Tag:

Forgery

Lawyer Who Forged Federal Judge’s Signature Twice To Trick Client Gets Prison Time Lawyer Who Forged Federal Judge’s Signature Twice To Trick Client Gets Prison Time
Lawyer Who Forged Federal Judge’s Signature Twice To Trick Client Gets Prison Time A disgraced attorney is heading to prison after forging a judge’s name on a fake custody order — one of several legal schemes he's been convicted of in recent months, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Monday, Dec. 15. Michael Brandon Cohen, 42, of Hollidaysburg, was sentenced to one to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to forgery for creating a false custody order to benefit a client, according to AG Sunday. Cohen’s fabricated order prompted the client to violate a court-approved custody agreement by moving her child out of the county — all based on his …
Big League Lie: Man Claimed MLB Career While Scamming Women, Dodging Sex Offender Registry: DOJ Big League Lie: Man Claimed MLB Career While Scamming Women, Dodging Sex Offender Registry: DOJ
Big League Lie: Man Claimed MLB Career While Scamming Women, Dodging Sex Offender Registry: DOJ He said he was going pro in baseball — but what he really went pro in was lying, scamming, and disappearing from the sex offender registry, prosecutors in Virginia say. Now, he's going to prison. A Roanoke man who told women he was a Major League Baseball prospect, forged six-figure checks, used burner phones to impersonate team officials, and failed to register as a sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year, federal officials announced. Now, Janike Dunbar Holt — a man who goes by many names — has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. Holt, 29 — also known as…
Doctor Who Smuggled Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Through JFK Lands In Club Fed Doctor Who Smuggled Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Through JFK Lands In Club Fed
Doctor Who Smuggled Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Through JFK Lands In Club Fed A Brooklyn man who trafficked hundreds of stolen Egyptian antiquities through JFK Airport will spend months behind bars. Ashraf Omar Eldarir, 52, was sentenced to six months in prison in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, Aug. 27, after pleading guilty to four counts of smuggling. Eldarir, a licensed physician in Egypt, became involved in artifact smuggling during the country’s Arab Uprising in 2011, when looting of archaeological sites surged, prosecutors said. Between April 2019 and January 2020, he smuggled artifacts into the United States on at least four occasions. He later used fal…
Fired CT Insurance Agent Facing 31 Felony Charges In Multi-State Scam: Police Fired CT Insurance Agent Facing 31 Felony Charges In Multi-State Scam: Police
Fired CT Insurance Agent Facing 31 Felony Charges In Multi-State Scam: Police A former Connecticut insurance agent is accused of running a multi-state life insurance scam that allegedly took money from at least nine people for policies that either didn’t exist or had already lapsed, according to state investigators. Ian Pierce, 34, was arrested last week after a months-long investigation led by the Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force, Connecticut State Police said. Pierce, a former insurance agent, was fired in March 2020 after his employer discovered he was pocketing client payments, State Police said. The Connecticut Insurance Department revoked his …
Cops Seek True ID Of Fake Nurse Who Used 20 Names, Stole Meds In Multiple States (UPDATE) Cops Seek True ID Of Fake Nurse Who Used 20 Names, Stole Meds In Multiple States (UPDATE)
Cops Seek True ID Of Fake Nurse Who Used 20 Names, Stole Meds In Multiple States (Update) A woman accused of posing as a nurse under 20 fake names and stealing prescription drugs from health care facilities across Pennsylvania and other states is now at the center of a growing criminal investigation — and police say they don’t even know who she really is. The woman has been charged under the name Shannon Nicole Womack, 39, but Pennsylvania State Police announced on Friday, July 25, that they are now seeking the public’s help in positively identifying her true legal name. Investigators have uncovered additional false identities since her April 2025 arrest, prompting police to rele…
