One Berks County woman would not have known without LGTPD
One Lower Gwynedd detective is the only reason a Berks County woman was alerted to a scam that cost her almost $1,000. As Lower Gwynedd Township Police Detective Michael Cantrell reviewed the case files for a local hearing, a case in the township, he noticed some similarities that stood out, and notified the woman about the case.
Cantrell had obtained the bank statements of Eugene C. Luke, 63, as he looked into a cashier's check-cashing scandal in November 2023. Cantrell noticed that deposits to Luke’s bank account mirrored those amounts lost by area victims. After speaking to four women who were reportedly “duped into sending cashier’s checks to Luke,” he realized the similarities, with each, sending the funds to his address in New Jersey.
Each woman in the scandal had been told that she’d won a lottery. Luke had told the women that if they paid a percentage of winnings up front, they would be awarded a larger sum, police said. None, of course, received any funds back, despite following Luke’s directions. Cantrell noticed that one Bern Township resident was an additional victim, previously unnoticed, having sent $950 to Luke’s Wayne, N.J. home in mid-December, police said.
According to court documents, Luke acted from October 2023 through January 2024, collecting at total of 12 cashier’s checks from senior citizens throughout the country, with total amounts peaking $33,900. Luke had withdrawn nearly all of it by the time he was caught.
Luke was set free July 1 on $35,000 bail. He awaits a preliminary hearing in Berks County district courts. Luke is charged with one felony count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities with an intent to promote, and three misdemeanor counts, including theft by deception or false impression, receiving stolen property, and theft by unlawful taking.
