Fake evangelists accused of home invasion

[Lodge2004]

This is a tactic that I have not heard before. Based on the names and limited descriptions, it appears this was a multicultural group as well - White, Black, Asian, Hispanic. A good reminder to not make assumptions based on appearances.

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readartic ... 603&z=3&p=

CHARLOTTE COUNTY: A home invasion committed by two men posing as Jehovah Witnesses has now been linked to a gang known as "BIB," which stands for Back in Business.

It is the sixth home invasion the gang has been charged with.

The three men accused are:
o Robert Anthony Ortiz, 27, 21286 Giddings Ave., Port Charlotte
o Michael Ryan Moroney, 26, 4705 Selma St., Sarasota
o Steven Michael Wong, 25, of 22535 Olean Blvd., Port Charlotte

Detectives say on November 13, 2006 a homeowner reported that a black man holding a bible and dressed in black and a white man came to his front door.

He thought they were evangelists so he opened the door. The men identified themselves as Jehovah Witnesses.

The homeowner eventually asked the two men to leave and said a few minutes later he heard glass breaking at the back of his house.

When he went to check it out he said the black man who had just been in his home punched him in the face and then used a stun gun on him several times.

The victim was then told if he moved he would be killed. He was tied up with an extension cord and then covered with a quilt.

The victim was able to see the white man who he met earlier and a third man ransacking his home.

The suspects eventually left with $2,000 in cash, a camera, a laptop computer and a $1,000 cell phone.

Detectives have been working for two months on solving a string of recent home invasions. They expect more to be resolved very soon.

A total of seven members of "BIB" are being held in the Charlotte County Jail on various charges.

The other four are:
o Jonathan Richard Sihr, 18, 433 Grenada Ave., North Port
o Kurtis Jasper, 26, 1931 Livingstone St., Sarasota
o Evrardine Louis, 21, of Decatur, Georgia
o Nathan Ray Diaz, 20, 4705 Selma Ave, Sarasota

The most serious charges so far are against Ortiz and Sihr. They are both charged with second degree murder in connection with the home invasion shooting death of a Port Charlotte woman.

[seamusTX]

That's a scary combination of ambitious criminals, smarter and better-organized than the average goon, and completely without conscience.

Keeping a homeowner occupied at the front door while accomplices break in the back is an old technique, but the people at the front door are usually phony salesmen or asking to do work around the house.

- Jim

[jimlongley]

For a variety of reasons I always answer the door armed, if not concealed. I have had a couple of evangelist types get a very surprised look on their faces when they spotted my big old black .45 on my hip or in my belt. Once a door to door guy jumped back about ten feet without any visible muscular effort, and then he left without telling me why he disturbed me.

My berserker Lab takes care of perimeter patrol at all times.

[Jacob Staff]

There were a couple of guys that carrying Bibles and handing out tracts come through our old neighborhood a few months back.

This was in the middle of the day when most people were at work except a few hard working moms.

The tracts they were passing out had no contact information, no church name, phone number ect.

My wife never answers the door when she is home alone and not expecting someone but she got a really bad vide from these guys.

She is always afraid she is being rude. I will send her this story to reminder that these days you have to be rude sometimes.

[longtooth]

It is better to SEEM rude to good people than to BECOME a victim of bad people.

[Venus Pax]

I've never heard of this before, but I will share it with friends. I know people that invite the Mormons & Jehovah's Witnesses in to witness to them; I'll make sure they stay aware if they're going to continue to do so.

I make it my habit not to open the door to anyone, and to sound quite irritated if they are at my door without a good reason.

Since we're country people, we don't get a lot of strangers knocking. (Not enough houses for most salespeople's taste.)

[pbandjelly]

The suspects eventually left with $2,000 in cash, a camera, a laptop computer and a $1,000 cell phone.

who pays a G-note for a flippin' cell phone?
for that much, stupid thing shoulda warned him these guys were up to no good!

[chewy555]

Its stories like this that make me want to put a camera outside the front door. So the wife can check who is at the door with out even getting near it. And why I have started to answer the door with a weapon either on my hip or in my hand.