After I retired I took on a case where a young man was wrongfully arrested. He booked a trip with a lady Liberty Travel agent. When he arrives at his hotel in San Diego the agent calls him to see how he is doing. He thinks this is great…..until she asks him for the money he owes her. What money, I paid in full. She goes on to curse him out. She tells him she did what he asked of her, I.e., he brought $500.00 to his friend Steve in Forest Hills. He doesn’t have a clue what she is talking about. She continues to harass him on the phone and continues to harass him after he returns to NY. He yells at her on the phone and he gets arrested for harassment. The police never bother to interview Steve even after the complainant knows where she went to deliver the money.
I get on the case from there and go to Steve’s building and interview the super. He tells me this guy Steve should be thrown out of the building. He then tells me a ‘nurse’ called him to complain about him. He gives me the name of the ‘nurse’. She is actually a receptionist on the Queens/Nassau border for a dental office.
I interview her. She tells me an incredible story. She is a new employee of the dental office and doesn’t yet know all the dentists or the visiting dentists that do specialized work.
She gets a call from a periodondist who calls himself Dr.Friedman. Such a dentist does do work at the dental office. He tells her he heard about her and hears she is a good gal. Could she help him with a problem. She is all too willing to help. He tells her he has a friend by the name of Steve. Steve has problems with meeting woman. Would she go to his apartment to give him support. He tells her that when Steve answers the door he will probably be naked. Not to worry, he is harmless. She agrees to go. Dr.”Friendman’ will pay her $300.00 for her services.
An hour or so later “Dr.Friedman” calls again and asks he if she has $300. Could she give it to Steve to bolster his ego. She agrees. He will pay her the $300, plus the 300, and pay her expenses.
A short time later Steve calls her and tells her he knows what she has been asked to do. Will she come? Sure, I’ll be there with bells on. She gets there and Steve is as advertised, he is naked, and he is masturbating when she enters. She admits to masturbating him to climax. Gives he the $300.00 and leaves.
Monday morning she is anxiously waiting for Dr.Friedman. A Dr.Friedman arrives and ignores her. She waits for a bit and then goes into the doctor’s office to confront him. He hasn’t a clue what the hell she is talking about. He asks her if she bought him a sandwich. She is pissed and believes Friedman and Steve are in on this. She thinks better of it and goes to see Steve and raises holy hell. He gives her back only $200, and promises to give her the rest later.
I bring this back to the DA and the charges against the vacationer are dismissed. I first call NCPD as the dental office was on the border. The sex crimes unit and the 4th Pct.detective squad have a file on this guy Steve.
This guy is a master social engineer. He makes countless calls until he hit’s a mark that listens to his nonsense. How he knew the guy booked a trip with a Liberty agent is still a mystery to me. How he knew about a Dr.Friedman and the young gal being a new employee, is also a mystery to me.
Steve is still out there plying his trade and that was almost 20 years ago.
Imagine Steve going on Craig’s List or Backpage and dialing until he finds a mark. Is it likely he is the Gilgo Killer? Probably not because there are thousands just like him out there that have nothing better to do than to entice woman into doing things most would not ordinarily do.