TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

'Rich Kids' Scam Mercedes Dealer, Apartment Complex, Police Say

ADVERTISEMENT

By RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 22, 2008

Updated: 07/22/2008 10:01 pm

  Robertus Kosman

  Asher Webb

TAMPA - Two men posed as "rich kids" and used bogus checks to scam a Mercedes-Benz dealership and a Westshore apartment complex, Tampa police said.

Robertus Petrus Kosman and Asher L. Webb, both 20, opened a joint checking account in May at a local bank with a $100 deposit, a police report said. They then used the starter checks for the full payment of two Mercedes-Benz vehicles each valued at about $90,000. Webb signed both the checks, police said.

A fraudulent check for $35,456 was also written by Webb to Casa Bella Apartments, 6601 S. Westshore Blvd., an amount that covers a year's rent, police said. Kosman and Webb showed sales managers at the car dealership at 4636 N. Dale Mabry Highway a forged statement from a bank in Hawaii that showed $44 million was being transferred to a Tampa bank.

A day after the luxury cars were driven off the lot, sales managers at the dealership noticed the checks did not clear the bank, police said.

Both men told managers that the money was on its way and Kosman also had "his mother from the Netherlands" e-mail Mercedes-Benz of Tampa to say the bounced check was a misunderstanding, the police report said.

Kosman and Webb took the cars to Casa Bella Apartments where they "showed the cars off" to everyone in the complex, according to a police report.

A property manager for the complex told police that Kosman and Webb presented themselves as rich kids. They lived at Casa Bella for two months, but when the rent check for the fully furnished apartment bounced, they were evicted.

The cars were equipped with an anti-theft system that has GPS capabilities and were recovered, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.

Kosman and Webb were arrested Monday at their former apartment in Casa Bella, where they were checking their mail. According to investigators, the men were going to take a taxi to the airport and leave the country.

Kosman, who told authorities he is from the Netherlands, is charged with organized fraud over $50,000 and grand theft. Webb is charged with two counts of organized fraud over $50,000 and two counts of grand theft.

Kosman is being held on $40,000 bail tonight at Orient Road Jail. Webb's bail is set at $80,000.

Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT