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Man charged in ND with masquerading as FBI agent

By WTOP Staff

JOSH WOOD
Associated Press

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) — A convicted con man who swindled Nashville, Tennessee, businesses out of five-star hotel rooms, stretch limousine rides, helicopter rentals and expensive gifts didn’t fare quite as well during a month in the North Dakota oil patch, investigators contend.

Steven Goldmann’s attempt to pass himself off as an FBI agent netted him free coffee, a government rate at a budget hotel and dog treats for his bogus K-9 unit, according to court documents released last week. He’s currently behind bars awaiting trial on federal charges.

Investigators say Goldmann, 26, rolled into Williston, North Dakota, this spring in a silver Chevrolet Tahoe with a police-style light bar attached to the front windshield. He regularly displayed a gun, holster, mace and badge, prosecutors say, and showed up one day at the Boomtown Babes Espresso shop with a passenger who was handcuffed.

Goldmann made frequent visits to the coffee shop, where the baristas dress in tight, revealing clothing and law enforcement officers receive free coffee. But workers there told The Associated Press that they could tell he wasn’t a cop.

“When you’re an officer you carry a certain air about you. He didn’t have it,” manager Angela Neuman said. Rather, she said, “he looked like a scumbag.”

Goldmann has pleaded not guilty to four counts of impersonating an officer and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His lawyers say Goldmann is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his Air Force service in Iraq.

The rich Bakken oil fields have lured thousands of fortune-seekers to western North Dakota, most looking to make an honest living. But the boom has also led to an increase of both organized crime and “fraudsters and con artists who see the growth in the Bakken as fertile ground for their scams,” says Timothy Purdon, the U.S. attorney for North Dakota. He would not comment specifically on the Goldmann case.

Williston police began looking into Goldmann’s activities in March after an interview with a hotel manager on an unrelated matter. The manager told police Goldmann had portrayed himself as a federal K-9 officer who provided drug interdiction services for a fee to local businesses, court documents show.

A records check determined Goldmann was wanted in Tennessee for violating terms of probation on a theft of services conviction. Goldmann pleaded guilty in July 2013 to felony theft of services charges in Nashville, telling people he was a successful businessman and conning a real estate company, fashion designer, vintage guitar shop, limousine company, a hotel and a helicopter rental company — among others — out of tens of thousands of dollars.

“He was quite colorful down here and he fleeced folks of some various goods and services,” Susan Niland, spokeswoman for the Nashville district attorney’s office, previously told The Associated Press.

Goldmann was given no jail time and was instead ordered to pay back the victims. An arrest warrant was issued Jan. 8 after he failed to follow through.

The military veteran had been flagged by authorities before, wanted for writing bad checks in Oklahoma, Minnesota and Montana. He was charged in Payne County, Oklahoma, in May 2011, court documents show. That was just a month before his four-year stint with the Air Force ended at Vance Air Force Base, according to Air Force spokesman Mike Dickerson. Dickerson said he could not say whether Goldmann was honorably discharged, citing federal privacy laws.

Goldmann showed up at Boomtown Babes as many as four times a day. They limited him to one free serving a day and eventually cut him after the staff suspected he wasn’t a law enforcement officer, Neuman said. On one visit to the coffee shop, there was “an older male in the passenger seat” who was handcuffed, an affidavit says, but it does not detail who the man was.

Goldmann also received a government rate at a Williston hotel after he identified himself as an official with the Department of Justice, according to court documents. Hotel staff called police after Goldmann failed to pay his bill — more than $1,900 for three weeks.

Goldmann is being held in a jail in Rugby, North Dakota, without bond, but defense attorneys have argued he should be released because he needs immediate treatment for PTSD resulting from a 14-month deployment in Iraq. His deployment also was mentioned among five recommendation letters from his military superiors at Air Force bases in Oklahoma, Ohio, New Jersey and South Dakota.

“As discussed at the (first) detention hearing, Mr. Goldmann served proudly in the United States Air Force, and was well regarded by his superiors,” a defense motion reads.

Meanwhile, the coffee shop has stopped offering free coffee to law enforcement officials.

“I tell my girls not to trust anybody,” Neuman said.

___

Kolpack reported from Fargo, North Dakota.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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