West Hartford police have arrested two people accused of stealing packages while posing as energy company representatives.
Police said that on Tuesday a resident in the 1300 block of the Boulevard reported two people came to his door claiming to be soliciting for a Comcast. The resident said he found the pair suspicious and they did not have solicitor badges. He also noticed that the suspects did not have packages when they first came around but were carrying some a short time later.
Officers responded and found the two suspects, identified as Justice Eugene Johnson, 24, of Waterbury and Deanna Naomi Gordon, 20, of Waterbury, with stolen items.
According to police, the pair was walking around with an Eversource clipboard when they were located. They told police that they were employed by Starion Energy in Middlebury and that they were working as subcontractors for Eversource. However, when NBC Connecticut reached out to Eversource a company spokesman said they do not contract with Starion Energy and are not associated with the company.
Starion Energy said the suspects are not their employees.
Johnson and Gordon were both charged with sixth-degree larceny, interfering with an officer, and simple trespass.
All solicitors are required to have permits in West Hartford. Any suspicious activity should be reported to police.
Eversource warned customers in the past of impostors who go door-to-door pretending to represent for their company. They released a statement which read in part:
"The two individuals arrested in West Hartford are not affiliated with Eversource. Unfortunately, our customers across Connecticut continue to report receiving unsolicited phone calls and home visits from individuals selling 'discounted power' and claiming to be 'representatives' or 'partners' of Eversource. In light of this, the company is warning customers that these individuals are not affiliated with Eversource and are most likely either scammers or third-party suppliers choosing to use deceptive marketing tactics."
The company added that all Eversource employees carry company-issued identification, and any electrical contractors working with the company carry documentation. Customers can call Eversource at 1-800-286-2000 to verify this information.
A spokeswoman for Comcast said:
“All Comcast employees are required to carry identification. If a customer suspects a potential scam or anything suspicious, they should request that identification be presented prior to allowing anyone into their home. Also, anyone who has suspicions about a representative at their home should call 1-800-COMCASTimmediately to verify the legitimacy of a service call.”
