or other local businesses in that area.
SemperFi
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 2:24 p.m.
According to the Federal Reserve Website, US coins and currency are legal tender for all debts public & private. However, there are no laws that require individuals or organizations to accept US currency or coins for goods or services not yet provided. So, a merchant can refuse to transact a purchase if the customer tries to pay with pennies. I've never tried to put pennies in a dime roll, but apparently they do fit. (Craig, did you try to put pennies in a dime roll? What's up with that?)
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 4:57 p.m.
I don't know about the inner diameter of paper penny or dime roll sleeves but I can say that a 10ยข coin is 0.710 inch diameter while a cent coin is 0.750 inch. Four one-hundredths of an inch isn't much so it's at least possible. (And BTW: a 12 Gauge shotgun bore is also 0.710 inch, but the fit is so tight you can't quite fit a dime in a 12 Gauge barrel.)
5c0++ H4d13y
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.
Of course the pennies will fit if you squash the roll a little bit. The roll will look oval.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 4 p.m.
"(Craig, did you try to put pennies in a dime roll? What's up with that?)" I used to throw my pocket change in a big jar that ultimately would hold 3-4 hundred dollars. When it came time to take it out and roll it up I would separate the coins in to piles by denomination. occasionally a penny would inadvertently get put in to the dime pile. Look at the relative size of a penny to a dime and a nickle and its closer to a dime. Add to that I may have on occasion sipped an adult beverage while separating coins , at time when 1943 steel pennies were not uncommon. (they could look like a dime when your just separating coins). So I assure you there was no intentional effort to scam my bank. Indeed there is a likelihood I slipped a dime or two in to a penny roll as that was doable.
SuperFreckleFace
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
Looks like a very unique leather jacket that the man is wearing. Someone should be able to recognize him.
Bertha Venation
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 1:59 p.m.
I know a lot of businesses that refuse rolled coins. I know I had to go to my bank with my rolled change.
John B.
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 8:22 p.m.
...and even at the bank, they run all the change through a counter. Maybe if you are acustomer they don't, but they require you to prove that existing relationship. This all does seem odd, but gotta give this fellow points for creativity, I suppose. He'll get caught, eventually, I imagine.
Wolf's Bane
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 1:55 p.m.
I have to agree with others, sales staff so desperate and gullible that they'll take rolled coins with out inspection?
Carly Parker
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 1:43 p.m.
Art - Very cute lead!
grye
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 1:41 p.m.
If the businesses are accepting the monies as payment in full, shame on them.
Dave66
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 1:28 p.m.
"In each instance, he's either asked for cash back or purchased something with the money before leaving without so much as a threat." Of course there's no threat. The whole point of a quick-change con is that you're not even sure something happened until later. The thief wants to be NON-threatening, to keep the cashier off-guard. Writing "without so much as a threat" provides about as much information as saying, "and he didn't even have gills." Yeah, no kidding. And besides, this doesn't sound like a quick-change scam at all. A quick-change scam has elements of a stage magician, with slight of hand, misdirection, and a vaudevillian patter to keep the cashier off-balance until the transaction is complete and the thief is safely away. This guy gives a roll of coins that do not contain the amount of money printed on the paper tube. It's not the same thing at all, is it?
Skeet
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 7:03 p.m.
This is not quick change at all. This is runnin' game on a cashier or teller.
Brad
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 1:13 p.m.
@Craig - that's what I was thinking. Bank tellers can't distinguish between a roll of dimes and a roll of pennies? Thankfully he didn't roll in with a wad of Monopoly money.
Gorc
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
In order for the tellers to actually determine what's inside the rolled coin wrap they would have had to tear open the roll and inspect the coins. the coins at each end of the roll were dimes, while the coins in the center of the roll were pennies. It's not efficient for the tellers to open each roll and inspect them.
UM Rocks
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 1:08 p.m.
Typo. "Cahier's"
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
The last time I rolled coins (a few years ago) one couldn't fit pennies in to a dime roll. The rolls were pretty much color coded too. What am I missing?
Jojo B
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 2:44 p.m.
@Gorc: I still don't get it. Tilt a penny all you want, you're not doing to make its diameter any smaller. Anybody paying attention would notice there's something wrong with these rolls.
Gorc
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
The thief was using a smaller amount of pennies and tilting them at an angle so they would fit into the paper roll. And the paper roll for dimes is green.
Turd Ferguson
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 12:11 p.m.
@TomJoad (in dading's reply) What sign?
aanonliberal
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 12:06 p.m.
Why are the few Police resources being wasted on this minor offense?
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 12:52 p.m.
a crime is a crime, and this guy isn't going to stop till he's caught it seems.
Tom Joad
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 12:05 p.m.
In olden days you had to put your name/address on rolls of coins exchanged at the bank. These merchants must be desperate for any kind of sale to blindly accept rolled coins as payment. If you're 10 cents short the merchant is deprived of that money; conversely; if you're 10cents over I'm sure you'd like that dime back. No way would I take rolled-coins as payment.
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 11:57 a.m.
quick change? i get it know. the only difference between the two pics is a hat and hoodie. @jimmy mcnulty, i'm not so sure rolled coin can be refused. it's all legal tender. the coin rolls should be opened.
Gorc
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 2:27 p.m.
adding....no one or business is legally obligated to accept any form of payment that they choose not to. For example, if you were selling a used car $5,0000 and the purchaser wanted to pay with 1,000 rolls of dimes (that's a total of 50,000 dimes); not only would you probably refuse that form of payment. But, you would not be legally obligated to do so either.
Tom Joad
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 12:08 p.m.
You didn't read the sign: "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone"
Jimmy McNulty
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 11:42 a.m.
Do not take rolled coins for purchases, period.