A Window Into an Alleged Serial Offender’s Ways and Means

Since 2013 we have been fascinated by this TimeOut New York article, in which the writer pens a quick first-impression portrait of an alleged serial offender. At the time of this article David Scharlat was a new U.S. Department of State special agent. But between the lines you can detect a certain clarity about this person and his own ego, as tied to his badge and gun. Ironically, it was over a vodka and soda in April 2013 that C.Kimberly Toms was fed the same badge and gun inferences and shown the gun in its holster beneath an overshirt, also on a non-work day and off-duty hours.

If nothing else, the story depicts a quick snapshot of someone who enjoys empowerment and establishes the ever-presence of the tools of that empowerment. Somehow a gun just seems a bit unnecessary, for a anti-fraud paper pusher touring New York atop a tourist bus. As the image reflects, there are two diners and two salted-rim cocktails on that table.

So are agents in this capacity typically armed when engaging in tourist activities and drinking cocktails? I certainly hope not. Tourism, fine. But over alcohol…no thank you.

Chain reaction

Every night, out-of-towners face a daunting decision: Where to eat? Trolling for tourists outside franchise joints, TONY treats some unsuspecting visitors to an authentic New York meal.
By Reed Tucker Thu Jun 20 2002

David Scharlat…

Recently of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

David is a big man with a well-groomed mustache that would be right at home on the face of any cop in America. When asked what he does for a living, he murmurs, “I work for the federal government, and that’s about all I can say.” David also looks to be carrying a gun beneath his untucked, short-sleeve shirt, and we’re guessing David is not the type who likes strange people approaching him with fishy-sounding offers. He’s also not a fan of Mexican food, but at the urging of his fiancée, Tammy, the two are headed into Chevys, the neon Tex-Mex palace on 42nd Street.

After hearing TONY’s pitch (and performing a quick probe and retinal scan to make sure we’re on the up-and-up), David, 37, and Tammy, 38, agree to hop a cab with us to Mi Cocina (57 Jane St at Hudson St, 212-627-8273), a bright, regional Mexican eatery with killer cooking and a renowned mole sauce. The couple has spent the day getting the lay of the city from the top of a double-decker sightseeing bus, and you can almost see ripples of heat pouring off their sunburnt skin as they speak. The two recently relocated from Wisconsin to New Jersey and plan to get married soon. Both enjoy the energy of the city, but they chose to live in the suburbs because Jersey offered a few things Manhattan didn’t: mainly, fresh air and a yard.

After a round of drinks (including a margarita that Tammy rates as “average”), the food arrives. Though David was hoping for chimichangas, which aren’t on the menu, he proclaims his dish—an unusual chicken enchilada ($14) doused in thick peanut sauce—delicious. And Tammy is pleased with her carnes a la parrilla, seasoned skirt steak served with tortillas ($19, about $5 more than the average entrée at Chevys). “There’s no comparison between here and Chevys,” she says. “This is not like your standard Mexican. This was a lot more flavorful.” David refuses to talk into the tape recorder. The two are so pleased with Mi Cocina that they plan to come back again—on their own dime.