District Court Arraigns Suspected Square Con Artists On Six Counts

Two suspected con artists were arraigned yesterday in Cambridge Third District Court, each on three counts of larceny of greater than $250 and three counts of larceny on false pretenses.

The suspects, who allegedly have taken in at least $2,000 since beginning their operation, allegedly bilked at least three Asian American female students out of hundreds of dollars.

According to police reports, the con artists told victims they found a check for $4,500 on the street, then asked their victim to deposit the check and split the cash with them if it cleared.

The con artists then allegedly asked for a $500 payment in cash as a sign of goodwill that the victim would not keep all of the money, and pressured the victim to withdraw the $500 from a bank machine immediately and surrender it.

Judge Arthur Sherman set bail for each of the suspects, Edward Lee Powell Jr., 38, and Diana Perry, 47, at $1,000 in cash, said Jill Reilly, a spokesperson for the Middlesex County district attorney.

Reilly said the state had requested $10,000 in bail for each suspect, but that the judge had decided on the lower figure.

Harvard Police Lt. John F. Rooney said the state's larger bail request was due to "the strong possibility" that the suspects will flee the state and not return for their scheduled court appearances.

The suspects, who are known to have operated out of New York as well as a temporary address in Roxbury, might return to New York, Rooney said.

Harvard and Cambridge Police have said the suspects may have returned to New York after operating for a while in Cambridge last year.

Powell and Perry are due back in Third District Court for a pre-trial conference on April 26, Reilly said.

Powell was allegedly in the process of bilking a fourth person out of $500 when five undercover detectives, directed by Detective Richard P. DeCruz, arrived on the scene Friday night.

DeCruz, the arresting officer of record, was in court today to sign court documents, Rooney said.

Three cases, all involving Asian-American female students, have been reported to the Harvard Police since June 1992. Six other cases were reported to the Cambridge Police.

Rooney said the two suspects spent the weekend in Cambridge City Jail at the Cambridge Police Headquarters.

The suspects were not arraigned Monday because courts were closed for the Patriot's Day holiday

Powell was allegedly in the process of bilking a fourth person out of $500 when five undercover detectives, directed by Detective Richard P. DeCruz, arrived on the scene Friday night.

DeCruz, the arresting officer of record, was in court today to sign court documents, Rooney said.

Three cases, all involving Asian-American female students, have been reported to the Harvard Police since June 1992. Six other cases were reported to the Cambridge Police.

Rooney said the two suspects spent the weekend in Cambridge City Jail at the Cambridge Police Headquarters.

The suspects were not arraigned Monday because courts were closed for the Patriot's Day holiday