Minggu, 01 Juli 2012

David Price: Homeless man 'scammed hotel guests and stayed in their rooms, racking up thousands of dollars in charges'

David Price: Homeless man 'scammed hotel guests and stayed in their rooms, racking up thousands of dollars in charges'

By Snejana Farberov

PUBLISHED: 19:12 EST, 30 June 2012 | UPDATED: 07:28 EST, 1 July 2012


Scoundrel: David Price would allegedly pose as a guest at luxury hotels and rack up thousands of dollars worth of charges

Scoundrel: David Price would allegedly pose as a guest at luxury hotels and rack up thousands of dollars worth of charges

David Price has been living on the streets of Orlando, Florida, for the past two years, but on some nights, he found himself sleeping not on a park bench or in an alley, but rather in some of Orange County’s most luxurious hotels.

According to police, Price used a simple yet ingenious strategy: he would pose as a hotel guest and go on wild spending sprees paid for by his unsuspecting victims.

Since June of 2010, police have received reports of Price re-checking into hotel rooms, the television station WFTV reported.

He would apparently watch a guest check out, and then go into the recently occupied room and pretend to be that person.

Once he had installed himself in the room, Price would call the front desk and ask to extend his stay, sometimes by as many as ten days.

According to law enforcement officials, Price had successfully pulled off his scheme at nearly half a dozen hotels, among them the Hard Rock hotel, the Ritz Carlton, The Peabody and even the Four Seasons in Miami.

At the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal, Price allegedly charged nearly $9,000 on the credit card of Joseph Barak, who stayed at the hotel while visiting from Ohio.

Police believe the luxurious Ritz Carlton hotel in Orange County was among the places targeted by Price

Ritzy: Police believe the luxurious Ritz Carlton hotel in Orange County was among the places targeted by Price

Police believe Price also talked his way into a room at the pricey Four Seasons hotel in Miami

Plush: Police believe Price also talked his way into a room at the pricey Four Seasons hotel in Miami

‘I don’t know how he got in my room, how he got my debit card.  But he got like the best wines, the best restaurants, room service. He got clothes and the whole ball of wax,’ Barak told WFTV.

In the end, Barak’s credit card company reimbursed him for Price’s fraudulent spending spree.

Price’s luck ran out earlier this week after he talked his way into a room at the Hard Rock hotel that - unbeknownst to him - was previously occupied by a hotel employee.

At the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal, Price allegedly charged nearly $9,000 on the credit card of a guest

Outrageous: At the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal, Price allegedly charged nearly $9,000 on the credit card of a guest

Security officers knew the guest had already left, so when Price attempted to pose as that person, they called police.

Officers who arrived on the scene apparently found items from other hotels in the room that Price had tried to commandeer.

Price was busted at the Hard Rock hotel when police said he tried to move into a room occupied by a hotel employee

Downfall: Price was busted at the Hard Rock hotel when police said he tried to move into a room occupied by a hotel employee

Police reports indicate that investigators at Walt Disney World have also looked into cases of fraud possibly committed by Price on their properties.

On Friday night, Price was forced to trade a chic hotel room for a bare cell in the Orange County Jail.


 

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Clever guy

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Not all of us homeless are like this ,there are good and bad,myself i do what i can to servive i dont steal someone offers me money i ask they them what can i do for you in return,ive done odd jobs for them

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I sometimes wish people like this would turn their ingenious minds to something more acceptable. They are obviously quite bright, judging by the amount of money they swindle and therefore could actually have a pretty good life if they turned their minds to more legal money making schemes.

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imagine if he planted bombs!

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he should have been a banker? perhaps a career at barclays after he's served his time?

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It's naughty but has a cheeky humour about it.

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Is he a banker by some chance?

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Mr Price should consider a career with Barclays or some other large financial institution; he's certainly got the real-world experience at fleecing people.

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Come on, that's quite clever. The hotels on the other hand, no so much.

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It is impossible to check out and check in again without presenting yourself at the front desk. I have stayed at the Ritz and all guests are thoroughly scrutinised. Unless ofcourse the person manning the front desk was a friend of Price. Confused.

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