Sports Memorabilia Mogul Dies By Suicide After Admitting $350M Counterfeit Scam: ‘I Wanted Out’ Sports Memorabilia Mogul Dies By Suicide After Admitting $350M Counterfeit Scam: ‘I Wanted Out’
Sports Memorabilia Mogul Dies By Suicide After Admitting $350M Counterfeit Scam: ‘I Wanted Out’ A well-known sports memorabilia dealer who fessed up to selling counterfeit items to the tune of $350 million was found dead this week after police conducted a raid on his property in Indiana. Brett Lemieux, 45, the founder of Mister ManCave, penned a chilling message in a since-deleted Facebook post on the "Autographs 101" group where he boasted about his exploits before his body was located after a reported suicide on Wednesday, July 16. He specifically targeted some of the most prominent sports in the game, including Panini, Fanatics, Tri-Star, James Spence Authentics, Mill Creek Sports,…
$1.1M Medicaid Scam: Woman Used Overseas ‘Patients’ In Massive Kickback Scam $1.1M Medicaid Scam: Woman Used Overseas ‘Patients’ In Massive Kickback Scam
$1.1M Medicaid Scam: Woman Used Overseas ‘Patients’ In Massive Kickback Scam A Pennsylvania woman used patients who had moved overseas to help pull off a $1.1 million Medicaid scam involving fake home care services and kickbacks, federal prosecutors said in a sweeping national health care fraud takedown that uncovered more than $14.6 billion in schemes, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Saturday, July 5. Hemal Patel, 59, of Bensalem (Bucks County), forged doctors’ signatures, stole personal identities, and pocketed kickbacks from a home care agency that billed Medicaid for fake services, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District …
Sex Offender Faked MLB Career, Scammed Women, Skipped Registry In Virginia: DOJ Sex Offender Faked MLB Career, Scammed Women, Skipped Registry In Virginia: DOJ
Sex Offender Faked MLB Career, Scammed Women, Skipped Registry In Virginia: DOJ He said he was going pro in baseball — but what he really went pro in was lying, scamming, and disappearing from the sex offender registry, prosecutors in Virginia say. A Roanoke man who told women he was a Major League Baseball prospect, forged six-figure checks, used burner phones to impersonate team officials, and failed to register as a sex offender has pleaded guilty in federal court as part of an elaborate scheme, federal officials announced. He went by many names while executing his scheme. Janike Dunbar Holt, 29 — also known as “Nike,” “Janike Tagovailoa,” “Keanu Tagovailoa,” and “…
CT Man Ran $350K Bank Scam, Recruited Others; Police Say He Likely Stole More CT Man Ran $350K Bank Scam, Recruited Others; Police Say He Likely Stole More
CT Man Ran $350K Bank Scam, Recruited Others; Police Say He Likely Stole More A Mansfield man is accused of leading a wide-reaching fraud ring that cost banks across Connecticut hundreds of thousands of dollars in bad checks, authorities said.  Eric J. Christian, 41, is alleged to have recruited others to help him carry out a scheme known as check kiting, according to the Connecticut State Police Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force (SOCITF). Detectives say he convinced people to open bank accounts that he would use to move bad checks around, draining funds before banks could catch on. The investigation, launched in March 2023 by the SOCITF an…
Ivy Leaguer From Prominent Family Officially Charged Overnight With CEO's Murder Ivy Leaguer From Prominent Family Officially Charged Overnight With CEO's Murder
Ivy Leaguer From Prominent Family Officially Charged Overnight With CEO's Murder An Ivy League-educated high school valedictorian from a privileged, politically connected family has been charged with the execution-style murder of the CEO of one of the nation's largest healthcare providers after a days-long manhunt. Click here for a new, updated story - CEO Murder: Whiz Kid Suspect May Have Spiraled After Traumatic Back Surgery New York prosecutors have formally charged 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a native of Towson, Maryland, with the fatal shooting of United Healthcare executive Brian Thompson.  The incident occurred outside the New York Hilton in midt…
