A father and son from Aurora have been arrested in connection with buying and selling items on social media, using counterfeit cash.
Nicholas Marchese, 22, and Francesco Marchese, 52, were arrested March 23, according to York Regional Police. A man had attempted to sell a stolen watch and another man was arrested after a search warrant was executed at an Aurora residence.
The suspects are believed to be connected to a string of robberies and social media marketplace scams, police said.
On Feb. 10, police were called by a victim who arranged to sell a gaming system. He later realized the buyers had paid with counterfeit money.
Then on Feb. 14, the same suspects met with a second victim who was selling an item. Police said they attempted to pay with counterfeit cash but the seller confronted them. The victim told police a man lifted his shirt to show what appeared to be a firearm tucked in his waistband.
Police quickly realized the first two incidents were connected and began working to identify the suspects.
A third incident then occurred on March 21, when two men met with a victim to purchase a high-end watch but grabbed the item without paying and fled in a vehicle.
The father and son are both facing charges of robbery with a firearm, theft over $5,000, fraud under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, and trafficking stolen property.
Police are reminding the public to be careful when buying and selling on social media. They said while it may seem convenient it can be risky and warn residents to trust their instincts.
Anyone with information relating to this case is asked to contact York Regional Police #4 District Criminal Investigations
Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7441 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.
