Bank scam suspects arrested minutes after stealing $5K from victim: PCSO

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - Two men face criminal charges after investigators say they stole $5,000 as part of a scam, and Pinellas County deputies caught them in the act.

Theft leads to pursuit

The backstory:

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said a Tarpon Springs resident got a call on Friday afternoon from someone claiming to work for Bank of America, demanding that the victim put $5,000 in a bag and seal it.

Deputies said two men, later identified as Laurentz Simprevil and Steve Castamby, showed up at the victim's home a short time later. PCSO said Castamby took the bag of cash from the victim's mailbox, at which point a deputy tried to pull their vehicle over.

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Castamby ran into the woods and was soon caught, deputies said, while Simprevil sped away, even driving the wrong way at times.

Deputies deployed stop sticks, according to PCSO, and Simprevil ran away, throwing the bag of cash into a creek before a K-9 helped take him down.

Mugshots of Laurentz Simprevil and Steve Castamby. Courtesy: Pinellas County Jail.

The sheriff's office said Catamby admitted to taking the bag, but denied knowing what was inside.

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What's next:

Simprevil faces charges of grand theft, fleeing and eluding, tampering with physical evidence, driving with license suspended or revoked, and resisting an officer without violence.

Castamby faces charges of grand theft and resisting an officer without violence.

Both men have bonded out of jail, records show.

The Source: This story was written using information provided by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

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