Ocean Township man fleeced for $60K, scammer on the run

A Maryland man suspected of taking $60,000 from a victim in Monmouth's Ocean Township who thought he was getting in on a counterfeiting scheme in August remains on the loose.

Leonnard Youtcha, 42, of Laurel, MD, faces a charge of theft by deception if he is taken into custody, according to township police.

On August 18, the victim told investigators that he reached Youtcha through an Internet service in the belief that Youtcha was offering an opportunity for extra income. After several e-mails, Youtcha allegedly traveled to the victim's Sunset Avenue dwelling.

He claimed to have a method of counterfeiting money by placing actual currency between two pieces of blank paper, then soaking them with a liquid solution that would transfer the characteristics onto the blank sheets, police said.

The victim gathered $60,000 in $100 bills and the two began the "counterfeiting" operation, police said. After waiting several hours for the transformation, the victim realized that it wasn't going to happen, and that Youtcha and his money were gone, police said.