HOUSTON — Harris County prosecutors have identified a man accused of a voice-cloning scam that KHOU 11 News has been reporting on for weeks.
Prosecutors said they tracked down the suspect the old-fashioned way -- by tracing the money to a bank account in New Jersey.
KHOU 11 News interviewed some victims in March, who reported a separate case. They said they were happy to hear that someone was being held responsible for a similar scam.
"I was surprised to start with because I didn't expect that to happen," Fred said.
In March, Fred and Kathy told us they were called by a man claiming to be a public defender named John Steinburg. The person put someone that sounded like their son on the line and asked for thousands of dollars to get out of jail.
In the case prosecutors are working on now, Houston police charged a man accused of using the same name -- John Steinburg -- in a different scam. In October of last year, a Houston woman gave $20,000 cash and then wired a second $20,000 payment to get her son out of jail but turns out none of it was true.
"I can't believe it. It's just awful," Kathy said.
Prosecutor Sheila Hansel works in the Consumer Fraud Division at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. She said they're aware of cases in Tennessee, Utah, New Jersey and Texas.
"It's a script. It's exactly the same -- the actors involved, and there is a team. They all say the same things. It's the same story," Hansel said.
In this case, Hansel said, a man named Roman Guzman, from New Jersey, has been charged with felony theft. The Harris County District Attorney's Office said they're working with law enforcement in New Jersey to find him.
"When you wire something, it leaves a very nice trail," Hansel said. "It was kind of rewarding to put a face to the person who was taking the money out of the bank and have that person identified."
But, Hansel said, scammers like this don't operate alone and there are likely other suspects and victims.
While no one has been charged in Kathy and Fred's case, at least they know that investigators are watching.
"I hope they are able to track this guy down before he takes advantage of anyone else," Kathy said.