WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — The New Jersey man charged in an alleged theft and deception-type case known widely as “the grandparent scam” said he was innocent as he left his preliminary hearing Monday.
The man on the other end of the scam, Lawrence Yokopenic, told us in August that he knew it was a scam because his grandson was walking to his house.
Yokopenic helped police set up the sting.
”These people pulled right up in front of his car, they got out, guns drawn, they’re screaming at him,” Yokopenic said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >> Westmoreland County grandfather assists police in finding suspect involved with scam
Initially, Polanco-Rodriguez was denied bail, but Monday, the judge set his bond at $25,000 straight, in addition to surrendering his passport.
”He has two small kids, he’s a permanent legal resident of the U.S., he just wants to make sure he’s with his kids and family and fiancée, so that was the biggest thing to him. He’s a taxi driver,” defense attorney Sean Rieger said.
His attorney said they’re working with the district attorney’s office on a potential plea and said Polanco-Rodriguez is willing to work with investigators in hopes he can get a deal worked out and be reunited with his family.
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”He just wants to get back to his family. He maintains his innocence, and we stand by him and (are) fighting for that vigorously, if necessary. But we feel that the DA’s been pretty amenable to a potential plea,” Rieger explained.
As of Monday afternoon, Polanco-Rodriguez remains in the Westmoreland County Prison. He is due back in court in November.
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