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FBI: Con artist scams Valley man out of car, $125,000
YOUNGSTOWN
A Staten Island, N.Y., man scammed a Mahoning Valley business owner out of more than $120,000 over several months and even drove away in the man’s Ford Mustang after persuading him to turn over the title, according to federal court filings.
Haki Toplica, 24, faces a federal charge of wire fraud after promising the 69-year-old local business owner millions of dollars in loans the man was seeking to downsize his business.
Toplica called himself “Harry Cohen” and claimed to be a broker with World Business Lenders when he first contacted the victim in June. Toplica said he could secure the victim a $475,000 loan, but asked for $7,000 in “fees and up-front costs,” according to an FBI affidavit filed in the U.S. Northern District court.
“‘Harry Cohen’ later told [the victim] that the loan had fallen through, and [the victim] could not recoup the money he had sent,” the affidavit reads.
In July, Toplica contacted the victim again about a $3 million loan for which he needed more than $100,000 in advance. The victim sent several cash and wire transfer payments. But Toplica said that loan also went bust, and he ultimately had to “walk away” from it without repaying him.
In September, Toplica said he’d secured a $10 million loan and asked for physical collateral. He visited the victim and “reviewed his finances,” including his property and several dozen vehicles the victim owned. The victim ultimately signed the titles for several of those vehicles over to Toplica, who drove away in the victim’s 2009 Ford Mustang.
Later that month, Toplica also asked for an additional $20,000 for “fees” associated with the $10 million loan, which the man wired to a female beneficiary in New York.
The day Toplica was set to meet the victim in person and deliver the victim’s $10 million, he claimed he was waylaid by a “dirty cop” who stole the money and threatened him. The victim declined to give Toplica $1 million for another $10 million loan and later contacted police about the missing loans.
Springfield Township police had the victim call Toplica and recorded their conversation about a $20 million loan. When the victim requested Toplica return his vehicle titles, Toplica demanded $300,000 to get them back, according to the affidavit. Toplica was lured back to the area with the promise of payment and arrested Sept. 26.
Toplica appeared in federal court in Youngstown on Dec. 20 before Magistrate Judge George Limbert. He’s being represented by attorney J. Gerald Ingram.
Toplica also faces felony counts of grand theft and theft from an elderly person in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. His bond was set at $250,000 or 10 percent cash or surety. If released, he’ll be monitored by GPS and ordered to have no contact with that victim.