Woman reports losing $2 million in bitcoin scam: Solon police blotter

SOLON, Ohio —

Fraud: S.O.M. Center Road

At 10 p.m. June 11, officers were called to a home to investigate a fraud report. A Solon woman, 32, reported that she had invested in Coinbase bitcoin and went on to receive a robo-call informing her that her bitcoin account was being hacked.

She then received a call from someone calling himself Jacob Watkins of Coinbase. The caller said she needed to reset her password in order to avoid a fraud.

The woman reset her password then was instructed to create a new Coinbase “wallet.” She was given specific instructions on how to create the wallet.

The woman then transferred 32 BTC (bitcoin) to the new wallet, which was subsequently drained by the scammer of its value.

The woman believed that the value was more than $2 million in US currency.

Detectives will investigate, likely with the aid of state and federal agencies.

Child endangering: Park East Drive

At 2:45 p.m. June 6, an officer on patrol noticed two small children running in the parking lot near the Solon Park Apartments leasing office, 34600 Park East Drive.

A manager from the office flagged down the officer and stated that it was not known where the children live and that no parent was seen.

Police canvassed the area looking for a parent and were able to obtain a phone number for the children’s mother. The woman, 35, arrived in a car about 30 minutes later.

It appeared to police as though the children had been left alone in their apartment.

Police charged the woman with child endangering and referred the matter to Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services for a follow up.

OVI: Chagrin River Road

At 10:30 p.m. June 7, officers responded to a crash in the northeast portion of Solon, near the border with Bentleyville. Officers arrived to find that a Honda Accord was driven east on Chagrin River Road, near Franklin Street, and appeared to have run a stop sign and then crashed into a wooded area.

The driver had slurred speech and was incoherent as he spoke to officers from Chagrin Falls and Bentleyville.

The man had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol. He said he had consumed two drinks. He refused to take a breath test.

EMS took the man to a hospital for treatment of possible injuries. He was bleeding from his hand and possibly other parts of his body. At the hospital, the man refused to take a urine test.

Police charged the 31-year-old Solon man with OVI, failure to maintain reasonable control, and having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

Domestic violence: Windy Hill Lane

At 1:35 a.m. June 8, officers were called to a home where two women were present. One of the women told police that she had been in an argument with her live-in boyfriend and that he threatened both women.

It was also reported that he punched his girlfriend’s 46-year-old mother.

The man left before officers arrived, but was later found in a Geauga County home.

Police arrested the 27-year-old Solon man on two charges of domestic violence, the second count for making threats.

Assault: Park North Drive

At 6:05 p.m. June 12, police were called to the Solon Park Apartments, where a woman, 39, told officers that she was swimming with her 14-year-old son when it appeared he had been struck by something, possibly BBs.

She looked at the red marks on her son and figured out that he had, in fact, been struck by a gel blaster. A gel blaster shoots soft, water-based pellets that can cause pain.

The suspects were believed to be four Solon boys, all 14.

Officers found the suspects walking nearby and confiscated their gel blasters. Police then contacted the boys’ parents.

The matter will be referred to the county juvenile court for possible assault charges.

The woman’s son was not injured.

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