In a surprising turn of events, local fence company owner Kerry Rowland is facing serious charges after allegedly intercepting phone calls and engaging in deceptive trade practices. The incident unfolded back in September when Rowland visited a competitor's business, claiming he wanted to discuss a job with one of the owners.
Unable to meet with the owners at that moment, Rowland requested to use their business telephone to make a quick call. Agreeing to his request, the competitors handed him a cordless phone. After a brief moment with the phone, Rowland returned it without conversing with anyone on the other end and left the premises.
Soon after, the targeted business realized they were not receiving any phone calls and, suspecting technical issues, contacted the phone company to open a trouble ticket. To their astonishment, a few days later, they discovered that their calls were being forwarded to Rowland's business number.
Detective Warren Smith took charge of the investigation, utilizing the victim's phone records to reach out to individuals who had attempted to contact them during the period of the incident. It was revealed that Rowland had intercepted 26 calls, impersonating the victim's business and potentially securing jobs and payments through deceit.
After an extensive inquiry, Detective Smith gathered enough evidence to obtain warrants from a judge. Rowland turned himself in this morning, facing charges of Unlawfully Intercepting Electronic Communications and two counts of Deceptive Trade Practice. He was subsequently booked into the Bi-State Jail, with a bond set at a total of $300,000.
