Lawyer: Man charged in scam missed court because he’s dead

MILFORD, Conn. (AP) — A man charged with running a scam that cheated a Connecticut woman out of more than $80,000 missed a recent court date and has been ordered re-arrested _ but his attorney says that will be difficult since he’s been dead for months. Johnny Masesa’s attorney says he received a death certificate saying his client died from complications of malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he has family. Masesa and others are charged scamming a Milford woman out of $83,000 by posing as representatives of the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes. The Connecticut Post reports police and federal authorities have been unable to confirm the authenticity of the death certificate.