A man who was in prison for swindling love interests out of money is accused again of kissing and stealing, Clay County authorities said today.
Ryan S. Blevins, 34, has been charged with stealing at least $500 from a woman he was dating, according to Clay County court records. If convicted, he faces two to seven years in prison.
In addition Blevins was charged in Jackson County with felony forgery last week for cheating a woman out of money in Blue Springs, authorities said.
In 2003, Blevins was convicted in federal court of bank fraud that involved swindling 22 women, court records say. He was sentenced to five months in prison and five years of probation and was ordered to pay $90,680 in restitution.
His probation was revoked last week and he was taken into custody by federal officials when he showed up for an appointment with his probation officer, said Blue Springs Detective Troy Pharr.
“They used to call him the Raytown Romeo,” said Pharr, referring to where authorities believe where Blevins resides.
Blevins’ probation officer told Liberty police that Blevins’ current cases are almost identical to the 2003 case that was investigated by the FBI and involved 16 financial institutions.
In the Liberty case, Blevins met Melanie Baker in the flower shop at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Liberty, where Baker worked as the manager.
Blevins told Baker that he “always had a crush on you in high school,” Baker told police. When he visited the flower shop, he usually bought flowers with a $100 bill.
Blevins and Baker began conversing on Facebook and then in October went out on a couple of dates, court records say.
Eventually, Blevins told Baker his car was in the shop and asked if she would lend him $500, promising to pay her back in a couple of days.
The loan led to Blevins writing a series of checks to Baker in a scheme in which he never paid back the money, according to court records.
Blevins also has an extensive record of traffic violations and driver’s license suspensions. State records show that he has a 2001 Ford Escape, a small SUV, registered in his name, authorities said.