There is another twist tonight in the story of the Lebanese conman who has been bouncing checks all over the city. Yesterday police said the conman is Samir Safa and not his brother Yasser Safa. Police say Yasser visited 1their station after he heard they were looking for him and told them that it was Samir who had bought thousands of dollars in pricey equipment. Well Yasser probably didn't get a 42 inch TV but one businessman said he did get more than a thousand dollars in goods from him and he has the bounced check to prove it. Wholesaler
Vin Hong says that last year Yasser Safa bought $1,227 in liquor from him for Eternity Nightclub and paid with a check which bounced. One year later, Hong says he still hasn't recovered the money.
Vin Hong, Vin Hong Wholesale
"The first time he came to buy, we didn't trust a check from him so he bought here like two or three times with cash and then the fourth time, on a weekend, he said that because the bank is not opened on the weekend, he couldn't get cash. He gave me a cash to hold and then he'll come back and bring the cash. After I took the check he didn't come back and when I went to look for the business, I couldn't find him and he just disappeared."
Keith Swift,
What did he buy from your store?
Vin Hong,
"Liquor and soft drinks and beers, more than a thousand dollars in that. I only know one of their names, Yasser, but I don't know the other brother's name. I just know Yasser's name."
Hong is currently suing Yasser Safa in Magistrate's Court to recover the money but the court has been unable to locate Yasser. Police Press Officer G. Michael Reid says the police now know where Yasser is but he says he isn't sure if Yasser will be arrested for the bounced check. Police are however actively seeking his brother Samir.
