Con man wanted in Duval County arrested in California, officials say

Friend Rizkkhalil, 50, arrested on grand theft warrant

The State Attorney's Office says there is a warrant for Fred Rizkkhalil's arrest

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man accused of stealing $69,000 from a Jacksonville woman and her son has been arrested in California, according to the Duval County State Attorney's office.

Fatemeh Jahromi was getting coffee at Starbucks one morning in August when the man held the door for her and they started talking.  It eventually led to a relationship.

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Investigators say he told Jahromi that his name was Fred Ramsey and he worked for the CIA. From there, she said, everything went downhill.

"He took everything -- all of my clothes, all of my furniture, all of my stuff. Everything," Jahromi said.  She said he convinced her to sell her home so they could buy a condo together, but instead he took off with proceeds from the sale, about $59,000 and all the money she had in savings, $10,000.  

Investigators with the state attorney's office said the man's real name is Friend Rizkkhalil, and that he's a 50-year-old Egyptian man and con artist.  An arrest warrant was issued for him last week on a charge of grand theft.

The I-TEAM has learned law enforcement received a tip from a woman in California who became suspicious of Rizkkhalil after the two met.  She googled his name and discovered he was wanted.

Extradition proceedings are pending. Investigators believe there could be more victims. If you or someone you know has been a victim of Rizkkhalil, email us: ITEAM@news4jax.com or call our tip line: 479-6397.


About the Authors:

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.