Update: Suspect in $80,000 romantic fraud scheme arrested

Update

John Martin Hill, the suspect reported in an $80,000 romantic fraud scheme was arrested in Franklin, TN yesterday, according to Gwinnett County Police Department. He was booked into the Williamson County Jail at about 10 p.m. on an outstanding GCPD warrant. GCPD report that after Hill’s photo and the initial press release on May 21, some other women came forward to report that either they, or someone else they knew, were romantically involved with the subject.

“By sharing this story, it is our hope that he is not able to victimize any other women using this scam.  When meeting someone online, be very cautious sharing personal information, financial information, or cash with someone in the early stages of a relationship.  These types of con men are very good at manipulating their victims. They tend to say everything that a woman wants to hear,” GCPD said in a follow-up press release. “We are thankful that the victim in our case came forward and reported this crime.”

GCPD encourage any other women who have been victimized by Hill to report it to their local police department.

Initial Story

(Duluth, Georgia)  The Gwinnett County Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a man accused of defrauding an Alpharetta woman out of $80,000 after she began a romance with the suspect who she met on an online dating website.

According to a press release from the Gwinnett County Police Department, the victim reported to GCPD that she met a man named John Hill on Match.com. They interacted on March 27 and subsequently met the same day. He allegedly told her that he was a millionaire and during their short romance convinced her that they were in love and wanted to buy a house together. They went house-hunting, chose a home they were interested in and, within a week of knowing each other, had agreed to get married. The woman gave the suspect more than $80,000 to use toward the purchase of a house and furniture and that was when everything fell apart. After the exchange of money, the suspect ceased all further contact.

The case was assigned to a detective in the Electronic and Financial Crimes Unit and the detective subsequently learned that the suspect allegedly lives at an apartment in Duluth with another woman and child.  He also recently purchased a 2014 BMW and painted it black. He s identified as John Martin Hill, 35, with a last known place of residence on Plantation Trace Drive in unincorporated Duluth, Further investigation revealed that the suspect has changed his name over five times in the past two and a half years and is accused of committing similar crimes in Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey.

As of now, Hill has an active warrant in Gwinnett County for Theft by Deception (felony). His current whereabouts are not known.

If anyone has any information to share in this case, they are asked to contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com.  Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.  Case Number:  19-032646