RAPID CITY, S.D. – An elderly Pennington County resident fell victim to a scam which resulted in the loss of over $100,000 in gold and currency. Once law enforcement was notified and following a subsequent investigation, 31-year-old Abdul Waheed Mohammed was arrested in Rapid City on September 26, 2023.
Mohammed was caught after posing as a member of law enforcement attempting to fraudulently demand money be paid in exchange for the resolution of false warrants.
Mohammed is not a South Dakota resident. Law enforcement is still working to determine where he resides. He has been charged with grand theft, theft by deception, conspiracy to commit grand theft, aiding and abetting or advising grand theft, and abuse of an elder adult.
“Due to the unfortunate frequency and predatory nature of these crimes, this is an important arrest.” Lieutenant Paul Stevens continues, “Our investigative team is happy we were able to stop further losses from this victim and make this arrest.”
Local law enforcement would like to remind the public to be aware of these types of scams. The Pennington County Warrants Division generally does not solicit over the phone to collect warrants or fees. Any time you get a call from law enforcement demanding or soliciting money over the phone, you should be skeptical.
Hang up and call law enforcement directly at (605) 394-6117. Do not fall for these scams! Anyone can confirm if you have an outstanding warrant by looking on the website: www.pennco.org/warrantsearch.
This is an active and ongoing investigation. Assisting agencies with the arrest include South Dakota Highway Patrol and South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Homeland Security Investigations is involved with the investigation.
