A Montgomery Township man is facing dozens of felony and misdemeanor charges after he allegedly scammed multiple users on Facebook Marketplace out more than $30,000 and area jewelers out of another $140,000.
Richard Falconio, 51, of the 200 block of Hampton Green Drive in Montgomery Township, is facing charges in Lansdale Borough, Montgomery Township, Abington Township and Philadelphia, all stemming from independent investigations by the municipality's respective police departments. The charges include felony counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property, knowledge that property is proceeds of illegal activities, dealing in proceeds of illegal activities and related conspiracy offenses, as well as misdemeanor counts of writing bad checks and simulating objects of antiquity.
Across the four criminal complaints, investigators allege that Falconio knowingly wrote fraudulent checks to area jewelers — including $33,920 to Marks Jewelers in Montgomery Township and $56,105.80 to Kohler’s in Lansdale Borough — to secure high value jewelry and loose stones. In total, Falconio allegedly scammed the jewelers out of a combined $140,835.80 across the four municipalities, investigators said.
Investigators from the Lansdale Borough Police Department said that Falconio sold the items he had secured from Kohler’s Jewelers to Muller Rare Coins and Fine Jewelry in Hamburg, then used the proceeds of the sales at Rivers Casino in Philadelphia. Additional documents state that Falconio received less than half of the value of the items.
In addition to the allegations of writing bad checks, investigators from the Montgomery Township Police Department allege that Falconio had been scamming users on Facebook Marketplace since November 2020 under the alias “Vinny Salva.” Scams on the marketplace included receiving money for items, including a Rolex watch, then ceasing all communication with the buyer and failing to send the item that was purchased, according to the criminal complaint.
In one case, investigators said Falconio agreed to sell a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport to a 77-year-old victim in East Norriton Township in February 2021, only to take the $10,075 from the victim without delivering the vehicle. Falconio was also able to somehow secure an additional $14,000 from the victim via loans, investigators said.
In total, investigators said Falconio stole $24,750 from the elderly victim, and at least $6,000 from other victims on the marketplace. Combined with the total from the jewelers, Falconio scammed more than $170,000, investigators said.
Court records indicate that Falconio has a combined formal arraignment in Montgomery County on Oct. 13 regarding the charges from Montgomery Township and Lansdale Borough. Falconio is waiting his preliminary hearing for the Abington charges, which has been scheduled for Sept. 14, and he has already been formally arraigned on the charges in Philadelphia.
Court records indicate that bail was set differently for each set of charges, ranging from being released on his own recognizance to $5,000 cash. It is unclear if Falconio is free at this time, though multiple dockets show him as being custody at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
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