Milford police uncover alleged fraud scheme at motel

By James Tinley
Register Staff
MILFORD — A cabby’s complaint early Wednesday morning led to the arrest of a man police say was cooking up chemicals in a Rowe Avenue motel to run a fraud scheme known as "magic money."
Samuel Asare, 34, who admitted being an illegal immigrant from Africa, was arraigned Monday at Superior Court on charges of second-degree forgery, criminal impersonation and interfering with police. He was ordered held in lieu of $250,000 bail and is due back in court Wednesday.
Police said they are unaware of any victims in this case.
Police said the "magic money" or "wish, wash" scam involves convincing a person that a suitcase is full of money when it’s actually construction paper.
According to police, the scam is run like this: The perpetrator tells the potential victim that a large sum of money has been blackened so it could be smuggled out of a foreign country, and that only a "special chemical" can turn the blackened money back to usable bills. The "money" is actually black construction paper wrapped into tight "bricks."
The perpetrator then demonstrates the "magic" transformation by wiping a black coating from a few real bills to convince the victim that it works. The scam artist then offers to sell the "magic" solution and blackened money to the victim for between $20,000 to $500,000.
Police were led to Asare’s room at the Red Roof Inn at about 4:15 a.m. after a cabby called to complain of being stiffed out of a fare.
When police arrived at the motel, they saw a man later, identified as Asare, at the window wearing a surgical mask. Police said Asare answered the door covered in a white powder and they could smell a strong chemical odor.
Inside the room, police said they found tinfoil wrapped "bricks" that contained a mixture of real money and black construction paper cut to the size of U.S. currency.
The Department of Environmental Protection and the Milford Fire Department were called to the motel because police at first believed they uncovered a "meth lab," police Capt. Gerald Butler said.
The powder, however, was identified as talcum and the chemicals were found to be common household substances that, when combined, "could create a bad, bad, reaction," said fire Capt. Christopher Zak.
Butler said the officer who responded to the cab driver’s complaint had learned of the "magic money" scam on a television news show, and made the connection to the items found in Asare’s motel room.
Police said Asare claimed the bricks weren’t his, and said he had chemicals and powder because he was spackling the roof. Asare also initially gave police a fake Georgia driver’s license. His last known address was in the Atlanta area, police said.
Police are asking anyone who may have been approached for this scam to contact the Detective Division at 877-1465.