http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/02/06/2008-02-06_a_sicko_scam_by_heath_ledger_con_man.htmlA sicko scam by Heath Ledger con manBY ALISON GENDAR
DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU CHIEF
Wednesday, February 6th 2008, 4:00 AM
Lee/AP
Cops are investigating whether a con artist who pretended to be a pro wrestler to scam children in England is the man who impersonated Heath Ledger's father, sources told the Daily News.
Wayne Scott, 35, of Scarborough, England, will be in Scarborough Magistrates' Court Wednesday to face charges of fraud by false representation and conveying an indecent message, police sources said yesterday. Two of the charges stem from Scott pretending to be a pro wrestler and calling sick kids, some of whom were terminally ill, in their hospital beds, sources said.
The con man is accused of promising to visit the sick kids and give them World Wrestling Entertainment tickets and paraphernalia. He also reached out to U.S. and British organizations that grant the wishes of dying children by pretending to be a pro wrestler, sources said.
NYPD detectives believe Scott may be the con man who impersonated Ledger's father, Kim, after the 28-year-old was found dead in his SoHo loft Jan. 22.
Investigators traced the calls made by the impostor to the seaside town of Scarborough in northeastern England where Scott lives, the sources said.
After Ledger's body was found by his masseuse and housekeeper in Heath's Broome St. apartment, the imposter called the city medical examiner and pressed the doctor who performed the autopsy for toxicology results. He also asked for grisly descriptions of the Oscar-nominated star's corpse, the sources said.
The con man somehow managed to get Tom Cruise's private phone number, calling the "Mission Impossible" star to commiserate after Ledger's death.
The fake dad apparently asked John Travolta to send him money so he could buy a ticket to fly from New York to Australia, where Ledger's family lives and his body will be laid to rest.
The con man also contacted actors Mel Gibson, Halle Berry and Christian Bale, the sources said. The impostor's lies were so convincing that he even got the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home to book him a suite at the posh Carlyle Hotel New York.
The Madison Ave. funeral home received Ledger's body from the medical examiner and sent it to L.A. for a memorial service. Sources said the medical examiner's office will brief Ledger's family today on the cause of his death and then release the results to the public.
Six anti-anxiety and sleeping prescription drugs were found near the "Brokeback Mountain" star's body. Police said no illegal drugs were discovered in the $24,000-a-month rental.
An initial postmortem examination failed to determine the cause of death.