Police identify suspect wanted in $30,000 scam of 84-year-old woman
Anyone with info on his whereabouts encouraged to call police

John Williamson, 58, is wanted for questioning by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office for his suspected involvement in defrauding an 84-year-old Dewey woman out of $30,000.
Yavapai County Sheriff's Office/Courtesy

John Williamson, 58, is wanted for questioning by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office for his suspected involvement in defrauding an 84-year-old Dewey woman out of $30,000.

The second of two men suspected of conning an elderly Dewey woman out of $30,000 has been identified by the police and is wanted for questioning.

The two men reportedly convinced an 84-year-old that while she was gone for a week in July, they had to replace her whole septic system at a cost of $67,000. Panicked, the woman began paying the men what she could to cover the supposed expense. It was only after giving them $30,000 that she realized she was being scammed.

One of the men, 45-year-old Daniel Jay Miller, was arrested in Flagstaff Wednesday, Oct. 24, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO). The second suspect, however, remained elusive at the time.

An extensive investigation has now revealed him to be 58-year-old John Williamson of Gilbert, the YCSO reported.

Williamson is described as a 5-foot-11 white male weighing 175 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Detectives said Williamson uses the aliases of John Taylor and Frank Whales and his last known address is on Clark Drive in Gilbert.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Todd Swaim at 928-554-8605 or provide a tip to Yavapai Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232 or online at www.p3tips.com/979. A direct tip to Yavapai Silent Witness resulting in an arrest becomes eligible for a cash reward. All tips are anonymous.

Follow Max Efrein on Twitter @mefrein, email him at mefrein@prescottaz.com or call him at 928-445-3333 ext. 1105.


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