Alleged ‘habitual criminal’ must be jailed, says investigator
MARLOTH PARK - Wellknown private investigator, Mike Bolhuis, has labelled alleged Marloth Park scamster Larissa Maritz “a habitual criminal” and said she must go to jail.
She has already been found guilty of the theft of a trailer and fined R3 000, and she faces at least six other charges.
Lowvelder reported before that Maritz had been charged with at least eight cases of fraud or misrepresentation relating to the letting or sale of holiday accommodation in Marloth Park. These cases are to be heard in courts in Margate, Port Edward, Middelburg, Vanderbijlpark,
Belair, Potchefstroom, Honeydew and Kriel.
Marloth Park Tourism worked with complainants to consolidate case information and pass it on to the relevant law enforcement departments, as well as to Bolhuis’s team.
Carmen Theunissen, a director of Marloth Park Tourism, said the frustration they have been experiencing with the prosecution of Maritz is that the various investigating officers in the different towns might not be aware of similar charges lodged against her in other towns.
A complainant recently told
Lowvelder that she had been approached by a man who described himself as “a friend of Maritz’s family”. He approached her at a magistrate’s court where she was to give evidence in her case against Maritz.
“He urged me to drop my charges against Larissa Maritz, but I refused.” The complainant asked to stay anonymous, as she feared victimisation from this man.
But the man did not leave after their discussion. “He was still watching me. If I walked somewhere, I saw that he was following me and watching me. This really scared me.”
The man also called her on her cellphone, but she blocked his number.
Lowvelder has his phone number and tried to call him for comment, but he does not answer.
The alleged family member negotiated on Maritz’s behalf to have the charge against her withdrawn if she repaid the money she took. Bolhuis said that is nonsense. “We are urging members of the public who have had dealings with her and feel they have been wronged, to register cases against her.”
Bolhuis said people should not do business with Maritz or people like her. “Make sure who you are dealing with before you pay or lose any money. If you intend doing online business with someone who is not a well-known online vendor, do some homework first.
“And remember: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Only deal with wellknown and reputable brands.
“You will not believe to what extent swindlers will go to in scams. Falsified IDs and fake registration documents for vehicles are nothing new.”
In the past, Maritz allegedly also operated scams in which she advertised liquor and tobacco products on Facebook during the hard lockdown. Unsuspecting members of the public would then pay money into a back account for her, but the liquor and cigarettes were never delivered.
Jan Roos has been tasked by Bolhuis to assist in the Marloth Park scams allegedly perpetrated by Maritz. “Maritz used at least seven different telephone numbers in the Marloth Park scams,” Roos said. “We are also aware of at least eight false identities she used."
Attempts to speak to Maritz have proven unsuccessful.