Police: Local man dupes residents out of money with sick wife story

Published 1:58 pm Wednesday, June 17, 2015

By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

Authorities say a Rowan County man duped a number of residents out of money with a story about a sick wife. Rowan Sheriff’s officials said he went to door to door giving residents a fake name and a fake story to go along with it.

Michael Todd Allman, 42, was charged Tuesday with three counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense, and two counts of felony attempting to obtain property by false pretense. This isn’t Allman’s first flim-flam scheme, authorities say.

On Saturday, officials began receiving reports that a white man who used the name Mike Goodman approached random homes and told the homeowners his wife was injured in a wreck. Mike Goodman, later determined to be Michael Allman, asked for money to help pay bills and buy gasoline.

Investigators obtained information that confirmed Allman made up the story in an attempt to defraud the residents of money, officials said.

He was located by Rowan County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Interstate 85 driving a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee and arrested. Allman remained in the Rowan County Detention Center on Wednesday under a $25,000 secured bond.

In 2010, Allman told residents in the eastern part of the county his truck was broken down, and he needed money to help fix it or pay for towing charges. In those incidents, Allman used several different names. In one of those incidents, Allman used the name Jonanthan Wayne Goodman. He was convicted of obtaining property by false pretense for those offenses.

He’s also identified himself in the past as Wayne Trexler and Wayne Goodman.

In 2011, Allman was also convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a schedule I controlled substance. In 2010, Allman was convicted of obtaining property by false pretense.

He has also been convicted of obtaining controlled substances by fraud, possession of drug paraphernalia, second-degree kidnapping, possession of a schedule II controlled substance, identity theft/fraud, second-degree rape, and disorderly conduct.

He is expected in court Thursday for a first appearance.

Anyone with additional information, or anyone who may have been a victim in this fraudulent scheme, should contact Detective Basinger at 704-216-8715.