The Region - News from July 7, 1985

A Hollywood man was arrested by U.S. Postal inspectors for allegedly operating a telephone solicitation scheme that netted $75,000 from victims who didn’t receive gifts as promised. Bobby L. Pittman, 38, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate James W. McMahon after he was arrested while trying to cash about $5,000 in checks at a Wilshire-area branch of First Interstate Bank, postal authorities said. According to Postal Inspector Bill Watson, several people around the country were randomly called and asked to mail in $500 in order to receive a “guaranteed” gift--such as a motorcycle, an 18-foot sailboat or a new Porsche automobile. No gift ever was received.