Baldwin Borough Police Briefs (April 5-10)

Attempted Fraud

In a case of "if it seems fishy, it probably is," the responded to a call on April 5 at approximately 12:40 p.m. from a woman claiming to be a victim of fraud.

The woman, a resident who resides on Janie Drive, said that she applied for a work-at-home data-entry job in late March and was soon after contacted by her would-be employer. A contact for that employer communicated with the Baldwin woman through email and text messaging, and after having her complete an employment contract through regular mail, the employer asked her to purchase computer equipment for her job function.

As such, the employer mailed her a check for $2,875.50, which she deposited into her bank account. A representative from her bank informed her not to draw on those funds until the check had cleared, as the representative suspected that the check was fraudulent. Indeed, the check eventually bounced.

The woman said that a representative from the employer in question has been sending her text messages asking for a $700 check in return, but she has neither sent a check back nor responded to the messages.

No charges have been filed in regard to this case as of 12 p.m. on Monday, April 11. The case is under review by Baldwin Detective Anthony Cortazzo.

DUI

A Baldwin Borough police officer reported to the scene of a suspicious vehicle at the former South Pittsburgh Cancer Center on Route 51 in Baldwin on April 6 at approximately 2:28 a.m.

Two officers from the nearby were already on the scene and had requested the assistance of the Baldwin officer, as that location is in Baldwin's jurisdiction. 

Two men were standing outside of the vehicle in question, which was visibly involved in a recent accident. Two of the vehicle's airbags had been deployed, according to police.

The Baldwin officer is reporting that both of the non-officers at the scene identified themselves as being passengers in the vehicle when it pulled over along Route 51. Both men also identified one of the two as the driver–Jaison Robert Morin, 22, of 4524 4th St. in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Baldwin officer is reporting that both men said that the vehicle had wrecked into a bridge abutment in a nearby area on their way to Morin's aunt's residence on nearby Gardenville Road.

The Baldwin officer learned that Morin had a suspended driver's license in Florida. He also is reporting that he detected an odor of alcohol coming from Morin's breath.

The officer put Morin through field-sobriety tests and a breath-analyzer test. The officer is reporting that the result of the breath-analyzer test was .218. The legal limit is .08.

Morin was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. He was then taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center for a blood test. Results of that test are pending.

Morin is also being charged with driving with a suspended license and with failure to immediately notify police of an accident. He and the vehicle's other passenger were eventually turned over to Morin's aunt on Gardenville.