A Liberian identified as James Smith, who goes by Ricky Smith on Facebook, has been arrested in Maryland, United States, after being accused of defrauding an 80-year-old woman of more than $26,000 in a sophisticated scam.
Smith, 30, who has lived in the U.S. for over nine years, was arrested on September 14 when detectives from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) set up a sting operation. Authorities say Smith posed as part of a group that tricked elderly victims by pretending to be agents of the U.S. Treasury Department. The suspects allegedly told victims they would face criminal charges unless they handed over large sums of cash.
According to investigators, the elderly woman involved had already paid out more than $26,000 before police intervened. Detectives continued the ruse, arranging for the suspects to collect another $10,000. Smith showed up to pick up the money and was arrested on the spot without resistance.
Authorities revealed that the scheme involved moving large amounts of money collected from elderly Americans and sending the funds overseas. Sheriff T.W. Chilton condemned the act, stating: “What kind of person does this to the elderly, sometimes taking their entire life savings. We get these types of calls daily with usually no leads. Thankfully this clown wasn’t that resourceful and he can stare out the bars until court!”
Smith now faces multiple charges, including Money Laundering, Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, and Obtaining Money by False Pretenses. He has been turned over to jail and is being held without bond.
Now, the man who left Liberia nearly a decade ago to build a new life is facing serious charges, money laundering, conspiracy to commit a felony, and obtaining money by false pretenses. Sheriff T.W. Chilton didn’t mince his words, calling Smith a “clown” who preyed on the elderly and will now “stare out the bars until court.”
For many Liberians who followed Ricky Smith’s life online, the news of his arrest is a bitter pill to swallow. His social media, which once displayed the lifestyle of an immigrant living in the U.S., now serves as a reminder of how quickly one can fall from grace. This news stings deeply. At a time when the diaspora community is celebrated for education, business, and hard work, the arrest of someone who carried the Liberian identity in a foreign land adds an embarrassing twist.
As the legal process unfolds, Smith’s case is likely to remain a talking point in both Liberia and among Liberians in the diaspora. For the community, it is not just about one man’s downfall, it is about the shadow such acts cast on a nation’s image abroad.
