Tag:

Scam

Middlesex County Man Posing As Walmart Worker Scams NY Woman, 69, Out Of $20K: Police Middlesex County Man Posing As Walmart Worker Scams NY Woman, 69, Out Of $20K: Police
Middlesex County Man Posing As Walmart Worker Scams NY Woman, 69, Out Of $20K: Police A phone call claiming to protect a Long Island resident's savings ended in a $20,000 scam carried out by a 51-year-old New Jersey man, according to authorities. The victim, a 69-year-old New Hyde Park woman, received the call from Tejas Kapur, of Carteret, who falsely identified himself as a Walmart employee, according to Nassau County Police. Kapur told the victim that there was fraudulent activity on her account and that her Social Security number was compromised, authorities said. Kapur then instructed the victim to move her money out of her bank account to protect it. On Monday,…
South Jersey Woman Who Paid $20K For Service Dog Scammed By WV Breeder, Police Say South Jersey Woman Who Paid $20K For Service Dog Scammed By WV Breeder, Police Say
South Jersey Woman Who Paid $20K For Service Dog Scammed By WV Breeder, Police Say A West Virginia woman was accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a Galloway Township woman who ordered a service dog but never received one, authorities said. Catherine Causey, 52, of Kearneysville, WV, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the Galloway Township Police Department said in a news release. She was charged with theft by deception and money laundering. Galloway police received a report on Tuesday, June 18 of an ongoing theft of about $20,000. A woman said she never received a service dog from Causey Labradors and Training despite making full payments and having cont…
SCAM ALERT: Glen Rock Homeowner Loses $27,400 As Home Repair Con Men Prep For Spring SCAM ALERT: Glen Rock Homeowner Loses $27,400 As Home Repair Con Men Prep For Spring
Scam ALERT: Glen Rock Homeowner Loses $27,400 As Home Repair Con Men Prep For Spring A roof repair scam cost a Glen Rock resident $27,400, prompting the borough police chief to warn citizens against con men who come to the door. Two visiting scammers who claimed to be from Nassau County, on Long Island, offered to repair a partially damaged section of one victim’s roof for $3,400, Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. No sooner had they begun their work than they suddenly “discovered” that the damage was “more extensive than originally thought,” the chief said. They asked for an additional $24,000 and the resident subsequently wired them the money, he said. The…
Maintenance Man Poses As Complex Owner, Scams Apartment Seekers Out Of $14,000: Garfield PD Maintenance Man Poses As Complex Owner, Scams Apartment Seekers Out Of $14,000: Garfield PD
Maintenance Man Poses As Complex Owner, Scams Apartment Seekers Out Of $14,000: Garfield PD A maintenance man at a Garfield garden apartment complex scammed hopeful renters out of $14,000 by posting bogus listings on Facebook, showing them empty units he claimed he owned and then collecting deposits from them, authorities charged. John K. DelValle, a 48-year-old bodybuilder from Hackensack, made it all appear genuine by having the victims sign worthless rental agreements, police said. Then he handed them the master keys that he'd been given for work. DelValle also conned another unwitting victim out of $7,000 -- and a car -- by "selling" him a Tesla that he was renting, Garfield …
Newly-Widowed NJ Mom Falls Victim To Gravestone Scammer: 'I Want Him Stopped' Newly-Widowed NJ Mom Falls Victim To Gravestone Scammer: 'I Want Him Stopped'
Newly-Widowed NJ Mom Falls Victim To Gravestone Scammer: 'I Want Him Stopped' Another New Jersey resident who was scammed out of thousands of dollars by Gregory Stefan, Jr. is sharing her story. It wasn't a week after Irene Pollard lost her husband before Gregory Stefan, Jr. had found her number. The North Brunswick mom was just beginning to wrap her head around the death of her husband, Myron Pollard, on Dec. 29, 2022, when Stefan began calling, asking her about creating a headstone for the gravesite. "It was way too soon," Pollard said.  Not one to make others feel pushed aside, Pollard saved Stefan's number as a contact in her phone so she could at least answer…
Grieving Bridgewater Woman Victimized By NJ Gravestone Scammer: 'People Can't Find Closure' Grieving Bridgewater Woman Victimized By NJ Gravestone Scammer: 'People Can't Find Closure'
