The owner of a skin care store formerly at Vancouver Mall is charged with attempted theft after police say he tried to convince a 75-year-old woman to withdraw $50,000 from the bank for an opportunity to become the company’s spokesmodel.
Hai Baranetz, 27, appeared Jan. 15 in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree attempted theft. He pleaded not guilty to the charge Jan. 29. He posted $10,000 bond, and his trial is currently set for April 21, court records show.
Vancouver police responded Jan. 9 to the Twinstar Credit Union at 8405 N.E. Vancouver Mall Drive. A woman had been there on the phone with someone with an India area code who was directing her to withdraw $50,000, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The credit union employee told officers the 75-year-old woman said a man, later identified by police as Baranetz, dropped her off at the credit union, and the money was so she could get a job in body sculpting. When the employee denied her request, Baranetz instructed the woman to leave. The employee said they saw her get into a car that sped off, court records state.
Employees suspected the woman was caught up in a scheme and alerted other branches, the affidavit states.
About an hour later, the woman was dropped off at the Hazel Dell branch and tried to withdraw the money again. When officers arrived, Baranetz’s vehicle was gone. Police asked the woman to call him back and have him return, but he refused, according to court records.
Officers said they were aware of a separate elder justice case in which a woman reported her credit card was charged $15,000 for a facial tool and some treatments at BH28 at the mall. Investigators in that case noted Baranetz claimed to photograph or record customers committing to exorbitant contracts, because his company frequently received complaints from “forgetful” customers who later saw the charges on their cards, the affidavit states.
When officers interviewed the 75-year-old woman, they said they quickly learned she was susceptible to scammers and had been scammed by people she met online before, according to court records.
When police questioned her about what the $50,000 was for, they said it was clear she didn’t understand much about her agreement with Baranetz beyond what he told her, the affidavit states.
She said she passed Baranetz’s kiosk in the mall in September or October and tried some face cream. She said she was then pulled into the BH28 store where other people inside claimed to have unbelievable results from the products. She paid $5,000 for treatments, according to court records.
The woman also told police she’d visit the spa and, if someone hadn’t shown up for work, she’d hand out samples at the kiosk. She said she thought she was getting paid, court records state.
The night before Baranetz drove her to the credit union branches, the woman said he took her out to dinner. She said he told her about an opportunity to become the company’s spokesmodel, making $8,000 per month. She said Baranetz described it as a contest among stores, and he said he’d put her in company magazines and hang her photos on the wall, according to the affidavit.
When officers pressed her about the $50,000, she couldn’t specify what it was for, and she said there was no written contract. She told police that Baranetz stayed on the phone with her and coached her on what to tell the credit union employees, according to the affidavit.
Court records do not detail the circumstances of Baranetz’s arrest.
