Web Desk
STAMFORD, Connecticut — Connecticut state prosecutors have officially dismissed charges against a man accused of stealing over $1 million in a DoorDash scam after he was fatally shot in New York earlier this year.
On Wednesday, Assistant State’s Attorney Margaret Moscati announced the decision to drop charges against 22-year-old David Smith.
Smith was killed in January outside the Heritage Homes Complex on Rhoda Quash Lane in New Rochelle, New York.
Smith had been arrested on June 13, 2023, in Mount Vernon, New York, following a Connecticut fugitive of justice warrant.
He was allegedly involved in a phishing scheme that targeted DoorDash drivers in California, stealing more than $1 million.
According to New Rochelle police, Smith’s homicide on January 6 was linked to a personal dispute over money.
Investigators have not ruled out a connection between his death and the DoorDash scam.
Smith faced multiple charges, including first-degree larceny, third-degree identity theft, second-degree forgery, trafficking in personal information, and first-degree computer crime.
During Wednesday’s hearing at Stamford’s state Superior Court, Smith’s lawyer, Frank Riccio, confirmed that federal authorities have now filed a civil forfeiture complaint.
They aim to seize $736,040 recovered by Stamford police during their investigation.
The complaint suggests that the confiscated funds resulted from wire fraud and money laundering.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nelson, handling the forfeiture case, declined to comment since the matter is still ongoing.
The case against Smith began on January 5, 2023, when Stamford police responded to his Prospect Street apartment over a domestic violence report involving a pregnant woman.
While investigating, officers found large stacks of cash, payment cards under different names, two California driver’s licenses, five cellphones, and five safes.
They seized the items, including over $50,000 in cash and a handgun.
A deeper investigation revealed that Smith had been running a phishing scam since June 2020.
According to the police affidavit, Smith would place fake DoorDash orders in California and use an app to impersonate DoorDash support.
He would contact drivers, claiming their accounts were frozen due to a stolen card and ask for verification.
Smith would then send a link to a fake DoorDash site or a verification code. Once he gained access to a driver’s account, he would change their banking details to his payment cards and withdraw their earnings.
To delay detection, Smith would tell drivers their paychecks would be late due to the issue. This tactic slowed victims’ ability to notice the theft and recover their funds.
Bank records suggest Smith repeated this scam on more than 700 DoorDash drivers, stealing around $950,000. Police also found evidence of the scheme on Smith’s cellphones.
Although criminal charges have been dropped due to Smith’s death, the federal investigation into the seized funds continues.