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$874K Scheme: Former Danbury Postmaster Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds $874K Scheme: Former Danbury Postmaster Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds
$874K Scheme: Former Danbury Postmaster Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds A 50-year-old Massachusetts man who once served as postmaster for a Fairfield County post office has admitted to defrauding the US Postal Service out of over $874,000 as part of a bribery, kickback, and embezzlement scheme that he operated, officials announced. Former Brookfield resident Ephrem D. Nguyen, age 50, pleaded guilty to a fraud offense related to his scheme on Friday, Oct. 13, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  According to federal officials, Nguyen, who now lives in Quincy, Massachusetts in Norfolk County, had been employed b…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Know Her? Woman Fraudulently Withdraws Over $20K From Several CT Banks, Police Say Know Her? Woman Fraudulently Withdraws Over $20K From Several CT Banks, Police Say
Know Her? Woman Fraudulently Withdraws Over $20K From Several CT Banks, Police Say Authorities are asking for help in identifying a woman accused of fraudulently withdrawing over $20,000 from banks in Connecticut.  Images of the suspect captured by surveillance cameras at a New London County bank were released by Waterford Police on Wednesday, Oct. 11.  According to the department, the suspect, who drives a white Chrysler Pacifica, is responsible for fraudulently withdrawing more than $20,000 from Citizens Bank and Charter Oak Bank locations in the area.  Anyone with information regarding the suspect's identity is asked to contact Waterford Police Off…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Darien Resident Victim Of $45K Phone Scam, Police Say Darien Resident Victim Of $45K Phone Scam, Police Say
Darien Resident Victim Of $45K Phone Scam, Police Say A Fairfield County resident lost $45,000 after falling victim to a phone scam. The incident took place in Darien around 11:50 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 29. A Darien Police officer met with the victim in regard to the phone scam that had taken place the day before.  The victim told officers she received a phone call from a man claiming to be an employee of her bank. She was told there was fraudulent activity on her account and that she needed to verify some information, said Sgt. Dan Skoumbros of the Darien Police.  The woman told officers she stayed on the phone …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Former Fairfield Official Admits To 9 Felony Offenses Former Fairfield Official Admits To 9 Felony Offenses
Former Fairfield Official Admits To 9 Felony Offenses A former public works superintendent from Fairfield County has pleaded guilty to nine felony environment and fraud offenses. Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin announced today that former Fairfield Public Works Superintendent Scott Bartlett, age 61, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty on Thursday, August 24, in Bridgeport Superior Court. Court documents show Barlett allowed the illegal dumping of contaminated and hazardous materials at the property on Richard White Way in Fairfield from May until May June 2018. The illegal dumping led to the testing and remediation of multiple parks and f…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Suspect Cashes Fraudulent Check At CT Bank, Police Say Suspect Cashes Fraudulent Check At CT Bank, Police Say
Suspect Cashes Fraudulent Check At CT Bank, Police Say Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding a suspect who cashed a fraudulent check at a Connecticut bank and tried doing the same at a second location, police said. The incident happened in Windham County on Thursday morning, Aug. 17 at the Hometown Bank in Danielson at 3 Central St., where a person allegedly tried cashing a fraudulent check, Connecticut State Police announced on Thursday, Aug. 24.  A short time after this incident, the suspect, who was caught on surveillance footage released by police, drove to a Hometown Bank branch located in Woodstock and attempte…

