Oklahoma Man Faked His Own Kidnapping, Asked Friends and Wife for Ransom Money: Cops
The Oklahoma man asked his wife and some friends to donate $375 each to a PayPal account.
An Oklahoma man faked his own kidnapping and then sent ransom texts to his wife and friends, police said.
Jonathon Michael Davis, 34, was arrested last week and charged with extortion and false reporting of a crime, according to the Owasso Police Department.
The man's family contacted authorities after receiving ransom notes demanding that funds be deposited to a PayPal account or Davis would be physically harmed.
The texts went to Davis' close friends and his wife, Owasso Deputy Chief Jason Woodruff told InsideEdition.com Wednesday.
"The family contacted us. They assumed this was a legitimate kidnapping," Woodruff said. Each note asked for $375, he said.
Woodruff said he had no idea why Davis allegedly asked for that amount.
Federal agents joined Owasso officers in trying to find Davis.
The man's cellphone was tracked to a casino, Woodruff said. Authorities found Davis inside, sitting at a gambling table with his phone, he said.
"This is a new one on me," Woodruff said. "I've been a police officer for 25 years and I've never seen anything like this," he said.
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