Man Accused Of Attempted Identity Theft At CT Bank Man Accused Of Attempted Identity Theft At CT Bank
Man Accused Of Attempted Identity Theft At CT Bank A man was caught in Connecticut after allegedly using a fake driver’s license to try to access another person’s bank account information at a local bank, according to police. The incident occurred on Friday, Nov. 22, at approximately 3:40 p.m., when Oxford Police responded to the bank after a report of suspicious activity. Officers found a man, later identified as Oronde S. Homan, age 42, seated at the customer service desk.  Police said no other customers were present at the time. According to authorities, a bank employee told officers that Homan presented a Connecticut driver’s lice…
Ex-CT Councilman Gets 3 Weekends In Prison, Fine In Election Fraud Case: Feds Ex-CT Councilman Gets 3 Weekends In Prison, Fine In Election Fraud Case: Feds
Ex-CT Councilman Gets 3 Weekends In Prison, Fine In Election Fraud Case: Feds A former Bridgeport City Council member has been sentenced to three weekends in prison for a civil rights offense stemming from election fraud during his run for office, federal authorities said.  Michael DeFilippo, 38, received one year of probation, three weekends of incarceration, and a $15,000 fine, the US Attorney Connecticut said.  The charges relate to DeFilippo's campaign for the 133rd District in 2017 and 2018. According to court records, DeFilippo manipulated elections by stealing and falsifying voter registration applications and absentee ballots, forging signatures, an…
Babysitter Stole $35K In Cash, Goods From CT Home: Police Babysitter Stole $35K In Cash, Goods From CT Home: Police
Babysitter Stole $35K In Cash, Goods From CT Home: Police The crime was coming from inside the house. Allegedly.  A 27-year-old Connecticut woman is accused of ripping off a Fairfield County family for more than $35,000 in stolen items and money illegally charged on their credit card, authorities said.  Fairfield County resident Brigid Stanley, of Stamford, is charged with first-degree theft, illegal taking of a payment card, spending more than $500 on a revoked payment card, first-degree identity theft, and third-degree forgery, her arrest report shows. The client called Darien Police earlier this summer to report that $19,546.54 …
Trio Caught With Over $1K In Counterfeit Bills After Using Them At CT Store, Police Say Trio Caught With Over $1K In Counterfeit Bills After Using Them At CT Store, Police Say
Trio Caught With Over $1K In Counterfeit Bills After Using Them At CT Store, Police Say Three people were apprehended after using counterfeit money to buy items at a retail establishment in Connecticut and trying to use it at several more stores, police announced.  The arrests resulted from an incident in New Haven County on Monday, Sept. 9 that began around 2 p.m., when detectives witnessed suspicious activity involving two cars in the parking lot of a retail establishment in the area of Union Street in Waterbury, Connecticut State Police said on Tuesday, Sept. 10.  With the help of store employees, detectives pieced together that two people connected with the suspi…
NJ Councilwoman Accused Of Committing Larceny In CT NJ Councilwoman Accused Of Committing Larceny In CT
NJ Councilwoman Accused Of Committing Larceny In CT A New Jersey elected official has been charged with larceny and forgery in Connecticut, police said. Abby Lundy, age 60, a Hillsdale councilwoman whose term is up on Dec. 31, 2024, was arrested in New Canaan on Thursday, Aug. 22, for crimes allegedly committed on Tuesday, July 9, court records show. Since-deleted social media posts show Lundy had worked for First Candle, an organization dedicated to eradicating Sudden Infant Death Syndrom (SIDS) and other "sleep-related infant deaths." A First Candle spokesperson declined to comment on her case, but confirmed that she'd been terminated…
Attempted Fake Transaction At Darien Bank Lands Man In Jail, Police Say Attempted Fake Transaction At Darien Bank Lands Man In Jail, Police Say
