Man accused of trying to get prostitution refund

By BY JOE MACENKA Media General News Service
Published: September 25, 2009

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Richmond police say a man who engaged the services of a prostitute resorted to force to get his money back because he was dissatisfied.

Harold B. Mason Jr., 31, of the 6900 block of Marlowe Road was charged yesterday with grand larceny.

Officers were called to the 1300 block of McDonough Street in South Richmond shortly before 2 a.m. to investigate what was originally reported as a robbery.

According to police, a woman who is a known prostitute told officers that a man had paid her for sex but complained afterward that she did not satisfy him.

The man demanded a refund, and when she refused, an argument escalated to where the man forcibly grabbed her purse to retrieve his money, police said.

The prostitute was shaken but uninjured, police said.

Because she was considered a crime victim, the prostitute was not charged.

A preliminary hearing for Mason has been scheduled for Oct. 22 in Richmond General District Court.