Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office warns of phone scam posing as candidate for sheriff

The Sonoma County Sheriff Office notified residents of a reported scam Saturday that authorities said involved someone falsely claiming to be Capt. Mark Essick, a candidate for sheriff, calling local residents and threatening to arrest them on warrants if they did not give him money.

The Sheriff’s Office said it had received several calls from residents who had been targeted in the scam.

The calls, the Sheriff’s Office said, in an alert posted to its Facebook page, were not coming from Essick.

“We can assure you that the real Captain Mark Essick is keeping busy running for Sheriff and is not calling anyone threatening arrest,” the alert said. “If you get a call similar to this, please hang up on the caller and don’t engage with them.”

Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Spencer Crum could not be reached Saturday for comment.

The alert also advised that elderly residents should never donate money in response to unsolicited, threatening phone calls.

Essick is in a three-way race for sheriff against retired Los Angeles police captain John Mutz and Santa Rosa Councilman Ernesto Olivares, a retired police lieutenant with the city.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213. or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @renofish.