Solon Police Reports: Multiple OVI Arrests and Scams Reported

Residents Narrowly Escape and Fall Victim to Sophisticated Email Scams

Several Solon residents encountered financial scams in recent weeks, with one narrowly avoiding a substantial loss while another fell victim to fraudsters. Meanwhile, police made multiple arrests for operating vehicles under the influence on area highways.

Financial Crimes

A 44-year-old Solon businessman nearly lost $99,000 in a sophisticated email fraud scheme on April 25. The victim reported receiving an email from a contractor in early April claiming their bank account information had changed. After making payments to the new account, the man’s bank flagged the transaction as potentially fraudulent, preventing the loss. Police noted it remained unclear whether the contractor’s email had been compromised or if the communication was entirely fraudulent.

In a similar incident on April 29, a 38-year-old manager at Vintage Wine on Davis Industrial Parkway wasn’t as fortunate. The victim engaged in email correspondence with what appeared to be a familiar construction company and agreed to schedule work requiring a $4,900 advance payment. After wiring the funds to a Cross River Bank account, he received another message demanding additional payment due to “rising material costs.” Becoming suspicious, the manager called the construction company directly and discovered their email account had been hacked. The victim is now working with his bank to recover the funds.

“These incidents highlight the increasing sophistication of business email compromise schemes,” said a Solon Police spokesperson. “We recommend businesses verify any payment changes through direct phone calls to known contacts before transferring funds.”

Traffic Enforcement

Officers responded to a disabled vehicle report on US 422 east at Liberty Road at 3:38 a.m. on April 30. They discovered a black GMC Sierra pickup truck with a flat tire partially blocking traffic. The vehicle showed passenger-side damage and deployed airbags. The 22-year-old Cleveland woman driving admitted to having “a couple of shots” and stated she had struck a guardrail somewhere on the freeway. After performing poorly on field sobriety tests, she was arrested and charged with OVI and driving without a license after refusing a breath test at Solon Jail. Officers were unable to locate what the driver had struck on the freeway.

In another incident at 12:35 a.m. on May 1, an officer observed a gold Ford SUV on US 422 eastbound near Harper swerving between lanes and nearly colliding with another vehicle. After stopping the vehicle on SOM Center Road near Solon Road, the 38-year-old Bedford man denied alcohol consumption but admitted to smoking marijuana earlier. Following poor performance on field sobriety tests, he was arrested and charged with OVI, driving under suspension, and marked lanes violations. He was also held on a warrant from Bedford Police for failure to appear on a traffic offense.

On May 3 at 10:51 p.m., an officer stopped a gold Jeep Cherokee with a faulty headlight on US 422 eastbound. After running the license plate and discovering the registered owner had an outstanding warrant, the officer became suspicious when the female driver presented identification that didn’t match the vehicle registration. When confronted, the 40-year-old Garfield Heights woman attempted to pull away as the officer tried to handcuff her. Following a brief struggle, she was arrested and charged with obstructing official business, furnishing false information, driving without required headlights, and driving without a license. Police determined she had been using her sister’s ID, who was ten years her senior. The woman also faces a theft warrant from Brooklyn Police Department after resolving the Solon charges.