Grieving Bridgewater Woman Victimized By NJ Gravestone Scammer: 'People Can't Find Closure' Barbara Kalmus was still reeling from the death of her sister last May when she was preyed upon by Gregory Stefan, Jr. The Bridgewater resident was one of several people authorities say was grifted by Stefan, who was recently arrested on a warrant by police in Vineland for scamming customers out of thousands of dollars through his company Colonial Memorials, not long after it was revealed he had been doing the same with his father and brother with their Pennsylvania company, 1843 LLC. Following her sister's death due to cancer, Stefan reached out to Kalmus about getting a headstone for he…
LOWLIFE SLIME: Scammer With 'Child Support Issues' Swindles Well-Meaning Woman Out Of $1,500 LOWLIFE SLIME: Scammer With 'Child Support Issues' Swindles Well-Meaning Woman Out Of $1,500
Lowlife Slime: Scammer With 'Child Support Issues' Swindles Well-Meaning Woman Out Of $1,500 A lowlife with a BS story about child support troubles conned a well-meaning woman out of $1,500 outside a Clifton bank, authorities said. The 20-something scammer approached the 62-year-old Belleville resident at the ATM of the Citibank at the River Front Center shopping mall on westbound Route 3 in the afternoon on Sunday, April 2, Police Lt. Robert Bracken said. In his hand was a check that he said he needed to cash but couldn't because of "child support issues," the lieutenant said. After depositing the check into her own account, the woman transferred $1,500 via Zelle to the stranger,…
WHEW: Phony $18M 'Prize' Nearly Convinces Wyckoff Woman, 82, To Give Scammer $10,000 WHEW: Phony $18M 'Prize' Nearly Convinces Wyckoff Woman, 82, To Give Scammer $10,000
Whew: Phony $18M 'Prize' Nearly Convinces Wyckoff Woman, 82, To Give Scammer $10,000 An 82-year-old woman from Wyckoff came within a whisker of losing $10,000 to a scammer who managed to con her out of $500 by claiming that she’d won $18 million and a new luxury vehicle, authorities said. The caller from an unknown number told the woman that she'd won a Publishers Clearing House grand prize, Police Lt. Joseph Soto said. However, the caller said she’d have to buy $10,000 worth of gift cards – and then provide the numbers on them – to collect her prizes, Soto said. The woman bought a $500 card and gave the information to redeem it to the caller, the lieutenant said. He then…
Bergen Scam Victim Literally Gift-Wraps $25,000 In Cash Bergen Scam Victim Literally Gift-Wraps $25,000 In Cash
Bergen Scam Victim Literally Gift-Wraps $25,000 In Cash Yes, it’s difficult to believe, but an unwitting North Jersey victim literally gift-wrapped $25,000 in cash for a scammer to steal. It happened to a 75-year-old Glen Rock resident who got a pop-up home computer message directing her to contact Apple/Microsoft "due to an issue with their computer,” Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. The victim used the number provided by the scammer rather than do an independent search herself for whom to call, the chief said. A purported representative who answered told her that it would cost $25,000 to resolve the issue. So the victim withdrew the cash fr…
NJ Boardwalk Operator Banned 10 Years For Using Overinflated Basketballs, Posting False Prizes NJ Boardwalk Operator Banned 10 Years For Using Overinflated Basketballs, Posting False Prizes
NJ Boardwalk Operator Banned 10 Years For Using Overinflated Basketballs, Posting False Prizes A Jersey Shore game operator was banned from business for 10 years and fined $15,500 for over-inflating basketballs and displaying prizes that couldn’t be won, state authorities said. Some basketballs at games owned by Christine Strothers on the boardwalks in Wildwood and North Wildwood packed up to three times the amount of required pounds per square inch of inflation, state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. This, as most players know, can make a ball ricochet wildly off a backboard or rim, the attorney general noted. Strothers also broke New Jersey’s amusement games lic…
$400G GoFundMe Scam: NJ Woman Serving Federal Time Gets 3-Year State Sentence $400G GoFundMe Scam: NJ Woman Serving Federal Time Gets 3-Year State Sentence
$400G GoFundMe Scam: NJ Woman Serving Federal Time Gets 3-Year State Sentence UPDATE: A woman who helped pull a notorious scam that conned 14,000 GoFundMe donors nationwide was nearly 150 miles away when a judge in South Jersey sentenced her to a plea-bargained three years in state prison on Friday, Jan. 6. Katelyn McClure, 32, of Bordentown will be released in July after completing a federal sentence at a low-security prison in Danbury, CT, for scamming well-meaning donors out of $400,000 to purportedly help a homeless veteran. At that point, the year and a day federal sentence will be deducted from her state term and a determination will be made whether she shoul…
Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You
Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You A boy named Andrew Bucklandon hasn't gone missing. He didn't leave for school and not return. He doesn't even exist. For those who've seen -- or, worse, shared -- the Facebook post about a purportedly missing boy the past couple of days, here are a few questions: Does the post include a town? A link? Contact details? It doesn't. Because it's bogus. Like any good phishing scam, the missing boy ploy tugs at the heartstrings and plays on the fears of those who want to help. They're actually helping the scammers find more victims. Phishers threw their latest line into social media waters on…
GOTCHA! 'Daughter In Trouble' Scammer Gets Punked By Paramus Police GOTCHA! 'Daughter In Trouble' Scammer Gets Punked By Paramus Police
Gotcha! 'Daughter In Trouble' Scammer Gets Punked By Paramus Police A cold-hearted scammer who tried to trick a Paramus woman out of $15,000 got duped herself, authorities said. The resident called borough police after getting a call from someone claiming to be a Hackensack police officer, Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg explained. The purported officer told her that her daughter had been arrested and needed bail money -- 15 large, in fact, the chief said. A courier named "Daisy" was going to pick up the cash to be delivered to her daughter's attorney, the caller said. Paramus Police Officer Nicole Capone spoke with the would-be victim, then …
Federal Convict Who Hatched $400,000 GoFundMe Scam Gets NJ Prison Time, Too Federal Convict Who Hatched $400,000 GoFundMe Scam Gets NJ Prison Time, Too
Federal Convict Who Hatched $400,000 GoFundMe Scam Gets NJ Prison Time, Too UPDATE: A New Jersey man already serving federal prison time for a GoFundMe scheme that conned 14,000 donors across the country out of $400,000 to purportedly benefit a homeless veteran got a state prison sentence, as well. The plea-bargained five-year term approved by a Superior Court judge in Mount Holly on Friday will run at the same time as the 27-month federal sentence that Mark D'Amico of Trenton received in April. The difference is that there's no parole in the federal prison system, which keeps D'Amico in the medium-security United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, PA for more than…
NJ Woman Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet, Ex-BF Gets Federal Prison Time NJ Woman Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet, Ex-BF Gets Federal Prison Time
NJ Woman Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet, Ex-BF Gets Federal Prison Time UPDATE: A New Jersey woman who helped pull a scam that conned 14,000 GoFundMe donors across the country out of $400,000 to purportedly benefit a homeless veteran is headed to federal prison. Katelyn McClure, 32, of Bordentown got a far lighter sentence under the terms of her plea deal with the government than did her former boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, who concocted the cruel scheme. McClure was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Camden on Thursday to a plea-bargained year and a day in a federal penitentiary. D’Amico, the "mastermind," earlier this year got 27 months in a fed pen in exchange …
NOT TODAY, PAL: Fair Lawn Senior Turns Tables On 'Grandparent Scam' Artists NOT TODAY, PAL: Fair Lawn Senior Turns Tables On 'Grandparent Scam' Artists
NOT Today, PAL: Fair Lawn Senior Turns Tables On 'Grandparent Scam' Artists Not everyone falls for the "grandchild in trouble" scam. A Fair Lawn senior citizen who’d been targeted by scammers quickly figured out what was what and immediately called police. Detective Chris O’Shaughnessy responded to the Barry Place home after someone claiming to be a lawyer called a resident there and asked for $11,000 bail to get the would-be victim's granddaughter out of jail, Sgt. Brian Metzler said. A woman was waiting outside to pick up the money, the caller said. O’Shaughnessy found the woman, 21-year-old Destiny Gonzalez of New York, NY, “whose story would keep changing dur…
Camden Man Stole $18K From Woman In 'Grandson Jail' Scam, Prosecutor Says Camden Man Stole $18K From Woman In 'Grandson Jail' Scam, Prosecutor Says
