A Memphis man suspected of traveling to Nashville to steal cellphones from downtown visitors, and using apps on those phones to steal the victims' money, is back in the Metro Jail after the MNPD's Entertainment District Unit spotted him downtown early today and arrested him on outstanding fraud warrants.
Sherman Guy, 39, who was free on $29,500 bond stemming from his three separate arrests for downtown cellphone thefts last year, is now being held in lieu of $80,000 bond on charges of felony theft, attempted felony theft, and identity theft.
The new charges stem from a Fraud Unit investigation begun in late December after a Maryland man reported that his cellphone was stolen while he was visiting a downtown bar. The thief, subsequently identified as Guy, used the phone's Venmo and Apple Pay features to steal thousands of dollars in cash. Guy is even accused of using one of the victim's credit card accounts linked to the Apple Pay app to make a $1,700 purchase from a Memphis jewelry store. The scheme also involved wire transfers and the creation of at least one fraudulent bank account.
Guy was arrested just before 2 a.m. today after officers spotted him on Broadway standing outside of a bar.
The repeated arrests of Sherman Guy serve as a reminder to all to safeguard belongings, especially cellphones, when out in public. Thieves are looking for them.
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Sherman Guy, 39