Police Blotter: Warrant Arrest, DWI Crash, Check Fraud, and Phone Scam Investigated in Montgomery

Nicholas Mistretta

The Montgomery Township Police Department responded to a series of incidents this past week, ranging from a warrant arrest to a suspected phone scam impersonating police personnel.

On the morning of July 13, Officer Shawn Dwyer arrested 39-year-old Joshua Bess of Princeton on an active warrant issued by Princeton authorities. Bess was located inside the Wawa convenience store, and officers who were aware of the warrant took him into custody upon his exit. He was subsequently turned over to the Princeton Police Department.

Earlier in the week, on July 10, a Hillsborough resident reported the theft and fraudulent use of two checks mailed at the Skillman Post Office. According to the report, the checks were altered and deposited into unauthorized accounts, leading to a financial loss of approximately $7,000. The case is under investigation.

On July 9, Montgomery officers were dispatched to Parsons Court at around 8:58 p.m. following reports of a reckless driver striking multiple parked vehicles. Police arrived to find a 55-year-old Belle Mead resident behind the wheel. Officers determined that while attempting to park, had hit four vehicles. After detecting signs of alcohol consumption, he was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated. He was transported to Montgomery Police Headquarters and charged with DWI, Refusal to Submit to Breath Testing, Reckless Driving, Careless Driving, Failure to Report an Accident, and Driving an Unregistered Vehicle. He has been released and is scheduled to appear in Montgomery Municipal Court.

Additionally, a Skillman resident reported receiving a suspicious phone call on July 8 from someone falsely claiming to be a Montgomery police officer. The caller used a spoofed version of the department’s non-emergency phone number and claimed there was a warrant for the resident’s arrest—a tactic commonly associated with phone scams. Police advise residents to verify the identity of any caller claiming to be a law enforcement official by requesting their name, badge number, and callback number. Residents can then call the department directly to confirm the legitimacy of the communication.

Police remind the public that all individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Photo Credit: Daniel Tadevosyan/shutterstock.com