Cory Felasco
Seven people were arrested in Carson City on Saturday for allegedly scamming people using a military donation organization.
Cameron Laird, 24, of Bartlesville, Okla.; Alexander Cousins, 20, of East Flat Rock, Ark.;Trevor Laird, 19, of Bartlesville, Okla.; Cory Felasco, 27, of Ashtabula, Ohio; Cortez Johnson, 21, of Glendale, Ariz.; Joshua Roth, 30, of Petal, Miss.; and Fary Espinosa, 18, of Houston, Texas; were all arrested on fraud charges after deputies responded to the area of Silver Sage and Lander drives Saturday around 7:06 p.m. for suspicious subjects. Several residents had called, stating a man was going door to door asking for donations for military personnel.
Deputies located one of the suspects, Cameron Laird, who told them he was collecting money to help send personal care packages to military personnel overseas through a company called “Something For Soldiers Sales LLC.” According to the arrest report, Laird couldn’t produce a solicitation permit nor a business license or company information.
After being detained, deputies used Laird’s phone to call his brother Trevor to come to the scene. According to the report, Trevor drove past but did not stop, so deputies initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle near Silver Sage Drive and Sonoma Street.
The other six suspects were all in the vehicle and all claimed to be working with the Something For Soldiers Sales company. Upon further investigation, deputies discovered that the company was allegedly a common door to door scam to collect money from people.
Cameron Laird was arrested on suspicion of felony fraud, soliciting without a permit, possession of marijuana and conspiracy to commit a crime; Cousins was arrested on suspicion of felony fraud, felony burglary warrant, soliciting without a permit and conspiracy to commit a crime; Trevor Laird was arrested on suspicion of felony fraud, two felony burglary warrants, soliciting without a permit and conspiracy to commit a crime; and Felasco, Johnson, Roth and Espinosa were arrested on suspicion of felony fraud, soliciting without a permit and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Bail for Cameron Laird was set at $13,600, bail for Cousins was set at $113,000 and bail for Felasco, Johnson, Roth and Espinosa was set at $13,000.
A man in Douglas County reported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office that he was scammed out of $50 by the same group.
Detectives are still investigating the scam.