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Clan Of Gypsies Swindling Central Florida Men

POSTED: Tuesday, February 13, 2007
UPDATED: 1:13 pm EST February 14, 2007

A clan of young and attractive gypsies is targeting and scamming men in Central Florida, according to a Local 6 News report.

The report featured a woman named Cooter Anderson, 30, who is a traveling gypsy, according to police, and has allegedly worked between South Florida and Philadelphia.

"Cooter Anderson is the cover-girl for a gypsy business that doesn't play by the rules," Local 6's Mike Holfeld said. "It's a romance con game the gypsies call 'the sweetheart swindle or the sugar daddy job.'"

Local 6 News has learned that Anderson and other gypsies have apparently fleeced widowed men across the country for millions of dollars.

Now, Orlando's senior population has been caught in the same apparent trap, Holfeld reported.

Undercover agent John McMahon said Central Florida's aging gypsy barro, Johnnie Russell Johnson, does not hold influence with the gypsy outsiders.

"I think Orlando is becoming a kind of an open city," McMahon said.

Holfeld said the open city perception may have opened the door for a recent marriage of a woman to an 86-year-old man.

A viewer, Cecilia, told Local 6 News that her father became a victim of the gypsy "sweetheart scam."

Cecilia's father apparently met his future bride in the parking lot of a Save-a-Lot grocery store located on Silver Star Road last September.

She cooked meals and spent time with him, the report said.

Cecilia, who did not want her father identified for the report, said the man knew his gypsy bride as Sonia Thompson. However, investigators said, the woman has many names.

On the day of the civil ceremony, Thompson announced that her name was Nancy Days, the report said.

"When in the world did it evolve into, 'I now pronounce you man and wife?'" Holfeld asked.

"That, I don't know," the woman said.

"(Cecilia's) family has already posted an annulment request in the local paper but the damage has been done," Holfeld said.

Local 6 has learned that she was renting an Orlando property under the name Sonja Thompson.

"Within in two months after he met her, they were married," Cecilia said. "Then the cash started rolling out."

Holfeld reported that the alleged missing money included $21,000 cash for a white Cadillac Escalade and another $6,000 for personal and medical bills.

"And worst of all, family heirlooms (were gone)," Holfeld said.

"None of the victims, I would say, are forced," McMahon said. "I would say they are manipulated."

Cell phone records obtained by Local 6 showed Nancy Days made more than 12 calls to a local gypsy clan while in Central Florida.

She was also spotted in town with a man identified as Teddy Days.

Detectives said the last time Nancy Days was spotted was in South Florida last week.

"We also found a link to a local pawn shop that may have accepted the family rings," Holfeld said.

Similar scams are apparently being played out on an Internet dating service, the report said.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

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