Man wanted for stealing hundreds of dollars from man in fake car repair in Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A man in a 'wobbly wheel' scam is still on the run after targeting another man in October of 2021 at a Kroger parking lot on FM 1960, according to court documents.

The video above is from a previous related story on a separate 'wobbly wheel' scam.

SEE RELATED STORY: Wobbly wheel scam hits 50 victims in SW Houston

Then on Thursday, Harris County Precinct 4 deputies responded to another Kroger in the 11700 block of Idlewood Drive in reference to the same incident. After reviewing surveillance video, deputies said they identified the suspect in the scam as Paul Yonko.

In the incident from 2021, records say the victim was flagged down by Yonko who told the man that his front wheel was wobbling. Yonko told the victim his car had a damaged part but that he worked at a repair place and could fix it, documents say.

Yonko charged the man $325 for allegedly fixing the wheel, but the victim later realized he had been scammed after coming across Yonko's name in an article mentioning his crime.

Further investigation revealed Yonko has two warrants for engaging in organized crime and failing to identify to police, according to deputies.

If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, you are urged to contact Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office.