Georgia man arrested after allegedly impersonating Johnson County deputy to scam victim of cash

Hunter
05/08/24

A Georgia man has been arrested after allegedly being part of a scheme that bilked a victim out of thousands of dollars.

According to the criminal complaint, 23-year-old Gregory Scorza of Douglasville Georgia traveled to Iowa with two other suspects at the end of September 2023.  During their time in Iowa City, they impersonated law enforcement officials with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and told the victim that if they didn’t give them a large cash payment they would be arrested.

Scorza and the others were able to get two payments from the victim, totaling $15,600. Surveillance video from around the city was able to capture Scorza in the area at the time of the alleged crime.

The suspects then reportedly spent some of the money on jewelry at Coral Ridge Mall. Police say the three suspects had already scammed three other subjects in the state before the Iowa City incident.

A warrant was issued on October 9th; Scorza was arrested Monday and charged with Impersonating a Public Official, Identity Theft, and Ongoing Criminal Conduct.  He could be sentenced to up to 37 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Court records for Johnson County show the other two suspects, Demonte Brazil and Anthony Cortez Jones, have not yet been formally charged.