2 Largo men arrested in telemarketing fraud

By JANE MEINHARDT

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 9, 2000

LARGO -- Two Largo men suspected of defrauding banks in Pinellas County and thousands of people around the country with a telemarketing and counterfeit check scam were arrested late Wednesday.

Jon Pencikowski, 42, of 6465 142nd Ave. N, and Vincent Frank DiCristo, 32, of 600 Starkey Road, were charged with scheme to defraud and three counts of grand theft. They were being held Thursday at the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $240,000 bail each.

Largo Detective Jim Monahan said investigators determined the two men created bank drafts and made fraudulent deposits amounting to about $447,000 at local banks, intending to then make withdrawals. Some money was withdrawn, but the exact amount has not been determined.

Each bank draft was for $199 and made payable to two telemarketing companies the men operated, he said.

People around the country were called from a location on Ulmerton Road and solicited to pay $199 to obtain a credit card. Their bank account information was then used to create checks, Monahan said, and no cards were ever issued.

"We don't know the loss amount yet because we don't how many checks will be returned," he said. "They were taking advantage of people who had credit and other problems."

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