The Palm Desert Investigations Bureau is attempting to find additional potential victims of a 66-year-old Los Angeles resident’s alleged fraud operations, officials said in a statement Friday.
A Riverside County Sheriff’s Department statement published Friday afternoon claimed that a Palm Desert resident came into contact with Vincent Tarter, who introduced himself under a false identity and said he was “capable of fixing the victim’s legal troubles.”
Tarter was hired for a “significant amount” but did not offer any legal services in exchange, the department said.
Adult Protective Service’s contacted the RCSD’s Palm Desert station to report the incident in December, launching an investigation which led authorities to believe that Tarter was working with 55-year-old Tamela King of Glendale, according to the statement, which added that the District Attorney’s office is pursuing additional charges for King.
Investigations Bureau personnel located and arrested Tarter Wednesday in the 100 block of North Broadway in Los Angeles, the department said, after which he was booked into Indio’s Benoit Detention Center without bail on suspicion of financial elder abuse.
Authorities asserted that Tarter’s known aliases include Tony, Anthony Costa, Tony Costa and Vincent Ziti.
Anyone with additional information regarding interactions with Tarter or King was encouraged to call Investigator Grasso at 760-836-1600.