Man allegedly steals money from temple-goers in NH

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- A Texas man is accused of stealing money from temple-goers in New Hampshire.

“I think it’s terrible that someone would come to you, a religious place, to pull a scam,” said one woman.

Police said 36-year-old Alan Fahra, using the name Alan Fine, attended services at Temple Adath Yeshurun and told a heartbreaking story to temple-goers that turned out to be a lie.

“Ultimately, this gentleman did provide a relatively legitimate story. He had some documentation that supported his account and use it to take advantage of their good nature,” said Lt. Maureen Tessier, Manchester N.H. Police Department.

Fahra, who addressed the congregation, claimed he needed $200 to buy a plane ticket to Israel to attend his parents’ funeral after they were killed in a crash.

So moved by his story, temple-goers collected $500 in cash. It was only after Fahra left that one congregate became suspicious, and Googled Fahra’s name. That’s when the temple-goer realized Alan Fine wasn’t who he claimed to be, and called police.

“It’s very sad for the people that really need help,” said Geoff Fladen, a concerned resident.

Fahra, who was staying at the Holiday Inn Express, was arrested while eating a sundae across the street at Friendly’s. Not long after that, police determined he pulled the same thing at several churches in the city in the days before his temple plea.

“’Cause nobody wants to say no to somebody that appears to be in need, and there’s people out there that scam. And we found that here in Manchester,” said Geoff Fladen.

Fahra was being held without bail Monday night, and is wanted in several other states.

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