Stamford Police Bust Alleged Scam Artist By Staking Out His Mom's Funeral

STAMFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Police in Stamford, Connecticut have tracked an alleged scam artist who escaped police in that and other states for months.

As WCBS 880's Fran Schneidau reported, it was right out of Keystone Cops, as police were on the trail of a scam artist who had conned numerous people in Fairfield County.

Stamford police Capt. Richard Conklin said suspect Jimmy Magell was on the lam, but his exit from the state was delayed when his mother suddenly died.

Police got wind of that and turned up at a funeral home in New Haven.

"We staked that out with the New Haven Police Department – a number of our officers in various disguises and costumes – and lucky for us, he entered the funeral home," Conklin said. "We took him into custody."

Police said Magell's latest alleged scam was to convince an elderly Stamford man to pay him $138,000 to fix the man's aging Chevrolet Caprice.

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