Western Union Wire Fraud, Loaded Handgun Stolen from Car

On November 7, police responded to a complaint of wire fraud at the Grand Nickel Party Store located in Handy Township, according to a police report from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department.

Police say the owner of the store received a phone call on November 5 from someone who she assumed was from Western Union telling her the Western Union machine in her store was not transmitting information properly. 

The storeowner explained to police that the machine has failed in the past and has needed to be reset. According to the report, the storeowner followed the instructions given to her by an unknown caller to reset the Western Union Machine. 

Police say that on November 6, when the storeowner arrived at the party store, she discovered that the numbers given to her the day before had sent $911.10 to a pre-paid credit card in Miami, Florida.

According to the report, the phone number from the fraudulent caller appeared on the store’s caller ID as Union West. Police say that phone calls to the number went to a voice mail message system.

Handgun Stolen from Unlocked Vehicle

On November 3, a Howell man reported that a handgun had been stolen from his vehicle two days before, according to a report from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department.

The owner of the Ruger 9 mm handgun, valued at $700, told police he had stored the weapon under the driver’s side seat around 7 a.m. before leaving to go hunting that day and did not notice the gun missing until 7 p.m. that evening.

According to the report, the car had been left unlocked and the gun was loaded but no round in the chamber.