Norwood police officers drove to Rikers Island in New York City Jan. 18 to retrieve Ali Almashhadani, who was under arrest on a warrant from Norfolk Superior Court. Almashhadani had been arrested by Norwood Police Department (NPD) detectives in 2019 for allegedly participating in a so-called grandparent scam on an 85 year-old Norwood woman. The woman had received a call from a man claiming to be an attorney representing her grandson and he told her he needed money to get the grandson out of jail. NPD discovered the scam after the woman had already handed over $19,000 and was preparing to give more. NPD detectives set up a delivery but intercepted Almashhadani and a cohort and arrested both men.

Almashhadani was due to stand trial in Norfolk Superior but absconded. A warrant was issued for his arrest now charging him with failure to appear. Officer Ryan Marchant of the NPD Warrant Unit was given the task of tracking Almashhadani and eventually coordinated his arrest with NYPD officers on Staten Island where Almashhadani lives.

NPD will keep the public updated.

Nice detective work PD!