http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=339449
2 Lake Co. men arrested in scheme involving personalized golf balls
By Tony Gordon | Daily Herald Staff
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Published: 11/24/2009 1:08 PM
Two Lake County men were ordered held on $1 million bond Tuesday after being charged with running a scheme involving personalized golf balls.
Marco Maggiore, 35, of the 500 block of Checker Drive in Buffalo Grove and Lloyd Morris, 34, of the 1100 block of Springfield Avenue in Deerfield, are charged with money laundering, mail and computer fraud and theft.
Lincolnshire police investigator Adam Hyde said the pair conned dozens of businesses and charities into paying for golf balls to be inscribed with their logos, and never delivered any products.
In addition, Hyde said, the two ordered large quantities of golf balls from pro shops to be used as demonstration samples, and did not pay for the merchandise.
Hyde said the pair offered to sell inscribed Titleist Pro V1 balls for $12 a dozen and found willing customers from coast to coast who responded to their e-mail solicitations.
"The very best price you can get on those balls is around $45 a dozen, so people lined up because they could not believe they were going to get them so cheap," Hyde said. "As it turned out, they weren't."
Using the business names of Iconic Concepts and Bellamax, Maggiore and Morris established offices in Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove and Long Grove since starting the operation in January 2008, Hyde said.
The pair moved the business each time the heat was turned up too high, he said.
"Customers would start e-mailing and calling when they did not get what they paid for," Hyde said. "They would give the customers fake tracking numbers or tell them there was an error in production to buy some time, then shut the doors and moved on when the time was right."
The duo also went to pro shops at small golf courses and ordered large quantities of the balls to use as demonstrator lures, Hyde said, then never paid for any balls they received.
Hyde said he began investigating the case a few months ago after receiving a complaint from a business in Indiana, then worked with the Better Business Bureau and other agencies to locate other victims.
He said he has discovered at least 88 victims of the scam ranging from a firefighters foundation in Colorado to the Boys and Girls Club and Coca Cola company.
Hyde estimates Maggiore and Morris made more than $400,000 over the time they operated the scam.
The two appeared Tuesday morning before Associate Judge Raymond Collins, who ordered them to return to court Wednesday for a bond review.
Their attorney, Michael Nerheim of Waukegan, declined to comment on the case Tuesday.
Hyde asked that anyone who had been solicited by Maggiore, Morris, either of their companies or their fictional employee Larry Phillips contact him at (847) 883-9900.
2 Lake Co. men arrested in scheme involving personalized golf balls
By Tony Gordon | Daily Herald Staff
Contact writer
Published: 11/24/2009 1:08 PM
Two Lake County men were ordered held on $1 million bond Tuesday after being charged with running a scheme involving personalized golf balls.
Marco Maggiore, 35, of the 500 block of Checker Drive in Buffalo Grove and Lloyd Morris, 34, of the 1100 block of Springfield Avenue in Deerfield, are charged with money laundering, mail and computer fraud and theft.
Lincolnshire police investigator Adam Hyde said the pair conned dozens of businesses and charities into paying for golf balls to be inscribed with their logos, and never delivered any products.
In addition, Hyde said, the two ordered large quantities of golf balls from pro shops to be used as demonstration samples, and did not pay for the merchandise.
Hyde said the pair offered to sell inscribed Titleist Pro V1 balls for $12 a dozen and found willing customers from coast to coast who responded to their e-mail solicitations.
"The very best price you can get on those balls is around $45 a dozen, so people lined up because they could not believe they were going to get them so cheap," Hyde said. "As it turned out, they weren't."
Using the business names of Iconic Concepts and Bellamax, Maggiore and Morris established offices in Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove and Long Grove since starting the operation in January 2008, Hyde said.
The pair moved the business each time the heat was turned up too high, he said.
"Customers would start e-mailing and calling when they did not get what they paid for," Hyde said. "They would give the customers fake tracking numbers or tell them there was an error in production to buy some time, then shut the doors and moved on when the time was right."
The duo also went to pro shops at small golf courses and ordered large quantities of the balls to use as demonstrator lures, Hyde said, then never paid for any balls they received.
Hyde said he began investigating the case a few months ago after receiving a complaint from a business in Indiana, then worked with the Better Business Bureau and other agencies to locate other victims.
He said he has discovered at least 88 victims of the scam ranging from a firefighters foundation in Colorado to the Boys and Girls Club and Coca Cola company.
Hyde estimates Maggiore and Morris made more than $400,000 over the time they operated the scam.
The two appeared Tuesday morning before Associate Judge Raymond Collins, who ordered them to return to court Wednesday for a bond review.
Their attorney, Michael Nerheim of Waukegan, declined to comment on the case Tuesday.
Hyde asked that anyone who had been solicited by Maggiore, Morris, either of their companies or their fictional employee Larry Phillips contact him at (847) 883-9900.
