Police: Man Posing as Officer Stole $100,000 From Seniors

A Fort Worth man accused of swindling a dozen Dallas senior citizens out of around $100,000 over the past year is finally behind bars.

Fort Worth police arrested Ricky Carr, 53, after Dallas police posted surveillance video of one of his meetings with a senior on YouTube.

Dallas police say Carr would earn the trust of seniors by claiming to be a police detective working on a counterfeiting investigation.

Swindle Squad Lt. Willemina Edwards said Carr asked the victims to withdraw cash for the investigation and flashed a badge that looked real when he met with them.

"And so the person would believe him and hand over the money so it could be used in a sting operation to uncover the counterfeiters," she said.

Evidence from one of those meetings put police on the trail of Carr, a man with a past criminal history.

His mug shot in criminal records was similar to a man who appeared in the surveillance video from a meeting at the Inwood Tavern in Dallas on April 10,2012. In the video, an 81-year old woman with a walker is seen meeting with Carr.

Edwards said Carr took a large sum of money from her and never returned it.

"That is something a police agency would not do," she said. "We don't need your money to investigate a counterfeit crime ring."

Dallas police published the Inwood Tavern video in August, hoping it would help them locate the man. It seems Carr may also have seen it.

When Fort Worth police went to a location looking for him, Carr was busy loading up his vehicle with what turned out to be evidence from some of the swindles, Edwards said. She said he was "basically packing boxes, bringing boxes in and out of the location and putting them in the car to, I guess, leave the area."

Carr is charged with theft by deception - elderly, a felony.

But his arrest does not mean the victims will get their money back. Edwards said other people may try similar rip-offs.

She said anyone suspicious about a caller claiming to be police should contact the police department to check out the claims before sharing any personal information.