Volunteer accused of ripping off seniors in Third Ward by promising bus trip: 'I was disheartened'
Pct. 7 said Shawn Shoemaker collected $120 from each senior claiming to organize a Black History Month bus tour.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Constable Precinct 7 deputies arrested a man for felony theft after an alleged scheme defrauding seniors.
Deputies said that a group of senior citizens contacted them from the Third Ward Multi-Service Center through their "Are You Okay?" program, an initiative aimed at protecting seniors.
"We received information about several complaints who were promised a trip to Atlanta and Memphis, Tennessee -- all for $128. The suspect pitched this trip to our seniors at a multi-cultural center," Pct. 7 Deputy J. King said.
King says that through her investigation, she learned the suspect, Shawn Shoemaker, volunteered at the multi-service center.
She said Shoemaker promised seniors a trip during Black History Month to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
After collecting the money and moving the dates of the trip, King said the group of 30 realized it was not going to happen.
ABC13 spoke with one of the victims, who does not want to be identified. She said it was after the trips moved, she knew something was wrong.
"We're on fixed incomes. It was a nice trip, but we didn't make it. So, I don't know what his idea was; was this really a scam, or was this something, I don't know," the victim said.
She told ABC13 that moving forward, she will be more vigilant when it comes to spending her money.
"I'm going to investigate before I spend my money like this again on a trip. I'm not going to just -- I hate that -- I mean my friend knew the guy because of the center but he turned out to be not trustworthy," the victim said. "He needs to serve time. For me, that would be compensation, if I don't get my money, he serves time for this crime against seniors."
Deputies said they issued a search warrant for Shoemaker through the Harris County district court and arrested him this week for felony theft.
"I was a little disheartened about it, that a young man would gain trust from these seniors and then exploit them out of $120 on hopes of going to a trip to observe Black History Month," Constable James "Smokie" Phillips said.
The Houston Health Department issued a statement in regard to the arrest:
"HHD is committed to protecting our seniors and ensuring they can safely engage in programs with trust and peace of mind. City officials took swift action and notified law enforcement upon learning of the allegations that a man defrauded seniors at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center. The individual has been barred from all Baker Ripley and HHD programs. We will continue to work to maintain the integrity of all our senior services."
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