Latest news with #DevinJohnson
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
US$160,000 in jewelry bought with fake money by 2 men at jewelry store, U.S. district attorney says
Devin Johnson was arrested after police said he used fake money to buy $160,000 in jewelry from Victoria Jewelry. (WBZ via CNN Newsource) BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) - A Tennessee man was arrested after police said he used fake money to buy US$160,000 in jewelry from a store in Boston. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney, 20-year-old Devin Johnson and another man purchased numerous pieces of jewelry from Victoria Jewelry on Temple Place in Downtown Crossing back in April. They allegedly bought a rose gold and diamond bracelet worth $15,000, a rose gold and diamond chain worth $50,000, two Rolex watches worth $45,000 and $23,000 and a gold and diamond tennis chain worth $30,000. An employee of Victoria Jewelry told police he had made contact with one of the men via Instagram and text message, who told him he wanted to purchase the items. The two men allegedly paid in cash and two days later, store employees put the cash through a money counter and learned it was fake. Detectives said the bills had 'In Prop We Trust' written on them and were similar to money used on movie sets or for toys. Johnson and the other man were identified through video surveillance. Detectives said they also tracked social media pages used by the men, which featured photos and videos of them displaying items identical to those bought at Victoria Jewelry. In one Instagram post, the second man allegedly displayed a watch and tagged Johnson with the caption, 'We made history bro.' Johnson was arraigned on July 22 on one count of larceny over $1,200. He was released on personal recognizance and told to stay away from Victoria Jewelry. He's due back in court on Sept. 23 for a pretrial hearing. The second man has yet to be arraigned. 'The facts here outline an incredibly audacious scheme to purchase real jewelry—and hugely expensive jewelry at that—with phony money, which eventually came undone through thorough, tenacious work by Boston police detectives. These suspects, like so many others, may have thought they got away with something. Like so many others, they thought wrong,' Suffolk County district attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. By Victoria D.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
More than $100,000 in jewelry bought with fake money by 2 men at Boston jewelry store, DA says
A Tennessee man was arrested after police said he used fake money to buy more than $100,000 in jewelry from a store in Boston. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney, 20-year-old Devin Johnson and another man purchased numerous pieces of jewelry from Victoria Jewelry on Temple Place in Downtown Crossing back in April. They allegedly bought a rose gold and diamond bracelet worth $15,000, a rose gold and diamond chain worth $50,000, two Rolex watches worth $45,000 and $23,000 and a gold and diamond tennis chain worth $30,000. The items together were worth $160,000 An employee of Victoria Jewelry told police he had made contact with one of the men via Instagram and text message, who told him he wanted to purchase the items. The two men allegedly paid in cash and two days later, store employees put the cash through a money counter and learned it was fake. Detectives said the bills had "In Prop We Trust" written on them and were similar to money used on movie sets or for toys. Johnson and the other were identified through video surveillance. Detectives said they also tracked social media pages used by the men, which featured photos and videos of them displaying the items identical to those purchased at Victoria Jewelry. In one Instagram post, the second man allegedly displayed a watch and tagged Johnson with the caption, "We made history bro." Johnson was arraigned on July 22 on one count of larceny over $1,200. He was released on personal recognizance and told to stay away from Victoria Jewelry. He's due back in court on Sept. 23 for a pretrial hearing. The second man has yet to be arraigned. "The facts here outline an incredibly audacious scheme to purchase real jewelry—and hugely expensive jewelry at that—with phony money, which eventually came undone through thorough, tenacious work by Boston police detectives. These suspects, like so many others, may have thought they got away with something. Like so many others, they thought wrong," said Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden in a statement.
