Houston police have charged three men accused of manipulating an elderly woman into buying them two trucks worth almost $100,000.
Danny Adams, 47; Frankie Stanley, 21; and Tony Yonko, 44, are charged with Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity with an enhancement because the victim is elderly. Yonko is in jail in Collin County, while police are looking for Adams and Stanley.
According to investigators with HPD’s Major Offenders Division, the three men befriended the 87-year-old victim in June. They made her feel like they wanted her to be part of their family and one referred to her as his “aunt,” said one officer, who asked local media not to identify him because he works undercover.
Police say the three men manipulated her into going to a southwest Houston dealership, where she bought them two new Chevrolet Silverado trucks with a total price tag of $89,959.
They are also accused of using her credit cards and stealing $3,000 from her. A friend of the victim’s called police when he realized what was happening.
In July, a doctor determined the victim was “totally incapacitated-unable to manage her own financial affairs,” according to court records.
“It’s very egregious because we don’t know what the extent or how far the suspects would have gone or how much money they would have gotten from her, unless the friend had actually stepped in,” said the undercover officer.
Webster police towed one of the trucks. Yonko was arrested in McKinney and charged with aggravated assault after he allegedly tried to drive the other truck into a motel.
Police say this case highlights how easily some elderly people can become victims and family, friends and neighbors need to be to on the lookout. The victim’s encounter with the men, the officer says, has changed her for the worse.
“The portions she does remember upset her, and she’s at the point now where she feels she can’t trust anybody.”
Anyone with information about Adams and/or Stanley is asked to contact Houston police at 713-308-3100.
You can also make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers online or by calling 713-222-TIPS.
