From the Great Bend Police Department
Great Bend Police Department detectives, working alongside Dallas police, have arrested a second suspect who was allegedly involved in the financial scam of a Great Bend woman earlier this fall. On Oct. 30, Great Bend police officers were dispatched to a local residence in reference to a financial crime. The victim reported being contacted by an individual who claimed to be employed by Microsoft and said he was working with the victim's local bank.
The suspect convinced the victim that multiple bank accounts and personal information had been compromised. The suspect told the victim that she would need to provide money to correct the compromised information and coerced the victim into withdrawing money and then relinquishing the money to a delivery driver. A total loss of $50,000 was reported during this incident.
Through extensive follow-up investigation, including utilizing the department's FLOCK license plate reader cameras, the suspect was identified as 43-year-old Talal Elfellah, a resident of Dallas. Detectives were able to determine that Elfellah returned to Texas immediately following the crime.
Working with the Barton County Attorney’s Office, GBPD detectives were able to secure an arrest warrant for Elfellah, as well as a warrant for the vehicle used in the crime.
On Dec. 16, GBPD detectives traveled to Dallas and began surveillance on Elfellah. On Dec. 17, with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, Elfellah was taken into custody without incident, and he was booked into the Dallas County Jail on the Barton County warrant. At some point in the near future, Elfellah will be extradited from Texas and transported to the Barton County Jail.
Elfellah's vehicle was also seized and was transported back to Great Bend, pending asset forfeiture proceedings. A second suspect in this case, 42-year-old Nathan Greenwood of Traverse City, Mich., was previously arrested on Oct. 31 when he arrived at the victim’s residence in an attempt to retrieve additional money.
The GBPD would like to thank the Barton County Attorney’s Office, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office and the Dallas Police Department for their assistance in this case.
This investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information in reference to this case or any other case are encouraged to contact the Great Bend Police Department at 620-793-4120 or Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300 or online at p3tips.com.