Cop Talk 5, Lady Scammers

My police officer son has told me many fascinating stories about the situations cops get into in the performance of their duty. One of his tales was about a confidence women called the Stoma Lady.  This story became the basis of a book about how scammers work. Recently I received an inquiry from a retired Palm Beach Florida detective. He enclosed an article from a local newspaper that explains the mind process of one of these ladies of crime.

Take Delphine’s  Advice
Article by : Mary Frakes
Post Staff Writer

Take a tip from Delphine, folks. In fact, take anything you want from Delphine. Just don’t take a check.

You see, Delphine is not ordinary people. Ordinary people who  pay for things with a check have to give a name, rank, serial number, father’s birth date, mother’s maiden name, and so forth.

Delphine, police say, writes and runs.

After months of chasing down worthless check charges from all over northern Palm Beach County, sheriff’s deputies have arrested Delphine Jones, 29, who they say is the last of the big spenders - of money that isn’t there.

Detective Ted Okolichany of the north county substation, who has followed the trail of  “bad paper” said Ms. Jones has written in excess of $50,000 worth of bad checks to some of the finest businesses in the north part of the county.

The approximately 80 cases police say they have against her range from jewelry purchases (“she gives it away to all her friends”) to the acquisition of a fire engine red 1977 Pontiac Trans Am loaded with options that include a tape deck and stereo.

Police say she drove the car off the lot at Westwood Auto Brokers in West Palm Beach on March 3rd after writing a check for $7,226.

However, the salesman isn’t likely to be in much trouble. The check was approved by the manager.

But Ms. Jones, who the detectives described as “very polished,  and nicely dressed...she wore a lot of jewelry,” was not unappreciative of her position.

In a letter from her jail cell, she confided to the gentlemen at Westward Auto Brokers that they in essence were chumps.

“Dear Sir,” she wrote. “Thank you very much for the usage of your car. However, I would suggest the next time someone gives your company a check for $7,000 that you make sure it’s between the hour of 8 and 2 and book-keeping is open. I did, however, suggest to your salesman that he never judge a book by its cover.

I did enjoy the car and when you resell it, do list the history as told in truth. Smile!

Thanks, Delphine G. Jones

“She said the businessmen were so greedy to make a sale, they didn’t bother to clear the check,” Detective Okolichany said.

“She had expert timing. She waited until they were dying to make the sale and then got out her checkbook and wrote the check.

Okolichany said the check for the Trans Am was drawn on a checking account that had been opened with $118 initial deposit. Ninety-eight dollars of which was a worthless check.
When arrested, Okolichany said, Ms. Jones was out on a $6,000 bond from earlier bad-check charges.

Don’t even ask the bonding agency how she paid for posting bond.

Thank you Ted Okolichany for sharing an interesting insight into your work as a police officer.

Stay safe my brothers and sisters.


Please send any comments or stories you may want to appear on Cop Talk to Bob Haig at


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