Attempted Fake Transaction At Darien Bank Lands Man In Jail, Police Say A man who was wanted for allegedly attempting to make a fraudulent bank transaction in Fairfield County turned himself in to the police. Steven Guardindo, age 56, of Wilmington, North Carolina, was arrested on July 11 by Darien Police for the March 2023 incident. According to Darien Police Sgt. Mauricio Vigil, officers responded to the Fairfield Country Bank in Darien for a report of a man attempting to make a fraudulent transaction using a fake passport. By the time officers officers arrived, Guardino had already left. But bank employees told police he gave them the fake ID in t…
Ex-NY Nurse May Dodge Jail After Making $1M Selling Fake Vaccine Cards, Prescriptions Ex-NY Nurse May Dodge Jail After Making $1M Selling Fake Vaccine Cards, Prescriptions
Ex-NY Nurse May Dodge Jail After Making $1M Selling Fake Vaccine Cards, Prescriptions A former pediatric nurse from Long Island could avoid jail time after confessing that she raked in over $1 million selling forged COVID-19 vaccine cards and opioid prescriptions. Julie DeVuono, age 51, of Amityville, pleaded guilty to filing forged vaccination record cards, laundering the criminal proceeds from selling the cards, and filing false prescriptions for opioids in Suffolk County Court in September 2023. According to prosecutors, DeVuono charged her customers $220 or $350, depending on the year, between June 2021 and September 2022 for entering their false vaccine information into…
Woman Embezzles $47K From Darien Medical Practice: Police Woman Embezzles $47K From Darien Medical Practice: Police
Woman Embezzles $47K From Darien Medical Practice: Police A woman has been arrested on charges including larceny after she allegedly used stolen and forged checks to steal tens of thousands of dollars from the medical practice where she worked. The Fairfield County arrest occurred on Wednesday, May 29 in Darien, police said. A medical practice in Darien reported a former employee, 34-year-old Anisa Ymeri, for an alleged yearlong embezzlement scheme. From August 2022 to August 2023, Ymeri used stolen and forged checks to steal approximately $47,000. Investigators reportedly were able to link multiple checks, missing check stubs, and discrepan…
24-Year-Old Man Uses Counterfeit Bills At Darien Stop & Shop: Police 24-Year-Old Man Uses Counterfeit Bills At Darien Stop & Shop: Police
24-Year-Old Man Uses Counterfeit Bills At Darien Stop & Shop: Police A 24-year-old man was apprehended in New York after allegedly using counterfeit bills at a Connecticut Stop & Shop supermarket, police said. Brooklyn resident James Breland was processed on forgery and larceny charges on Wednesday, April 24 in connection with an incident in September 2022 at a Fairfield County Stop & Shop, Darien Police announced on Tuesday, April 30.  According to police, during the original incident on Sept. 25, 2022, three men allegedly used $80 in counterfeit bills at the Darien Stop & Shop at 25 Old Kings Hwy North. A Darien detective investigatin…
Man Busted Trying To Open Account At Darien Bank With Fake ID, Police Say Man Busted Trying To Open Account At Darien Bank With Fake ID, Police Say
Man Busted Trying To Open Account At Darien Bank With Fake ID, Police Say Police nabbed a 46-year-old man who allegedly attempted to open an account at a Fairfield County bank with a fraudulent identification.  The incident occurred in Darien on Friday, April 12, at the TD Bank at 55 Post Road.  According to Sgt. Dan Skoumbros of the Darien Police, New York City resident Wesley Gabriel, age 46, of Brooklyn, was attempting to open a bank account with a current customer's identification and then attempted to leave the bank.  When officers spoke with Gabriel, he refused to identify himself and refused to answer any questions, Skoumbros said…
Darien Resident's IRS Payments Stolen Out Mailbox, Cashed By Thief, Police Say Darien Resident's IRS Payments Stolen Out Mailbox, Cashed By Thief, Police Say
Darien Resident's IRS Payments Stolen Out Mailbox, Cashed By Thief, Police Say A Fairfield County resident who mailed two checks to pay his taxes was surprised when he received word from the Internal Revenue Service about non-payment of his bill. The Darien resident then contacted the police in May 2023, who found that someone had stolen his checks out of his mailbox and cashed them with another name on the payee line. An investigation led Darien Police to the Morris County Correctional Center in New Jersey to arrest David Velazquez, age 28, of Warren, New Jersey. According to Darien Police Sgt. Dan Skoumbros, Velazquz had allegedly taken the checks out of the m…
