Phone Scammer Sentenced

A South Philadelphia man convicted of hijacking calls to WIOQ (Q102) and indecently assaulting a teenage listener has been sentenced to three to six years in prison.

William Passarella Jr. who was convicted in June, must also serve a subsequent seven years of probation.

His victim testified that she was trying to call Q102 but apparently reached Passarella because he had hijacked the station’s request lines, diverting request calls to his home.
He told her she had won a pair of front-row Britney Spears concert tickets and $1,000. He said someone from the station would come to get her so she could claim the prize.

According to the victim Passerella arrived in a silver car with large Q102 signs on both sides of the vehicle and in the rear windows but, instead of going to the station, he drove her to his home and locked her inside with him while he took dozens of calls from listeners and indecently touched her leg.

The victim also claimed that he offered a friend of hers $100 for sex. He also pleaded guilty to using a stolen credit-card number to rent limousines and harassing and stalking other women.