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Eric K. Williams, 28, who federal officials said posed as a U.S. marshal to meet women and subsequently scam them out of large amounts of money, according to documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, was tracked down and arrested by United States Marshals Service deputy marshals at TGI Fridays in Norwood on Wednesday.
Former Dedham resident Williams, currently of New Hampshire, was arrested on Lawrence District Court warrants, according to court documents.
An affidavit issued by Supervisory Deputy Marshal Jeffrey Bohn states Williams pretended to be a U.S. marshal in order to obtain money from his victims.
Williams had been under investigation for impersonating a U.S. marshal when he was found at the TGI Fridays, said the court documents.
Williams’ vehicle was found in the restaurant’s parking lot. Court documents said it was outfitted like a law enforcement vehicle, complete with a stolen U.S. government license plate from a General Administration vehicle in Andover, a card displayed in the dashboard saying “Deputy U.S. Marshal Official Business,” and equipped with emergency lights.
Williams, according to court documents, turned up at a Norwood Residence Inn on Norwood Park South off of Providence Highway, on Jan. 15 and 16, posing as a deputy marshal in order to get a government discount.
Earlier in January a woman told police that she met Williams on Craiglist.org, according to court documents. She said Williams claimed to be a U.S. marshal and stayed with her and her roommate in Beverly, according to court documents.
The woman told police that Williams stole a blank check from her roommate and wrote himself a check for $600, said, according to court documents. He successfully cashed the check at a Danversbank branch in Beverly on Jan. 15, according to court documents.
When Williams was arrested at the TGI Fridays on Wednesday, Jan. 26, he had with him what he claimed was a marshal badge in a black leather case, according to court documents. Court documents state he also had a semiautomatic pistol, which did not appear to be a real firearm.
Williams appeared in Dedham District Court on Thursday, Jan. 27, for larceny charges, but was released. Police later tracked Williams down that day on four warrant charges, according to the Dedham Police’s arrest log. Police found him at 1:50 p.m. at the Dedham Public Library on Church Street. Dedham Police Detective Robert Walsh made the arrest.
Eric K. Williams, 28, who federal officials said posed as a U.S. marshal to meet women and subsequently scam them out of large amounts of money, according to documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, was tracked down and arrested by United States Marshals Service deputy marshals at TGI Fridays in Norwood on Wednesday.
Former Dedham resident Williams, currently of New Hampshire, was arrested on Lawrence District Court warrants, according to court documents.
An affidavit issued by Supervisory Deputy Marshal Jeffrey Bohn states Williams pretended to be a U.S. marshal in order to obtain money from his victims.
Williams had been under investigation for impersonating a U.S. marshal when he was found at the TGI Fridays, said the court documents.
Williams’ vehicle was found in the restaurant’s parking lot. Court documents said it was outfitted like a law enforcement vehicle, complete with a stolen U.S. government license plate from a General Administration vehicle in Andover, a card displayed in the dashboard saying “Deputy U.S. Marshal Official Business,” and equipped with emergency lights.
Williams, according to court documents, turned up at a Norwood Residence Inn on Norwood Park South off of Providence Highway, on Jan. 15 and 16, posing as a deputy marshal in order to get a government discount.
Earlier in January a woman told police that she met Williams on Craiglist.org, according to court documents. She said Williams claimed to be a U.S. marshal and stayed with her and her roommate in Beverly, according to court documents.
The woman told police that Williams stole a blank check from her roommate and wrote himself a check for $600, said, according to court documents. He successfully cashed the check at a Danversbank branch in Beverly on Jan. 15, according to court documents.
When Williams was arrested at the TGI Fridays on Wednesday, Jan. 26, he had with him what he claimed was a marshal badge in a black leather case, according to court documents. Court documents state he also had a semiautomatic pistol, which did not appear to be a real firearm.
Williams appeared in Dedham District Court on Thursday, Jan. 27, for larceny charges, but was released. Police later tracked Williams down that day on four warrant charges, according to the Dedham Police’s arrest log. Police found him at 1:50 p.m. at the Dedham Public Library on Church Street. Dedham Police Detective Robert Walsh made the arrest.
When police found Williams at the library, he was sitting at a computer, reference librarian Lisa Ingemi told Wicked Local on Friday, Jan. 28.
Williams was at the library for about an hour and a half, said Ingemi, and during this time she said she spent a substantial amount of time interacting with him. She told Wicked Local that she could not go into detail because she is continuing to work with the police.
Ingemi said Williams was cooperative with police when they arrived and he walked out with them.
Williams’ detention hearing is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m. in United States District Court in Boston. He could see up to three years in prison, with three years of supervised release to follow, and a $250,000 fine per charge.
Staff writer Jen Judson can be reached at 781-433-8339 or at jjudson@cnc.com.