Massachusetts Woman Alters, Cashes CT Resident's Checks: Police Massachusetts Woman Alters, Cashes CT Resident's Checks: Police
Massachusetts Woman Alters, Cashes CT Resident's Checks: Police A Massachusetts woman has been arrested after she was allegedly caught altering and cashing a Connecticut resident’s checks years prior. Isis Serrano, a Boston resident, was arrested on Wednesday, Feb. 7 for the Fairfield County incident, according to police. The 24-year-old woman is accused of fraudulently altering and cashing checks from a resident of the town of Wilton in 2019. She was 20 at the time of the reported crime. It is unclear for how long Serrano continued the alleged activity. She was extradited from Chicopee Massachusetts Women's Correctional Facility on an arrest warr…
CT Man Posed As Officer, Assaulted Woman In Hotel Room: Police CT Man Posed As Officer, Assaulted Woman In Hotel Room: Police
CT Man Posed As Officer, Assaulted Woman In Hotel Room: Police A Connecticut man with multiple fake IDs was arrested after he barged into a hotel room to assault a woman he worked with, police said. The New London County incident occurred on Friday, Feb. 2 in the town of Griswold, according to Connecticut State Police. Posing as a police officer, 45-year-old Jonathan Brand of Norwich is said to have knocked on the door of a hotel room at the Comfort Inn located at 375 Voluntown Road, calling out that he was law enforcement. The woman inside — who later informed police that she knew Brand from where she worked and that he was with her and her boyfri…
Woman, 27, Charged In Westport Check Larceny Case Woman, 27, Charged In Westport Check Larceny Case
Woman, 27, Charged In Westport Check Larceny Case A 27-year-old woman has been charged with larceny and fraud for allegedly stealing a Fairfield County resident's check out of the mail and then changing the amount and cashing it. On Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, Westport Police initiated a larceny investigation after a resident reported they had a check stolen and fraudulently deposited into an unknown account.  The resident reported they sent a check made out for $560 from their home and the check was stolen and fraudulently deposited for $5,500, said Lt. Eric Woods of the Westport Police. Using search warrants, video sur…
Home Healthcare Assistant Forges Checks, Steals Money From Wilton Client: Police Home Healthcare Assistant Forges Checks, Steals Money From Wilton Client: Police
Home Healthcare Assistant Forges Checks, Steals Money From Wilton Client: Police A Connecticut woman was arrested after she allegedly stole from the person she was meant to be assisting. The Fairfield County incident originally took place in the town of Wilton in September 2023, according to officers at the Wilton Police Department. Christine Early, age 50, of New Fairfield, was reportedly employed as a visiting home healthcare assistant for a Wilton resident. While working, Early is said to have stolen cash from her patient. Police said she also forged a check that was given to her. Early turned herself in on an active arrest warrant on Thursday, Jan. 4, and she …
Man, 30, Poses As CT Landlord, Demands Money From Resident, Police Say Man, 30, Poses As CT Landlord, Demands Money From Resident, Police Say
Man, 30, Poses As CT Landlord, Demands Money From Resident, Police Say A 30-year-old man has been charged with burglary after allegedly breaking into a Connecticut home posing as a fake landlord. Hampden County resident Precious C. Okorie, age 30, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was arrested around 4:40 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 28 in South Windsor, Connecticut.  According to Sgt. Mark Cleverdon of the South Windsor Police, Okorie broke into a home and remained there while the resident and her two children were present as part of a fake landlord-tenant dispute. An investigation into the incident found that Okorie created and forged leasing documents using…
