Jon and Molly Maggio
Real Names: Jon Christian and Molly Perez Maggio
Aliases: Jon C. Maggio, Jon C. Maggo, Rick Parker (Jon) / Sarah Parker, Sarah Eva Dilmanian Parker (Molly)
Wanted For: Fraud
Missing Since: September 2001
Case
Details: In May of 1992, Brent Trauth of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, decided to sell his Nissan sports car and a man named Jon Maggio became a potential buyer. All Maggio needed to finish the deal was a cashier's check, and Brent agreed to take him to the bank. However, along the way, and without warning, Maggio pulled out a gun, planning to steal Brent's car. The two struggled until Brent was shot in the leg. Maggio then jumped out of the car, leaving Brent to drive himself to the hospital. Maggio was arrested the next day and charged with attempted murder. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.
After he was paroled, Maggio went to Mobile, Alabama, and got a job as a Boarding Agent for Fillette Green Shipping Services. This job involved processing payroll accounts for ships in dock; this service involved sizeable amounts of cash. While in Mobile, Maggio fell for single mother Molly Perez. After a whirlwind romance, the two married in April of 1999. Although the marriage appeared to be perfect, her mother claims that Maggio was sometimes abusive and violent towards her. Molly's daughter told her grandmother that she was terrified of him and did not want to be around him.
In August of 1999, Maggio called a local bank in his capacity as a Fillette Green agent and arranged to process a cash check for $197,000. Then, sometime over the next few days, authorities believe that Maggio went into his office after hours and took a blank check. He later brought the check to the bank with the forged signature of his office manager on it. When the bank employee noticed that Maggio was nervous, he claimed that he was worried about carrying such a large amount of money. She asked if he wanted an escort, but he said that he would be fine. After that, he walked out of the bank with $197,000 in cash and disappeared.
The next day, one of his co-workers received a call from their accountant, asking if they had written out any big checks. She said that they did not, so the accountant asked for her to look for a check with a specific number. She looked and it was not there. Realizing that someone had most likely stolen the check and the money, they contacted the police. Investigators confirmed that the signature used on the check was a forgery. At around the same time, Molly dropped off her daughter with her mother. She and Maggio then left Mobile in a new $35,000 SUV which he had purchased with some stolen money.
Four months later, the Maggios reportedly turned up in Staten Island, New York, using the aliases Rick and Sarah Parker. Over the next year, Maggio bounced back and forth from one job to another, until he was able to get a sales position with an autograph dealer in Manhattan. When he attempted to cash a $1,500 check on his employer's account in 2001, a teller's routine authorization query led to the accusation that Maggio had embezzled $14,000 from the company by using forged authorization signatures. However, by the time the police were notified, the Maggios were on the run again.
While leaving, Maggio contacted his landlord, saying that he had to take Molly to the hospital. He asked the landlord to take care of their dog until they returned. When she entered their home, she discovered that the place had been trashed. Detectives later discovered that Molly had purchased two airline tickets for a flight from New York to Los Angeles, but there have been no sightings of them on the West Coast. Molly has not contacted her daughter since 1999. Jon Maggio is wanted for one count of bank fraud, but his wife Molly has not been charged with any crime. Police believe that she is with Jon and they want to question her.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the May 8, 2002 episode of Unsolved Mysteries.
Results: Captured. A co-worker of Jon Maggio recognized him on a poster at the local post office and called the authorities. On July 24, 2003, he was arrested at the Chicago restaurant where he was working. He was returned to Alabama and charged with bank fraud and parole violation. He served two years in prison before being released. Molly Perez Maggio was also located but was never charged in the case.
Links: