Caught on camera: "Well-dressed" man accused of panhandling, taking multiple victims
SHOREWOOD (WITI) -- He's accused of panhandling in and around Milwaukee -- and police say he's taken multiple victims. One man who nearly fell victim recently caught his arrest on video.
He's the kind of guy you'd expect to see near Capitol and Oakland in Shorewood.
"A very well dressed, gentleman-looking guy," Keith Johnson said.
When Johnson saw him, he took out his cell phone and hit 'record.' Then, Johnson realized the man was being arrested.
Felton Shands
"Within seconds he was being handcuffed," Johnson said.
The man is accused in a scam -- and Johnson says he nearly fell victim a few weeks prior to the man's arrest.
"That he worked for the Kenosha News and he was a sports reporter. He was locked out of his Jaguar. His wallet was in there, his cell phone was in there and his keys were in there -- and he was stuck," Johnson said.
The man needed money, but Johnson didn't give him any.
But Shorewood police say others report they have given the man money, or they've come close to giving him money -- including an individual who was approached at Home Depot last week and went to an ATM on Oakland Avenue to get the man some cash. Another victim called police.
Felton Shands
Police say complaints about the well dressed, well spoken gentleman with the same story have been coming in since 2012 -- from Menomonee Falls, Shorewood and Milwaukee's East Side.
This man even had an open warrant out of Wauwatosa for the same type of thing.
In fact, one of the victims posted to a website with a photo of Felton Shands -- the man arrested and cited by Shorewood police. On that site, there is post after post from others who say they've been victimized by him.
Police say Shands often promises his victims he'll get them tickets to the Bucks game or the Packers game when he gets back to work at the news agency in appreciation for their help -- but of course, that never happens.
Shorewood police say all they could do is give the man a citation -- a $376 ticket for panhandling.
FOX6 News visited the address Shands provided to police, and no one answered the door.
Felton Shands
Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this story.