SOLON, Ohio — Theft: Flanders Drive
At 3:35 p.m. March 2, a woman, 53, reported that she met a man on the LinkedIn app and began to invest, with the man’s help, in cryptocurrency. The woman told police that her first investment generated a nice return, so she continued to make substantially larger investments under the man’s guidance.
The strategy involved investing through the legitimate cryptocurrency investment company Coinbase, then transferring funds or profits into another firm, which was found to be fraudulent.
The woman tried to withdraw funds from the fake company and was told that she would have first pay taxes on her profits, then was told she would have to pay a security fee. The woman became suspicious and realized she was the victim of a scam. The woman’s current loss is about $600,000. Police are investigating.
Domestic violence: Pepper Drive
At 6:05 p.m. Feb. 28, police were called to a home where it was determined that a man, 32, had punched in the head his mother, 75, of Solon. The woman was taken to the hospital for assessment of a head injury. Police arrested the Solon man for domestic violence.
OVI: Harper Road
At 10:50 p.m. March 4, an officer stopped a car that was being driven in an erratic manner. The driver, who smelled of alcohol, admitted to drinking beer. The man refused to take part in field sobriety testing and to take a breath test.
The Cincinnati man, 40, was arrested for OVI and not obeying a traffic control device. His car was towed.
OVI: Liberty Road
At 7:55 a.m. March 6, police responded to a report of a disabled motorist. Officers found the key in the ignition of the red Jeep stopped on the side of the road, and its owner spread across the back seat, sleeping.
The vehicle had a flat tire. The man in the Jeep was asked to get out of the vehicle and, as he exited, an open can of beer fell to the ground. The man admitted to drinking before he drove. He failed field sobriety tests and was found to have a blood-alcohol content of .147, above the state minimum for drunk driving of .08.
Police arrested the 40-year-old Warren resident and charged him with OVI and having a prohibitive BAC.
Improper handling of a firearm: Aurora Road
At 7:55 p.m. March 6, an officer stopped a car for speeding on eastbound US 422. The car was traveling 81 miles per hour in the 60-MPH zone. The car came to a stop after exiting the freeway at Aurora Road.
The officer could smell the odor of marijuana in the car and asked the driver, a Maple Heights man, 29, to step out of the vehicle. As the man exited, he told police that his girlfriend’s gun was in the car. The car was searched and, inside, police found marijuana, an unloaded gun, a loaded magazine and additional bullets.
Police arrested the man for improper handling of a firearm, a fourth-degree felony, as well as speeding and driving without a license. The car was towed.
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