Fake elderly victim helps lure alleged Illinois scammers into Nebraska sting

Kerwin Kerr, 46, and Shanna Kerr, 44, both of East Saint Louis, Illinois, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a Class II felony. Kerwin Kerr also was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm while committing a felony.

Homeland Security Investigations notified the Sheriff's Office on June 24 of an international criminal conspiracy ring targeting who the alleged scammers believed to be an elderly woman in Douglas County, according to Spencer Head, a spokesman for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

Head said the investigation started when a confidential informant notified law enforcement that scammers had targeted the informant's fake Facebook profile on which they posed as a vulnerable wealthy woman. According to Head, confidential informants — often retired officers or people working in law enforcement-adjacent roles — make such fake profiles to lure scammers and provide leads about them to authorities.

The alleged scammer who contacted this informant's profile claimed to be a CIA agent with the "American Cash Awards Mega Millions Sweepstakes Lottery Company" and said that in order to collect the winnings, the informant needed to pay $473,000 in fees and taxes, Head said.

The scammers said they would send a CIA agent named Kahreem as a courier to meet the elderly woman in a parking lot near 129th Street and West Maple Road at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Kahreem was to provide the woman with a code word — which was "Kahreem" — and collect the money.

Investigators with the Sheriff's Office's Special Operations Group set up surveillance on the parking lot before an individual posing as the elderly woman pulled in, Head said.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Kerwin Kerr met the victim, identified himself and took a box containing the money. The Sheriff's Office then arrested him and his wife, Shanna Kerr, who was in his vehicle.

After the arrest, the Sheriff's Office searched the vehicle and found a loaded handgun, marijuana and both U.S. and Jamaican currency.

Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson said in a press release that his department has become a "regional expert" in identifying and trying to stop scammers targeting people in Nebraska's most populous county.

"Those that choose to prey on innocent individuals in Douglas County should be warned that the men and women of the DCSO, and our partners, will endeavor to identify them, flip the script and ultimately ensure that they are held accountable for their actions," he said in the statement.

Both Kerwin and Shanna Kerr were booked into Douglas County Jail.

The joint operation included the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Group and Criminal Investigation Division, along with agents from the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations.