Man charged with duping woman in Plainfield with puppy scam

A Maryland man was charged with stealing $990 from a woman in Plainfield by falsely claiming he had a puppy for sale.

On Dec. 29, Will County prosecutors charged Romeo Jumbam, 34, with theft by deception and wire fraud.

In February, Jumbam represented to a woman that he was the owner of business called Shiba Inus World and that he had a puppy for sale, prosecutors said in a criminal complaint. A Shiba Inu is a Japanese hunting dog, according to the American Kennel Club.

Jumbam induced the woman into making a $990 Zelle transfer to his email account, even though he “knew that no such puppy existed,” prosecutors said.

Judge Donald DeWilkins signed a warrant for Jumbam’s arrest following an investigation by the Plainfield Police Department.

The warrant carries a $25,000 bond.