(McCracken County Jail)
PELHAM, N.H. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A three-state manhunt is over after Pelham Police detectives masqueraded as a love interest to catch a fugitive.
Joe Giroux, 41, had a warrant out of the Sarasota, Florida Sheriff's Office for theft, and authorities down south contacted Pelham Police because they believed Giroux was living there.
Pelham Police found out that he had been in town briefly, and that while there, he allegedly cashed a check for work he did not complete. The alleged victim of that theft in Northwood gave police Giroux's phone number.
That's when Pelham Detectives began texting Giroux, pretending to be a woman from Pelham romantically interested in him.
"They quickly started a texting relationship and he stayed in contact with the undercover Detective for a few weeks," Pelham Police wrote in a release. "Giroux eventually sent multiple 'selfies' of himself and provided personal information about himself. The 'selfie' and the personal information he provided, led to a search warrant to track his cell phone location."
Using that warrant, authorities were able to ping Giroux's phone in Florida and then later in Paducah, Kentucky, where he was arrested and is awaiting extradition back to Florida.
Police also are also asking the public to contact them if they were victims of scams involving Giroux while he was in New Hampshire. They said he told victims he owned a company called "Joseph Giroux 1st Choice Flooring and More, Inc."