Missouri man arrested in New Jersey fraud. Daughter, boss say it must be a mistake
Hayden Lowe still can’t bring himself to believe it, although maybe he’ll have to.
One week ago Thursday, Charles “Curt” Thompson — who for 13 years has been one of his most reliable employees — arrived for his warehouse shift at Aviation Fabricators in Clinton, Missouri, only to watch officers from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office also pull up.
Then came the handcuffs.
Thompson, 59, was arrested and accused of committing “theft by deception” against a New Jersey man. According to a Hudson County complaint out of Secaucus, New Jersey, Thompson allegedly pretended to be a woman, “Clair Hockin of Splunk” — which, it so happens, is the real name, Claire Hockin, of a real person who is a real vice president of a real software company, Splunk Inc., in California — and convinced the victim to send “her” $4,000.
Thompson now sits in the Henry County Detention Center, about 70 miles southeast of Kansas City, and will possibly be extradited to New Jersey. A signed affidavit by a Secaucus detective called the fraud “a common scam tactic.” But Thompson’s friends and family are convinced that the only explanation is some kind of double-fraud: Someone stole Thompson’s identify and used it to commit theft.
“I can’t in a million years think that my dad would do this,” Thompson’s daughter, Chelsea Ross of Belton, said. “He’s just a nice little Midwestern guy. My dad can barely use a phone. I’ve helped him correct I don’t know how many electronic things, on his computer, and all of that. To my knowledge, he has no idea what’s going on.
“I love him, but he’s not capable of this.”
Thompson has no felony or serious criminal history in Missouri.
“Charles has no idea why his name is connected to this,” Lowe, vice president and part owner of Aviation Fabricators, said. “The general working theory is that someone was using his identity to commit crimes in New Jersey, and that’s why he’s now been arrested.”
Lowe said, “I just can’t say enough good things about him.”
“He’s a great employee. He’s a productive member of society. He’s active at the local Baptist Church . . . New Jersey is a long way from Clinton, Missouri. He’s actually never been in New Jersey.”
But, according an affidavit signed by Secaucus Detective Sean Egan, the alleged victim reported to police on Dec. 23, 2021, that he has been the victim of a scam. The victim, whose name was redacted, said that on Dec. 14 he received an email regarding a job offer. The victim agreed to the offer and was told the expect to receive a check in the mail for $4,986.
The check came, but the victim was not able to cash it. He then received another email asking him to wire $4,000 to “Charles Thompson” at a Wells Fargo account in order to receive certain equipment. The alleged victim wired the money on Dec. 20, 2021.
“The Wells Fargo account to which this money was sent belonged to the defendant (Thompson) out of Clinton, Mo.,” the detective wrote in the affidavit signed on March 18, 2022.
The detective said he found other transactions that “appeared to fraudulent.”
“All transactions were made through an ATM at the US Bank in Clinton,” Egan wrote. “I received ATM footage from this bank which showed a male who resembled the defendant utilizing the drive through ATM during these transactions. The defendant was operating a Honda Accord.”
The detective contacted the Clinton police.
“This is a common scam tactic,” the detective wrote on March, 19, 2022, “that criminals utilize in order to obtain funds from victims who are under the impression that they are sending money to their new employer.”
Thompson was set to appear in court in April 2022, but apparently did not.
There is no timeline as yet as to his extradition, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s office said.
“I mean, I, too, think it’s a mistake,” Thompson’s daughter said. “Like I’ve seen an affidavit. I’ve seen some details, but I haven’t actually seen the evidence that they’re saying is my father.”
This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 11:03 AM.
