2nd Person Arrested In Year-Old Fraud Case
January 24, 2019 at 4:50 p.m.
2nd Person Arrested In Year-Old Fraud Case
By David [email protected]
Philip Michael Picanso, 41, Fort Wayne, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday for fraud. His bond was set at $5,000 surety and $250 cash.
Court documents filed Feb. 7, 2018, against him list the charges as three counts of fraud, level 6 felonies.
Christina Marie Ross, now 36, Fort Wayne, was arrested Feb. 16, 2018, for fraud. Through a plea agreement, she pleaded guilty to one count of level 6 felony fraud on May 23, 2018, with a second count dismissed. She was sentenced by Kosciusko County Judge Torrey Bauer to two years, suspended for probation.
On Dec. 26, 2017, Warsaw Police officer Brian Hupp responded to a fraud/theft complaint. He talked with the victim who was the executor of her deceased brother’s belongings, finances and funeral arrangements.
The victim stated her brother was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 19, 2017, and died three days later. She said someone was using her brother’s KeyBank card to access cash through the ATM machine, pay bills and purchase personal items and food.
She was unable to find her brother’s wallet, which contained the KeyBank card. She also said Picanso and Ross had been staying in her brother’s apartment.
WPD Det. Jeff Ticknor received a print-out of the transactions on the brother’s account between Dec. 21 and 27, 2017.
On Dec. 21, 2017, $400 was taken out through an ATM. A video provided by KeyBank showed Picanso as the person withdrawing the $400 from the deceased man’s account.
On the same day, $33.05 was charged at the Freedom Express gas station in Warsaw for gasoline using the card. Video also showed Picanso making the transaction. Another $82.09 was charged at the Dollar General Store for food and money, and Picanso was the man shown in the surveillance video making that transaction.
Then on Dec. 23, $200 was accessed through an ATM from the account. This time, video showed Ross was the person withdrawing the money. She later withdrew another $300 from the account that day.
Philip Michael Picanso, 41, Fort Wayne, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday for fraud. His bond was set at $5,000 surety and $250 cash.
Court documents filed Feb. 7, 2018, against him list the charges as three counts of fraud, level 6 felonies.
Christina Marie Ross, now 36, Fort Wayne, was arrested Feb. 16, 2018, for fraud. Through a plea agreement, she pleaded guilty to one count of level 6 felony fraud on May 23, 2018, with a second count dismissed. She was sentenced by Kosciusko County Judge Torrey Bauer to two years, suspended for probation.
On Dec. 26, 2017, Warsaw Police officer Brian Hupp responded to a fraud/theft complaint. He talked with the victim who was the executor of her deceased brother’s belongings, finances and funeral arrangements.
The victim stated her brother was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 19, 2017, and died three days later. She said someone was using her brother’s KeyBank card to access cash through the ATM machine, pay bills and purchase personal items and food.
She was unable to find her brother’s wallet, which contained the KeyBank card. She also said Picanso and Ross had been staying in her brother’s apartment.
WPD Det. Jeff Ticknor received a print-out of the transactions on the brother’s account between Dec. 21 and 27, 2017.
On Dec. 21, 2017, $400 was taken out through an ATM. A video provided by KeyBank showed Picanso as the person withdrawing the $400 from the deceased man’s account.
On the same day, $33.05 was charged at the Freedom Express gas station in Warsaw for gasoline using the card. Video also showed Picanso making the transaction. Another $82.09 was charged at the Dollar General Store for food and money, and Picanso was the man shown in the surveillance video making that transaction.
Then on Dec. 23, $200 was accessed through an ATM from the account. This time, video showed Ross was the person withdrawing the money. She later withdrew another $300 from the account that day.
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