The Placer County Sheriff's Department is reporting that a Sacramento man was arrested Thursday in connection with a nationwide fraud case.
Michael Stephen Moynihan, left, was arrested by Placer County Sheriff's detectives and Sacramento Police Department officers after a short foot pursuit in Sacramento, according to a sheriff's department release. The sheriff's department had been seeking Moynihan, and he had fled from investigators on two prior occasions, the release states.
The release states that Placer County Sheriff's detectives were recently contacted by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office in Colorado Springs, Colo., which had been conducting an investigation involving Moynihan.
Detectives in Colorado Springs advised that Moynihan had allegedly been calling jails and bail bond agents nationwide to obtain information on recently arrested and released subjects, impersonating a police officer to obtain the information, according to the release.
He would then allegedly call the released subjects, claiming to be their bond agent, and demand more bail money from the victims, saying he would arrest them again if they did not comply, the release states.
The Placer County Sheriff's Department reported there may be as many as 1,000 potential victims in the case. Since the department's investigation began, the release states, law enforcement agencies from across the county have reported having citizens in their jurisdiction who have been victimized.
Moynihan was taken into custody Thursday with the assistance of a Sacramento Police Department K-9 unit after a short foot pursuit, according to the release. After being treated for his injuries at a local hospital, the release states, he was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he is being held on a no-bail parole hold until charges are added next week.
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