A 53-year-old veteran from Waldorf gave a financial advisor he met at a church function tens of thousands of dollars to invest, only to find out the man was pocketing the money instead.
Police said the suspect, Leslie Randolph Holmes, 61, of Upper Marlboro, ran a financial fraud through a business called "Christian Financial Services." According to police, Holmes told his the Waldorf victim that he was a certified financial advisor who represented several legitimate financial organizations.
Investigators said the veteran began giving money to Holmes to invest in 2002, handing over an initial deposit of $50,000. Holmes would send him quarterly account statements, which later proved to be bogus, and the victim kept giving him money. By February of 2011, police say the veteran had transferred over $200,000.
This year the victim attempted to withdraw some if his money from the account, but was told it was empty. That's when he contacted police.
Holmes was arrested on November 21 and charged with felony theft scheme.
Authorities believe there may be other victims, and ask anyone with knowledge of the crime or something similar to contact Detective E. Clark with the Charles County Sheriff's Office, at 301-609-6499.
