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March 28, 2008

Update: Guilty verdict ends game for con man Kluth

PROVIDENCE -- John P. Kluth Jr., a former Newport lobsterman who told a tale about a broken-down lobster truck again and again to con cash out of people, was found guilty today on 30 out of 31 charges of obtaining money under false pretenses.

Reacting to the verdict, Providence police Lt. Daniel Gannon, the case's lead investigator, said, "He was a confidence man. He was on top of his game. But his game is at an end now."

The one count upon which Kluth was acquitted -- a complaint by noted Cranston philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein.

One victim of Kluth's con came into the courtroom just to hear the verdict.

That was Eugene McMahon, state jury commissioner, whose testimony the jury asked to have read back to them earlier today. After the verdict, McMahon congratulated the prosecution team and said, "good job."

The jury reached its verdict after about 9 hours, across two days, in Providence County Superior Court. The charges range from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the amount of money and the age of the victim.

"The victims, the people whose generosity Kluth selfishly and calculatedly targeted and leveraged for his own gain and many of whom are elderly, deserve our thanks for taking the time to file criminal complaints and testify against him convincingly at trial," Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement.

Kluth's next appearance in court has not been set, the state Attorney General's office said.

Kluth also is wanted for alleged scams in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Extra: Listen to Kluth explain his actions to Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson and Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Mike McKinney at 2:43 PM | Permalink

Comments

I'm so happy to see justice served here. Kluth came off as a very cocky con man too. Those type of people need to be locked up.

Tony P | March 28, 2008 3:59 PM link

I've known this guy since we were kids. He has had a lot of bad breaks in his life but so have others, and they didn't decide to scam the elderly and vulnerable. After listening to his interview, he shows little remorse and seems to not want to take "real" responsibility for his actions. Too bad. He was a pretty good kid growing up.

p slom | March 28, 2008 4:27 PM link

Poor Kluth: another man who missed his calling. If only he had made an honest living like Alan Shawn Feinstein, a man who made his fortune selling mail order stamps to investors who hoped to build a tidy nest egg for their golden years by investing in inflation-proof collectibles. (See 2004 ProJo article about Alan at http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20040321_asf21.25b49b.html)

Yep, if only he had read "How to Get Rich in Mail Order!" But now he'll probably get a couple of years of nice quiet time to himself. If he's smart he'll spend it getting a mail order degree in journalism and economics.

Stamp out con artists! | March 28, 2008 5:26 PM link

I was conned by this guy 3-4 years ago for $100. outside St. Francis Chapel in Providence. He was pretty good to get that out of a guy, who comes from NYC and is constantly approached by beggars on the street. He had a good wrap about the lobster truck breaking down and caught me at a vulnerable time. He told me that he would pay it back and gave me his phone number, which I used a few times to call him back and he told me "the check was in the mail." I know, how stupid am I to be conned by this creep. I had his name and tracked down an aunt of his in Newport who wanted nothing to do with him and told me of his cons. She wanted me to let her know if I tracked him down. I finally got rid of his phone number and accepted the fact that I was conned and would hopefully learn from it. I'm glad they got him and would like to get my $100 back now that he's on the "recovery" track.

MP | March 28, 2008 6:30 PM link

Over the course of my life Rhode Island has turned into a republican run state the poor are getting poorer and the wealthy are getting wealthier .It is time to even the score ....

josef | March 28, 2008 8:36 PM link

John Kluth was a predator, preying on the elderly and good hearted people of Rhode Island. His con game is over and he lost. The only victims he'll be scamming now are other inmates.

Dan | March 29, 2008 4:59 AM link

March 28, 2008

Update: Guilty verdict ends game for con man Kluth

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