Onondaga County (WSYR-TV) -- A man accused of scamming several people in Onondaga County and former NewsChannel 9 Fugitive of the Week – Christopher Vanetten – is now in custody. And we’re learning that more victims may have been caught in his web of scams.
Since our story first aired, at least three more people have contacted the Onondaga District Attorney’s Office to say they’ve also been ripped off by Vanetten.
On Wednesday, Vanetten appeared in Schroeppel Town Court for the first of what will likely be several more court appearances. It was a quick appearance for Vanetten on a long list of traffic law violations after Friday night’s car and foot chase that began on County Route 12 in Schroeppel when a state trooper tried to stop him for having a suspended registration. He’s been on the run on both fraud and grand larceny charges in Onondaga County.
Seeing Vanetten’s face and hearing his voice again wasn’t easy for Martha O’Brien who wanted to attend the court appearance for Vanetten to see the man who scammed her mother out of $16,000 ten years ago.
“It brought back everything he did to my mother. I can remember it like it was yesterday,” O’Brien told NewsChannel 9. “I need to put this to rest and give my mother some justice for what he did to her.”
O’Brien says it was ironic that Vanetten got caught this past Friday – seven years to the day her mom had passed away. She says Vanetten never paid full restitution as ordered by the courts.
Judge set bail at $1,000 cash or bond on the traffic violations in Oswego County. He has not yet appeared in court on the fraud and grand larceny charges in Onondaga County.
