Police Report Bogus Robbery Reports Were Drug Deals Gone Bad
(Lt. William Wilson, Ferndale Police Department, 12/17/2011)
Yesterday, I put out a news release (below) about three recent robberies in Ferndale. Investigation revealed that two of the three crimes did not happen as they were reported. One person was arrested for the two robberies. It turned out that the victims were not robbed, but were scammed out of money while attempting to purchase marijuana from the suspect.
At about 12:30 this morning, Ferndale Officer Ken Jaklic noticed a person matching the general description of the reported robber on 8 Mile. The officer stopped to talk to the person and eventually detained him. The suspect (JOHNNY CLYDE MCDANIELS, b/m 01/28/92, Detroit resident) had two layers of clothing on. The under layer sweatshirt matched what the purported victims of the armed robbery described. McDaniels admitted to stealing money from the couple (Diana Lynn McGee, w/f, 01/18/84, Ferndale resident and Willie Lee Yonts, b/m, 11/21/77, Ferndale resident). However, McDaniels said he scammed them out of money by promising to deliver drugs for cash. After getting the cash, he claimed to be going to get drugs and never returned.
McDaniels said that he also stole from the 17 year old young man who reported having his cell phone stolen at 9 Mile and Woodward; again he said that he scammed the victim out of the money in another similar bad fake deal.
Police interviewed all three suspects of the reported robberies, and they all admitted to lying when they made the police reports and admitted to being bilked out of money in bad drug deals.
In Court this afternoon, all subjects were arraigned before Magistrate Brennan on ordinance violations.
· Yonts pled guilty to Making a False Police Report. His bond was set at $10,000 cash/surety/10%. Yonts is also on probation out of the MDOC Wayne County Office. FPD has not yet had messages returned regarding his probation.
· McGee pled guilty to Making a False Police Report. He bond was set at $750 cash/surety.
· McDaniels was arraigned on two counts of Larceny by Trick and was released on personal bond of $500 per charge.
· The 17 year old who reported the crime on 9 Mile was released on personal bond on the charge of Making a False Police Report. This is a young man who has no history with law enforcement contacts, he committed a serious error of judgement, and I do not see any value by including his information in this e-mail as it will likely cause embarrassment to him and his family and may hamper is ability to work through this and get on with a productive life. Therefore, I have not included more information on him.
PRIOR REPORT….
Police Report: Increased Armed Robberies
(Lt. William Wilson, Ferndale Police Report, 12/15/2011)
Unfortunately we have reports of three recent robberies other than the Charter One bank robbery and the Taft School shooting.
As a reminder for this time of year, or any time, people should be cautious of their environment. Residents should:
- Try to avoid being out during late night/early morning hours.
- Try to stay in well lit areas.
- Travel in public areas in view of others.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to who is around you, and avoid suspicious people or circumstances. Phone the police if you see somebody or something even remotely suspicious. Call immediately upon having a hunch, do not wait until a crime actually occurs.
- Do not travel alone if you are out during dark, or have to go through remote areas (alleys, dark secluded side streets, wooded park areas, etc.)
- Be aware and keep watch over vulnerable people (children, elderly, lone women at night, etc.)
It is especially important that if somebody sees something suspicious that they phone police immediately. Many crimes can be avoided if police get the early call of suspicious behavior, or if the crime occurs, police will be more likely to catch the offenders.
110013991
SUMMARY: On 12-10-11 at 00:17 hours officers responded to a residence on East Woodland on an armed robbery. A 32 year old Royal Oak man and 24 year old Pleasant Ridge woman had gone out to their car which was parked on E Woodland. While they were in the car two unknown black men approached them, displayed handguns, and demanded their wallets, purse, cell phone and keys. The two men fled the scene by walking west on E Woodland. A police dog from Southfield Police conducted a track from the scene to the Woodward alley, then south through the alley to E Maplehurst where the trail ended. Officers searched the area with negative results.
SUSPECT DESCRIPTIONS: The two men are described as being medium to dark skinned black males in their 20′s. Both are approximately 5′ 08″ tall (one was slightly taller than the other), thin to average build, and both were wearing dark clothes and hats.
STOLEN PROPERTY: Taken from the woman were the car and house keys, her purse which contained her wallet, $100 in cash and credit cards. The man lost his wallet which contained credit cards, approximately $20 in cash, and his Android cell phone.
110014112
On 12-13-11 at 1848 hrs, Ferndale police responded to the area of 9 and Woodward on a report of a larceny from person. The Victim was a 17 year old young man from Oak Park who stated he was waiting for the bus on the south side of Nine Mile near the alley when he was approached by a young BM wearing all black and glasses. The BM asked the victim if he knew what time the bus came by. When the victim took his phone out of his pocket to look, the subject grabbed the phone from victim’s hand, along with a $20 bill that was in the same hand. The BM then ran away through the alley southbound.
Victim said he gave chase to the subject and chased him through the post office parking lot on W Troy and lost him after he jumped over a fence to Saratoga. Victim looked around for the subject then returned to 9 Mile where he notified a Ferndale Officer of the incident.
Police were unable to locate a suspect.
110014161
On 12/15/11, at 4:55 a.m. Ferndale cars were dispatched to 1100 W Eight Mile on a report of a Robbery-Armed that had just occurred. The suspect was described as a young b/m wearing all black with a black hoodie. He was last seen running south on Stoepel from Eight Mile. The suspect was armed with an unknown handgun. Further information was that the victims and suspect were the same parties involved in a Detroit Armed Robbery that occurred at about 3:00 a.m. on 12/15/11 at the Valero on Eight Mile and Livernois in Detroit.
Ferndale cars arrived within moments and established a perimeter; the suspect was not in sight upon arrival. Royal OAK PD sent a canine unit to try and track the suspect. The track failed shortly after traveling south on Stoepel.
Suspect Description:
B/M late teens to early 20′s, 5’09″ 140 to 150 lbs, clean shaven. LSW a black hoodie with “Southpole” in white letters across the chest. Black jeans and black shoes. Fled on foot (twice) south on Stoepel from Eight Mile. VICTIMS: 34 man, 27 woman, Detroit residents.