Trio Who Passed Counterfeit $100 Bills Throughout CT Nabbed In Greenwich, Police Say Trio Who Passed Counterfeit $100 Bills Throughout CT Nabbed In Greenwich, Police Say
Trio Who Passed Counterfeit $100 Bills Throughout CT Nabbed In Greenwich, Police Say Three men accused of passing counterfeit money throughout Connecticut were allegedly caught in the act. Greenwich Police said plainclothes officers were patrolling the downtown business district on Thursday, Dec. 14, when they spotted a vehicle believed to be tied to counterfeiting crimes. Shortly after, a Mason Street business owner contacted police saying that two men were passing counterfeit bills at their business. Officers arrested the three suspects without incident. An investigation found that they had a history of using counterfeit $100 bills to buy $25 worth of merchandise in ord…
Man Accused Of Trying To Cash Forged Checks At Bank In Wilton Man Accused Of Trying To Cash Forged Checks At Bank In Wilton
Man Accused Of Trying To Cash Forged Checks At Bank In Wilton A 48-year-old man was captured after a months-long investigation into identity theft and larceny at a Fairfield County bank.  James Greco, of Wynantskill, New York, located in Rensselaer County, was charged on Tuesday, Nov. 21 on a warrant for the July incident at a Wilton bank. According to Lt. Anna Tornello, of the Wilton Police, Greco entered the bank and forged checks in the victim’s name, and then deposited the cash into other accounts. After an extensive investigation, and with the help of several other law enforcement agencies, Greco was identified as the suspect and …
Woman Swipes Money Orders Sent From Fairfield County, Forges For Herself, Police Say Woman Swipes Money Orders Sent From Fairfield County, Forges For Herself, Police Say
Woman Swipes Money Orders Sent From Fairfield County, Forges For Herself, Police Say A 31-year-old woman is accused of stealing money orders that were sent from a Fairfield County mailbox and pocketing the money for herself. Julissa Herrera, age 31, of the Bronx, turned herself in to Darien Police on Friday, Nov. 17, on an open warrant. According to investigators, the victim contacted police in July 2023 saying that two of her Western Union money orders had been stolen. She had placed the money orders into a USPS mailbox on Corbin Drive in Darien in April 2023, but later noticed that the funds never showed up in her bank account. The woman eventually learned that the chec…
Trio Nabbed After Breaking Into Cars At Darien Country Club, Providing Fake IDs: Police Trio Nabbed After Breaking Into Cars At Darien Country Club, Providing Fake IDs: Police
Trio Nabbed After Breaking Into Cars At Darien Country Club, Providing Fake IDs: Police Two men and a woman all face burglary charges after stealing from unlocked vehicles at a country club in Fairfield County, police said. The arrests stemmed from an incident on Friday, Oct. 13 just before 1:30 p.m., when authorities responded to the Darien Country Club at 300 Mansfield Ave. for a reported car burglary. According to Darien Police Sergeant Dan Skoumbros, the person who reported the incident said that two men and one woman had looked through several vehicles in the parking lot before leaving in a car, which they then provided officers with a description of. An officer the…
Fake ID Scam: Thousands Of Dollars Swindled From Fairfield County Resident, Police Say Fake ID Scam: Thousands Of Dollars Swindled From Fairfield County Resident, Police Say
Fake ID Scam: Thousands Of Dollars Swindled From Fairfield County Resident, Police Say A man has been charged with larceny and identity theft after allegedly using a fake ID to steal more than $20,000 from a Fairfield County resident. Archie Longson, age 44, of New York City, was arrested by Wilton Police on Monday, March 27 on a warrant. The victim first learned of the crime in April 2022, when they found two fraudulent transactions on their bank account for a total of $20,500; a withdrawal of $8,000 was also made at a bank in Connecticut, and a bank check in the name of Longson was purchased for the amount of $12,500, said Capt. Gregg Phillipson, of the Wilton Police. Long…