NBC News
03-03-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Tax breaks, child care and free college: How a Kansas town is enticing people to move there
With a population of about 2,100, Neodesha, Kansas, is roughly 100 miles from Wichita and Topeka in Kansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its claim to fame is the 65-foot-tall tower that supported the drilling framework for the first commercial oil well west of the Mississippi River, locals say. But as an old oil town, Neodesha has struggled with a decreasing population and an aging housing supply for years. When the refinery formerly owned by Standard Oil Co. closed in 1971, 'the population was cut in half over night,' according to Neodesha's mayor, Devin Johnson. 'We have seen that decline as every small community has over the last 50 years,' Johnson said. 'The thing with small communities is, if you are not growing, you are dying.' Last year, Neodesha partnered with MakeMyMove, an online relocation marketplace that connects workers with communities trying to attract new residents. Incentives include tax waivers and free college The town is now offering qualifying new residents incentives — such as waiving state income tax through 2026 along with property tax rebates and help with day care for working parents — as well as access to existing perks, including student loan repayment assistance up to $15,000 and free college tuition through the Neodesha Promise scholarship program. MakeMyMove, which has worked with 88 communities across the U.S., screens applicants and connects them with local resources. Since the program launched in 2024, more than 30 people are in the process of moving to Neodesha, according to Evan Hock, MakeMyMove's co-founder and chief operating officer. 'We've awarded over $1 million in scholarships, and I feel like we are helping the community and making some real progress,' said Ben Cutler, who grew up in Neodesha and now funds the scholarship program, which started in 2020 and is available to any graduate of Neodesha High School in good standing. (Neodesha's promise program will cover tuition at participating colleges or associate degree programs and vocational schools nationwide.) 'One of my key focuses was helping build the community, to help in any way I could to make Neodesha a more attractive community for young families, and I think we're making some real progress in that regard — I certainly hope so anyway,' Cutler said. Meanwhile, efforts are also underway to construct hundreds of new homes, apartments and duplexes in the region, along with the development of retail and commercial spaces and the renovation of several historic buildings on Main Street. 'We've got to cherish what we've got but make sure we make Neodesha an attractive place for people to come,' Johnson said. These cities will pay you to move there Other communities across the country have also been upping the ante with cash incentives or voucher programs for people willing to move. For example, workers relocating to Topeka can receive up to $10,000 for rent for the first year or up to $15,000 to put toward buying a home. Another program affiliated with the West Virginia Department of Tourism is offering a cash incentive of $12,000 along with access to free coworking spaces and outdoor recreation packages for those who move to the state for at least two years. The Shoals Economic Development Authority offers $10,000 in cash to full-time remote employees who are willing to relocate to the Shoals community in northwest Alabama. 'This is a cost-effective way of doing economic development,' said MakeMyMove's Hock. The communities 'usually get a return within the first year.' However, 'incentives are not the reason people actually move,' he said. Affordability is key, he said, but community also plays an important role. 'They are looking for quality of place, they want a community connection, that's what is motivating the move,' Hock said. 'A family-friendly place to live' Incentive programs in Neodesha and other regions are gaining steam as residents from major cities across the country increasingly migrate to Southern and Midwestern spots where housing costs are less severe, and where construction is keeping up with the demand, reports show. United Van Lines' annual 2024 study found a growing shift away from the cities and suburbs of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago toward more 'livable' locations with lower day-to-day living expenses. Kaitlyn Sundberg never expected that she would move to Kansas. Sundberg and her husband, Jack, lived in Southern California but struggled to save enough for the down payment on a home of their own. 'We were living with my in-laws, and we were not able to afford anything,' said Sundberg, 27. Sundberg's husband, who worked as an estimator for a telecom company, expanded his job search — significantly — and found an opportunity as the program manager for Southeast Kansas Inc. When they visited Neodesha, 'it just seemed like a family-friendly place to live,' Sundberg said. 'We spent a Saturday looking for a house — there were kids riding bikes,' she said, 'I just cried.' The couple moved to Neodesha with their two dogs 18 months ago, even before the incentive program launched. Sundberg now works as the executive director of the new early learning center in town after a neighbor brought over the job posting and suggested she apply for the position. 'Being away from family is the hardest part,' she said, 'but I would never want to move back.'
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Small Kansas town wants to pay you to move in
(NewsNation) — Relocation can be expensive, but not when someone else is paying for it. Neodesha, Kansas, a town of little more than 2,400 people, wants more neighbors and partnered with Make My Move to do so. It is situated approximately two hours from Kansas City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. A total incentive package of $6,800 is available, with benefits including a state income tax waiver, student loan repayment assistance and college scholarship incentives up to $25,000. 'Dogs' Date Out': Take a shelter dog on a date this Valentine's Day Applicants must make at least $50,000 annually and have a remote job to be eligible for the benefits. Neodesha Mayor Devin Johnson joined 'NewsNation Live' to discuss the project and what residents can look forward to in the rural Midwest community. 'People who are ready to get out of the city, and come to a small town and live a simple life,' Johnson said of the potential transplants. 'And be involved in something, there's so much more than just going to work every day and just going home. There's so much more happening in these small rural communities than people realize.' Johnson revealed Neodesha could have its first mover soon: A woman from Kentucky considering a change to the Midwest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
