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Man Posing as Beit She’an Mayor Arrested

A 45-year-old resident of Beit She’an was arrested after allegedly impersonating the city’s mayor in phone calls to residents, attempting to extort them through threats. Police say the suspect used a sophisticated app that allowed him to spoof the mayor’s phone number, making it appear as though calls were coming directly from the mayor himself. According to the indictment, in one such call, the suspect threatened a local resident, demanding that online posts criticizing the mayor’s conduct be removed. He further warned the victim that failure to comply would result in a forced job transfer. Police later searched the suspect’s home and found an unlicensed handgun. He has since been charged with extortion, impersonation, and illegal possession of a firearm.