RAYNHAM — Two Raynham police officers, Patrick Leahy and Joshua O'Brien, were awarded commendations by Raynham Police Chief David LaPlante this April for their outstanding work helping the citizens of Raynham.
Leahy was awarded the Superior Investigative Award for uncovering a scam targeting elderly residents in Southeastern, Massachusetts, ultimately returning $8,600 to the couple who was targeted.
O'Brien was given the Life Saving Award commendation for giving life-saving medical aid to a runner who had collapsed and was not breathing.
"I want to say how proud I am of Officers Leahy and O'Brien for their extraordinary efforts and professionalism. The training that our officers undergo is second to none and it's great to be able to recognize them for a job well done," LaPlante said in a written statement.
Stolen money returned to elderly victims
On Dec. 14, 2022, Leahy was assigned to investigate a report of a scam resulting in the larceny of $8,600.
“Due to Officer Leahy’s superior investigatory skills, personal determination and hard work, he was able to get the stolen monies back and returned to the victims,” LaPlante wrote in the letter of commendation. “Officer Leahy went above and beyond what was expected of a Patrol officer to do leading to positive result and justice for the victim.”
The victims of the scam, Donald Ryan, 73, and Mary Ryan, 70, both of Raynham, also commended Leahy on a job well done.
“It is with great pleasure that I write you because of the fabulous service your officer did on my behalf,” they wrote in a handwritten letter to the department.
“Officer Patrick Leahy solved a case of grandparent fraud and had $8,600 returned to me because of his diligence and dogged detective work.”
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Bail scam targets elderly couple in Raynham
According to the police report, at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 9, 2022, the Ryans received a call from a man pretending to be their grandson. The impersonator told Donald that he had been arrested in Westchester, New York on an OUI charge, claiming he needed $8,600 for bail.
Donald was convinced his grandson had truly been arrested and needed to be bailed out. He was given a case number and told police he spoke to someone who identified himself as a lawyer and another person who identified himself as the Westchester jail bail clerk.
The "bail clerk" instructed Donald to give the cash to the courier of the jail, who would arrive at his Raynham residence to take the money.
According to the police report, the scammer had an unsuspecting Uber driver travel to his victim’s home later that day to retrieve the money. Donald gave the Uber driver 71 $100 bills and 50 $50 bills in a sealed envelope. The Uber driver, who was not involved in the scam, transported the stolen money back to the suspect.
The Uber driver later told police he did retrieve documents from the Ryan’s address and delivered those documents as requested to an address in Newton.
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How Leahy helped return the money
Leahy identified the Uber driver in the Ryans' case, which led him to the person who ordered the Uber, Joel F. Mathilda, 23, of the Bronx, New York.
After reviewing electronic records, Leahy confirmed Mathilda was also responsible for similar scams in Plymouth, Braintree and in New York.
On Dec. 5, 2022, an elderly Braintree resident was scammed out of $3,000 after falling for the same story Donald did. On Nov. 23, 2022, an elderly Plymouth resident was scammed out of a total of $11,500, also thinking the money was for bail.
In both cases, an Uber driver was used to receive and transport the stolen money.
It was also discovered Mathilda was involved in another incident in New York on Feb. 8, 2023, in which he scammed $24,500 from a victim, who was told their grandson was involved in an accident where a pregnant victim lost her baby. Officers in Cayuga County, New York, confirmed that Mathilda has been in their custody as a result of the scheme.
According to police records, Mathilda was charged with two felonies as a result of Leahy's investigation — larceny of over $1,200 by a single scheme and conspiracy.
According to a clerk at Taunton District Court, Mathilda's case was dismissed and closed. Police say he did return the money to the Ryans.
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Life-saving response saves Raynham runner
Joshua O'Brien, the other Raynham police officer who was commended, was awarded the Life Saving Award for providing medical care to a 59-year-old Raynham resident who had collapsed while jogging and was not breathing, LaPlante said.
He gave the man, John Hogan, CPR and worked with paramedics until the runner was transported to the hospital for further treatment.
"Officer O'Brien's quick response, immediate actions and effective CPR resulted directly in saving the life of this gentleman," Chief LaPlante said. "Had he not responded in this manner this could have led to a tragic outcome."
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