Authorities say he may have targeted as many as 100 victims.
"He was good...damn good," said Margaret McCurry, one of Wooten's victims.
So good Margaret McCurry, of Des Plaines, says this man - David Ray Wooten - swindled her of $200,000, artwork, and jewelry.
After years on the run, he is now in custody.
"He doesn't belong on the streets. To do that to so many women is unbelievable, and, like I said, he's good at it and he's not going to stop if he gets out," said McCurry.
Park Ridge police are putting out a warning tonight - they want residents in the northwest suburbs to take a close look at Wooten's mug shot.
"There's dozens, upward of maybe hundreds, of other victims throughout the Chicagoland area and surrounding states, and we just want those people to come forward if they recognize this gentleman as stealing from them and conning them out of their stuff," said Steven Stopka, a detective for the Park Ridge Police.
Police say it's not just Illinois. Wooten traveled to Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan. They traced him to Texas, Florida, New Jersey and New York.
In Park Ridge, police say he even set up a fake office, a fake identity. There are at least 4 victims in this suburb alone.
"They put trust in him. He'd befriend 'em, they'd trust him, and he'd disappear with their property," said Stopka.
McCurry does not take this lightly. Her gold badge represents her years working as a Cook County Deputy Sheriff. That's one reason she's encouraging other victims.
"If they were scammed like I was, they should. They should come forward," said McCurry.
