MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. — The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a Texas man in connection with a scheme that defrauded a local elderly woman of approximately $53,000.
Rockey Kuykendall faces charges of financial exploitation of an elderly person and obtaining money by false pretenses through fraudulent schemes.
Authorities said the suspect contacted the victim by phone, convincing her she had won a cash prize and a vehicle. The suspect claimed to be staying locally to deliver the winnings. An attentive family member of the victim reported the incident, prompting Marshall County Sheriff’s Detective Brad Littleton to track the checks and identify suspects.
Kuykendall was quickly identified and located in Marshall, Texas. The arrest was made possible through the combined efforts of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office detectives, Texas National Bank, and the Marshall Texas Police Department.
Kuykendall has been extradited to the West Virginia Northern Regional Jail to face charges.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities hope to identify additional suspects involved in the crime. Officials noted a dramatic increase in similar crimes targeting the elderly in recent years. They urge anyone who believes they or a family member may have been a victim of such a scam to contact local law enforcement and file a report immediately.
