A homeless career conman with more than 65 prior busts scammed two Irish tourists out of $2,000 in Times Square on Thanksgiving, cops and sources said.
The two 27-year-old tourists saw Elliot Brightman, 61, playing a shell game at Broadway and West 49th Street around 3:15 pm. Thursday when they decided to try their hand at it, authorities said.
One of the women threw down $1,000 for Brightman’s game, which involved three bottle caps and a small ball on a table, cops said.
The aim of the game is to try and keep an eye on the bottle cap with the ball underneath as the caps are moved around.
When she lost the round, Brightman urged her to play again and put in another $1,000 to win her money back, authorities
When her pal did so, Brightman grabbed all of the cash and bolted, cops and sources said.
Elliot Brightman, 61, scammed two Irish tourists out of $2,000 during a shell game at Broadway and West 49th Street on Thanksgiving Day. picture alliance via Getty ImagePolice caught up to Brightman a short time later after witnesses reported that they thought the women were in trouble.
The career conman was charged with grand larceny, fraudulent accosting, possession of a gambling device, and promoting gambling, cops and sources said.
But the visiting duo did not get their $2,000 back, and cops believe Brightman handed the money over to someone else.
Brightman appeared in court on Friday night, where Assistant District Attorney Chelsea McGee said a witness identified him — after he told police they had the wrong guy.
“It is another guy. I don’t have sh–t. I only have 40 dollars in my wallet,” Brightman allegedly told cops.
Prosecutors requested he be cut loose on supervised release and cited his long criminal history, which includes six felony convictions, one violent felony conviction, 54 misdemeanors and ten failures to appear.
The two 27-year-old women were visiting Times Square on Thanksgiving Day, where they were scammed out of $2,000 at Broadway and West 49th Street. Getty Images/iStockphotoBrightman’s lengthy rap sheet dates back to 1982, when he was busted for running a game of three-card monte in Midtown, police sources said.
His rap sheet also includes arrests for promoting gambling, criminal possession of a controlled substance, trademark counterfeiting and fraudulent accosting, the sources said.
He was most recently arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance in 2017, in the confines of the Sixth Precinct, which covers Greenwich Village and the West Village.
He also previously served time in state prison for grand larceny, state Correction records show.
Judge Rachel Pauley ordered Brighton be placed on supervised release. His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 11.
