Rochester Church Scammer at it Again
Cedar Rapids, IA (KROC AM News) - A man who begged for money during services at two Rochester churches last year has been arrested for the same scam in Iowa.
Police say 41-year old Alan Farha has told the same bogus story to churchgoers in more than 30 states.
He was arrested in Rochester after scamming more than $1,000 from parishioners of St John’s and Pax Christi Catholic churches.
His story is always the same - he needs money for travel and funeral expenses because his parents had been killed in the Middle East. He was placed on probation for the Rochester scam.
Rochester Police Capt John Sherwin says his investigators learned Farha has a history of conning people out of money in numerous states by giving bogus hard-luck stories. Past victims include churches, businesses, non-profits and individuals, including some in the Twin Cities about 10 years ago.
He is a native of the Dallas, Texas area but has moved around the country.
More From 106.9 KROC-FM
