COLUMBUS – Police caught up with the con man they say was preying on college students with a phony buy-one-get-one-free offer on laptops.
A tip led police to where Mark Hayes was hiding at a Days Inn, 2100 Brice Road, where he was taken into custody, according to information on the Columbus Division of Police Facebook page.
Hayes, 49, was arrested on a warrant for theft by deception and was taken to the Franklin County Jail where he was awaiting a Thursday morning court appearance, Burglary Unit detective Bruce Beard said.
The case will be presented to a grand jury where authorities will seek additional charges, Beard said.
Hayes, 49, bilked college students in the Polaris Mall area by claiming to be a manager at Best Buy and promising a buy-one-get-one deal on laptops, Burglary Unit detective Bruce Beard said.
Beard says Hayes took the cash but didn’t provide the laptops.
Hayes has a long criminal record, according to police.