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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13_02_05 Jefferson Arrested 176744 BAKERSFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE Greg Williamson, Chief of Police Contact: Michaela A. Beard Public Information Office 661-326-3803 mbeard@bakersfieldpd.us For Immediate Release February 5, 2013 On February 4, 2013, Anthony Augustus Jefferson was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for the arrest warrant issued by the Kern County District Attorney’s Office. Jefferson was booked into the City of Las Vegas Detention Center. Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to call the Bakersfield Police Department at 661-327-7111 or Detective Rodrigues at 661-326-3870. Previous Release December 27, 2012 The Secret Witness Program is offering a reward of up to $2,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of Anthony Augustus Jefferson, 45, involved in the following investigation: Anthony Augustus Jefferson, depicted in the attached photograph, posed as a talent scout and utilized the internet to make contact with female victims seeking employment. He obtained the victims’ personal identity information and convinced them to use their own credit cards to purchase items under the false promise of reimbursement. Jefferson convinced the victims to perform sexual acts under the false pretense of job employment. He was also able to con the victims out of additional money for incidental expenditures and hotel room rental fees. The Kern County District Attorney’s Office has issued an arrest warrant for Anthony Augustus Jefferson for sexual battery, false impersonation, indecent exposure and theft-related charges. Anyone with information regarding Jefferson’s whereabouts is urged to call the Bakersfield Police Department at 661- 327-7111, Detective Rodrigues at 661-326-3870 or the Secret Witness phone line at 661-322-4040. The Secret Witness phone line operates 24 hours a day. Secrecy is guaranteed to those who call. Callers will be asked to select a code name and code number when they provide information to Secret Witness. Should additional contact with the caller be necessary, the code name will be published along with a request for the original caller to establish contact. Once contact is made, the caller will be asked to provide their original code number for verification purposes. The same steps will be taken to pay a reward to the caller. Secret Witness is operated under the direction of an independent, voluntary board of directors representing civic organizations, law enforcement agencies, media outlets, and corporate sponsors. Original Release September 8, 2012 The Bakersfield Police Department is asking for the community's assistance in locating a suspect wanted for sexual battery by false pretenses, false impersonation, indecent exposure, and theft. The Bakersfield Police Department has been actively investigating similar purported incidents, whereby female victims have answered job postings from various internet sites targeting the Los Angeles area. The postings solicited females to work various positions as personal assistants, models, and actresses. Female respondents to the job postings were contacted by a male who identified himself as an employee or talent scout for major television networks. The suspect utilized legitimate trademarks and employee names of major television networks as part of his illicit offenses. He also used email addresses that appear to be legitimate television networks and employment related forms with legitimate business trademarks. The suspect convinced female victims, primarily from the Los Angeles area, to travel to Bakersfield in order to interview and audition for film industry related jobs that were supposed to occur in the Bakersfield area. The suspect would meet the victims in local eating establishments or hotels. Through these cases, the suspect has obtained the victims’ personal identity information, has convinced them to use their own personal credit cards to purchase items under the false promise of reimbursement, or have been convinced to perform sexual acts under false pretense of job employment. Specifically in two cases, the suspect asked the females to rent hotel rooms where auditions would be conducted. He persuaded these victims, through false pretense of financial gains, employment, and the promise of meeting renowned actors to do various sexual acts with him as part of an audition for movie roles. He was also able to swindle the victims of additional money for incidental expenditures and hotel room rental fees. The suspect, in two of these investigations, has been identified as Anthony Augustus Jefferson (45). A Ramey warrant for Jefferson’s arrest was issued on the evening of September 7, 2012. The charges are for P.C. 234.4(c) – Sexual Battery by False Pretense, P.C. 529 – False Impersonation, two counts P.C. 314.1 – Indecent Exposure, and two counts P.C. 488 (petty theft). The following are tips to assist persons using the internet to look for employment: • Research the company and confirm it is a legitimate business; • Do not provide your personal identifying information unless you are certain it is a legitimate business; • Be cautious of meeting in hotel rooms, or other private locations, without first verifying the validity of the job and the full nature of the interview or audition. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Bakersfield Police Department at 327-7111, or Detective Rodrigues at 326-3870. You can now send an anonymous text message to the Bakersfield Police Department. It’s quick and it’s easy. Simply enter 274637 into your phone and text BPDCRIMES along with your message. The text is sent to the police department and the sender remains completely anonymous. Tips can also be anonymously sent through the smartphone “TipSubmit” mobile App or via email at https://www.tipsubmit.com.