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Man Sought In Rip-Off Of Tampa TECO Customers

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TBO.com

Published: January 6, 2009

Updated: 01/06/2009 02:39 pm

Ronald A. Favorite

Ronald Anthony Favorite used fake Tampa Electric Co. identification to get Hillsborough County residents to pay him their bills, investigators say.

Favorite went to three University Area homes from Dec. 17 through 31 and pretended to be a TECO employee performing an audit, Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay spokeswoman Lisa Haber said.

He claimed there were problems with bills, explained the customer owed less than the bill stated and told the customer to pay the bill in cash to him, according to Haber.

TECO spokesman Rick Morera said his agency has learned through investigators and customers that anywhere from 12 to 24 TECO customers living in central or north Tampa may have been affected.

"He was collecting money from customers at their homes," Morera said of Favorite. "We certainly do not have any Tampa Electric employees that collect money from customers' homes. That's just not what we do."

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of $1,000 for information leading to Favorite's arrest.

He is wanted by Hillsborough County deputies on three counts of scheming to defraud and violating probation. His probation for organized fraud – under $20,000, which began in December, is slated to end in December 2010. That incident also involved him claiming to be a TECO employee and performing a fake audit, Haber said.

Favorite is 5 feet 8 inches tall, Hispanic and weighs 170 pounds, according to a Crime Stoppers announcement. He has black hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion

Morera said TECO thinks Favorite might have worn a Tampa Electric Co. shirt during the scam.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477. To remain anonymous, make a report online at www.crimestopperstb.com or submit a text message to 274637, keyword Tip155.

TECO customers with concerns about their bills can call (813) 223-0800.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.

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