A Worthington man has been charged with misdemeanor fraud following an investigation that began in California and ultimately led to Greene County.

Dickie Phillips, 47, appeared in Greene Superior Court on July 2 for an initial hearing in connection with a case involving a fraudulent vehicle sale conducted through social media.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Worthington Town Marshal Jacob Gambill, authorities were contacted in June by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in California regarding a complaint from an individual, who claimed she was defrauded in March 2025 after responding to a Facebook post advertising a 2017 Honda Accord for sale.

The post was made by a profile under the name "Julie Telles," and the seller requested an $800 down payment. On March 5, the individual and her husband used the Zelle app to transfer $500 to an account connected to an email address belonging to Phillips. The transaction, confirmed by Zelle and Chase Bank records, was processed to an account owned by Phillips.

When the individual later asked for the money back—after being told the vehicle would be sold to another buyer who could provide the full down payment—she was allegedly told Zelle was “not working.” The seller then ceased communication.

Further investigation by Riverside County Officer Lance Colmer revealed the Chase Bank account that received the funds was linked to Phillips, whose listed address was in Worthington. The account also showed multiple Zelle transfers received on the same day—two for $1,000 from unrelated accounts in addition to the $500 from the individual—and outgoing payments to a Zelle account owned by Phillips’ wife.

Gambill confirmed the Worthington address and identity of Phillips through local records, including matching Social Security and driver’s license numbers. Attempts to contact Phillips during the investigation were unsuccessful.