REDMOND, Wash. — Redmond police detectives have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with a moving company that detectives say stole thousands of dollars’ worth of personal possessions from two local families.
Thinh Quang Lu was arrested last week and charged with two counts of first-degree criminal impersonation and two counts of first-degree theft.
Police said the moving company, Seattle Moverss LLC, posed as a reputable moving company — Seattle Professional Movers — complete with a business license, address, and phone number.
Seattle Professional Movers is not related toh Seattle Moverss, LLC or Thinh Quang Lu.
A Redmond couple hired the moving company in February through an ad on Craigslist. The movers arrived on Feb. 10 and loaded the couple’s belongings into a truck. Though the movers told the couple the truck would arrive at their new home in Bellevue within a few hours, they never showed up.
The couple repeatedly tried to contact the company but did not get a response.
After several hours, someone from the company called back and said the movers had been in a crash. The man on the phone told them he wouldn’t deliver the couple’s belongings without an additional fee.
When the couple refused to pay more, the company stole more than $40,000 worth of their possessions, according to a Redmond Police Department news release.
Police said a Kirkland couple lost most of their belongings when they hired Seattle Moverss, LLC, to move them to Fall City in January.
When the movers arrived at the new home, they refused to pull into the driveway unless the couple paid additional fees.
The couple transferred the money via Zellepay.com, but the bank placed a hold on the transfer.
The movers told them they would keep their belongings until they received the additional payment, and in the meantime, would charge them storage fees. Police said the company made additional excuses for not delivering their property and eventually stopped returning their calls.
Lu was arrested at the King County Correctional Facility on March 24 and released the next day.
Redmond police detectives believe there are more victims of the moving company and that Lu is still trying to operate the company in the Puget Sound area.
Officials with the Redmond Police Department suggest that anyone hiring a moving company should check websites like the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to verify permitted moving companies.
In addition, they say to:
- Work with insured and federally registered companies.
- Get estimates from at least three moving companies.
- Consider that if a deal seems too good to be true, it most likely is.
- Finalize and get a contract from the company before its movers arrive.
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