Jeffrey Elvington
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies booked a Saugus man nicknamed the “Valentine’s Day Scammer” on grand theft and burglary charges Monday afternoon.
Jeffrey Elvington, 40, of Saugus, is being charged with crimes similar to the ones for which he already was sentenced to a year in jail, according to Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
“Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies want to thank the public for coming forward to talk about their encounters with this suspect,” Dubin said. “This kind of cooperation makes its easier for law enforcement officials to better protect the community we serve from those who wish to victimize it.”
After an investigation by detectives, Sheriff’s Station deputies arrested Elvington in June, however they had suspicions that there were more suspects out there.
Now that more people have come forward, a case was once again presented, and charges are being sought by the District Attorney’s Office, Dubin said.
It is alleged in one incident that Elvington stole a woman’s credit card while she was on a dinner date with him, and then he allegedly paid for the dinner, using her credit card, in front of the woman without her knowledge.
In a plea deal, Elvington was sentenced to 365 days in jail and three years of probation the first time he was caught, according to officials with the District Attorney’s Office.
“He pleaded no contest to one count of second degree commercial burglary that occurred on Nov. 2 at Macy’s,” said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office.
“He also pleaded no contest to one felony count of grand theft, which occurred in December of 2012,” she said. “He pleaded no contest to those two counts.”
Elvington was accused of stealing credit card information from the women he met. He also made up elaborate stories for his victims, according to a sergeant who supervised the investigation.
“In one case, he was saying he was a personal chef for the stars,” said Sgt. James Anderson, who was in charge of the first investigation that led to the jail sentence. “In another case, he said he was working for the government and the military in the special forces. He would make up elaborate professions to make himself seem more desirable to the people he scammed.”
Elvington was arrested by the Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crime Bureau in Santa Monica, after Santa Clarita Valley detectives obtained an arrest warrant for charges relating to grand theft and burglary.
The most recent charges allege the same crimes.
Elvington also was noted on a website, “Guardian of Valor,” which claimed to have pictures of a fake uniform that Elvington used to con women.
Elvington served about 15 percent of his one-year sentence, according to officials with the District Attorney’s Office.
“He served a total of 55 days,” said a District Attorney’s Office representative. “He served 45 days before sentencing, and 10 days after.”
Elvington is currently being held on $75,000 bail, according to Sheriff’s Station arrest records.
Valentine's Day Scammer Arrested on New Charges
