CHICAGO (WAND) - Two police officers from Shelbyville were honored by the U.S. Secret Service on Monday night for saving a local resident from losing nearly $250,000 to an online fraudster.
Sgt. Paul T. Bennett and Officer Joseph W. Houk were presented with honorary plaques highlighting their “outstanding assistance and support” in working with the Secret Service earlier this year.
“I commend the swift and deliberate work of Officer Houk and Sergeant Bennett for their actions preventing a serious online scam from happening in their city. Their work prevented what could have been a calamitous personal financial loss for the victim,” said Resident Agent in Charge Michael Kurzeja, of the Springfield, Illinois Resident Office. “Time is of the essence in these types of cases, and they did a tremendous job. The U.S. Secret Service is proud to have them as partners.”
On February 24, the Shelbyville Police Department received a call from a person whose relative had been in communication with someone claiming to represent an online payment service. The victim was contacted by an individual who stated they could convert her nearly $250,000 into gold at a store in Springfield.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the victim had completed bank paperwork to transfer $249,700, with the transfer scheduled to take place the following morning.
Through their joint efforts with the Secret Service, the Shelbyville Police Department stopped the transfer and secured the victim’s money.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our officers that worked on this case. There’s not much more rewarding work in our profession than helping the elderly or the less fortunate. To be able to stop a fraud from being carried out, and to help one of our citizens get back their life savings, that’s as good of a feeling as there is,” Shelbyville Chief of Police Chad Brachbill said. “I can’t thank the Secret Service enough for their quick reaction and response to our time in need. Without their assistance, the outcome may not have been the same. The agents we dealt with were very professional, and they showed they cared about everyone involved. That’s why they’re the best.”
RAIC Kurzeja honored Sergeant Bennett and Officer Houk during Monday night’s Shelbyville City Council meeting.
“Sergeant Bennett and Officer Houk are excellent examples of true public servants,” Mayor Jeff Johnson said. “Their dedication and perseverance, working in conjunction with the Secret Service, protected one of our citizens from a wire fraud attempt of a considerable sum of money. The city of Shelbyville has always been, and continues to be, very proud of our police department."
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