Police say a man posing as an undercover police officer scammed guests staying at two Conway hotels into giving him their money to check for drug residue, a crime matching similar thefts across Arkansas in recent weeks.

Police Lt. Danny Moody says the man showed a badge and a handheld radio to victims, saying they had money that may have been used in a drug buy. Moody says the man promised the victims--a person from South Carolina and a group from Texas--that he would return the money after a drug dog "sniffs" them for illicit substances.

The man never returned.

Moody's description matches a similar case in June at a Wheatley motel, when a couple from Waverly, Ohio, gave up nearly $1,000. Moody says he didn't know if the same man committed that crime, but says similar thefts also have happened recently in Arkadelphia and Benton.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Email To A Friend