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by Ben Crnic
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CT Corrections Officer Suspended Over Alleged $87K Workers' Comp Fraud: Police CT Corrections Officer Suspended Over Alleged $87K Workers' Comp Fraud: Police
CT Corrections Officer Suspended Over Alleged $87K Workers' Comp Fraud: Police The agency responsible for policing standards has suspended a man who was an officer in Connecticut and Massachusetts and who lives in Massachusetts after he was charged with illegally receiving nearly $87,000 in workers' compensation benefits while working in Connecticut.  Matthew Hubbard, age 55, of Agawam in Hampden County, was one of four officers suspended by Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training.  Hubbard had worked as a corrections officer at a Connecticut prison and claimed he was hurt responding to a call on Aug. 7, 2020, the Connecticut Division of…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Know Them? Trio Steals Woman's Wallet At Darien Stop & Shop Know Them? Trio Steals Woman's Wallet At Darien Stop & Shop
Know Them? Trio Steals Woman's Wallet At Darien Stop & Shop Police are asking the public for help after three people allegedly stole a Fairfield County woman's wallet at a popular supermarket. The incident occurred in Darien at the Stop & Shop on Old Kings Highway on Thursday, July 13. According to Sgt. Dan Skoumbros, of the Darien Police, the victim reported that while shopping for groceries, her wallet was stolen.  The victim told police she was approached by a woman who needed help reading a label and also asked if the victim had glasses she could borrow. The victim unzipped her purse to retrieve her glasses and forg…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: Wife Of Former CT Lawmaker Gets Prison Time For Stealing Relief Funds COVID-19: Wife Of Former CT Lawmaker Gets Prison Time For Stealing Relief Funds
Covid-19: Wife Of Former CT Lawmaker Gets Prison Time For Stealing Relief Funds The wife of a former Connecticut state representative will spend time in prison for participating in a scheme to steal COVID-19 relief funds from the city of West Haven.  West Haven resident Lauren DiMassa, age 38, was sentenced to six months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on Thursday, March 23 for her role in the scheme, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.  DiMassa is the wife of former state representative and West Haven city employee Michael DiMassa, who was authorized to approve the $1,150,257 in financial as…

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by Ben Crnic
News
New Canaan Resident Used Investor Funds To Pay Taxes, Credit Card Expenses, Gets Prison Time New Canaan Resident Used Investor Funds To Pay Taxes, Credit Card Expenses, Gets Prison Time
New Canaan Resident Used Investor Funds To Pay Taxes, Credit Card Expenses, Gets Prison Time A current Fairfield County resident formerly from New Haven County will spend years in prison for tax evasion and defrauding investors by using their funds to pay his personal expenses. New Canaan resident Brian Hughes, age 58, formerly of Madison, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on Monday, March 6 for defrauding investors of two companies, and for tax evasion, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  The charges stem back to March of 2015 when Hughes founded Handcrafted Brands, LLC (HBC), in order to raise money to purchase the alcoholi…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Accused NY Fraudster Agrees To Forfeit $248M He Allegedly Racked Up From Thousands Of Investors Accused NY Fraudster Agrees To Forfeit $248M He Allegedly Racked Up From Thousands Of Investors
Accused NY Fraudster Agrees To Forfeit $248M He Allegedly Racked Up From Thousands Of Investors A New York man admitted to committing fraud and has agreed to forfeit to the US government hundreds of millions of dollars he's accused of racking up from tens of thousands of investors until his arrest less than a year ago. Long Island resident Eddy Alexandre, age 50, of Valley Stream, the leader of a purported cryptocurrency and foreign exchange trading platform called EminiFX, solicited more than $248 million after making false representations in connection with the EminiFX trading platform, the Southern District of New York, announced on Friday, Feb. 10. According to the allegations in …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Woman Who Was Chief Financial Employee In CT Gets Years In Prison For Stealing Over $700K Woman Who Was Chief Financial Employee In CT Gets Years In Prison For Stealing Over $700K
Woman Who Was Chief Financial Employee In CT Gets Years In Prison For Stealing Over $700K A woman from Hartford County faces years in prison for stealing more than $700,000 from both her former employer and third-party lenders over the span of nearly four years.  Windsor resident Margaret Boisture, age 51, was sentenced to 33 months in prison on Tuesday, Jan. 10 for fraud, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Connecticut District.  Boisture was once the chief financial employee of ZoneFlow Reactor Technologies, a company developing a new technology to make hydrogen production more efficient. In this role, Boisture defrauded Zoneflow, PayPal, and the third…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Westchester Man, Partner Sentenced For Roles In $1M Ponzi Scheme Westchester Man, Partner Sentenced For Roles In $1M Ponzi Scheme
Westchester Man, Partner Sentenced For Roles In $1M Ponzi Scheme A Westchester County man and his business partner have been sentenced for their roles in a nearly decade-long $1-million Ponzi scheme. White Plains resident James Doyle, age 74, and Carl Carro, age 61, of Walton, Delaware, were convicted of defrauding investors in New York and throughout the nation. On Thursday, Jan. 12, Carro was sentenced to four to eight years in prison, and Doyle was sentenced to five years probation, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced. As part of their respective sentences, Carro and Doyle agreed to pay a total of more than $1 million in judgments …

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by Joe Lombardi