Camden Man Stole $18K From Woman In 'Grandson Jail' Scam, Prosecutor Says A Camden man has been indicted for scamming an elderly woman out of $16,000 by falsely claiming the money was needed to bail her grandson out of jail, authorities said. A grand jury charged Yadiel Gonzalez, of Atlantic Avenue in Camden, with theft by deception, they said. The indictment was returned on Friday, May 20 and signed by Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. An arraignment is scheduled for July 5 in Superior Court. The investigation began last year when a woman contacted Palmyra Borough police to report the scam, Coffina said. The investigation revealed that the initial con…
PUNKED! Hapless Scammers Trying To Swindle $25K From Teaneck Man Get Stung By Police Instead PUNKED! Hapless Scammers Trying To Swindle $25K From Teaneck Man Get Stung By Police Instead
Punked! Hapless Scammers Trying To Swindle $25K From Teaneck Man Get Stung By Police Instead A pair of flim-flammers who thought they’d fooled a Teaneck grandfather into forking over $25,500 to get a supposedly drunk-driving family member out of jail found the tables turned when they showed up to collect, authorities said. The “victim” who held an envelope stuffed with the supposed cash as he stood waiting for the two Plainfield teens on a township street was actually a Teaneck police detective clutching worthless paper, they said. Police had been alerted by the would-be victim after he got a call from one of the wanna-be con artists, Police Chief Glenn M. O’Reilly said. Pretendin…
NY Woman Nearly Scammed 80-Year-Old Hamilton Man Out Of $15K, Police Say NY Woman Nearly Scammed 80-Year-Old Hamilton Man Out Of $15K, Police Say
NY Woman Nearly Scammed 80-Year-Old Hamilton Man Out Of $15K, Police Say A New York woman was charged after police say she tried — and almost succeeded — in scamming an 80-year-old Hamilton man out of $15,000. Mildreth Santamaria-Tirado, 40, of Corona, is accused of trying to fraudulently collect $15,000 from a Hamilton man on Friday, April 15, the Hamilton Police Division said. The victim received a call from a man claiming to be from the FBI stating that his daughter had been arrested for possessing 100 pounds of marijuana earlier that day, police said. The man allegedly told the victim that he would have to pay 10 percent of a $200,000 bail to secure his dau…
Detectives Turn Tables On Scammers Who Thought They'd Conned Bergen County Grandma Detectives Turn Tables On Scammers Who Thought They'd Conned Bergen County Grandma
Detectives Turn Tables On Scammers Who Thought They'd Conned Bergen County Grandma GOTCHA! Two gutless 20-year-olds from the Bronx thought they'd conned a Woodcliff Lake woman out of $6,000 with the "grandson in trouble" scam -- only they ended up being the ones who got punked. A caller claiming to be her grandson told the intended victim that he'd been arrested and needed bail money, WCL Police Lt. Chad Malloy said. The caller gave the grandmother the name and number of someone who he said was an attorney. That person would come to her house and collect the $6,000 from her, then bring it to court to secure his release, he told her. Grandma knew better, though. She went …
FACT CHECK: Do Carjackers Put Plastic Bottles In Wheel Wells To Distract Drivers? FACT CHECK: Do Carjackers Put Plastic Bottles In Wheel Wells To Distract Drivers?
Fact Check: Do Carjackers Put Plastic Bottles In Wheel Wells To Distract Drivers? Despite what someone you know might have shared, carjackers aren't going around shoving empty plastic bottles between motorists' tires and wheel wells as a distraction. Next month marks four years since the mythical "warning" emerged out of Africa and worked its way around the globe. The idea, it's said, is you'll hear the sound of the bottle being crushed and get out of your car to investigate. At that point, the carjacker robs you of your ride. The bogus alert begins: "PLEASE READ Police warn: if you find a plastic bottle near your car, you may be in danger." You won't and you're not, a…
Men Wanted In NJ Grandparent Scam After Pretending To Be Jailed Grandkids: Prosecutor Men Wanted In NJ Grandparent Scam After Pretending To Be Jailed Grandkids: Prosecutor
Men Wanted In NJ Grandparent Scam After Pretending To Be Jailed Grandkids: Prosecutor A pair of New York men are wanted by authorities for pretending to be New Jersey residents' jailed grandchildren asking for bail money, scamming them out of thousands of dollars, authorities said. Jorge Peguero-Mendez, 34, and Richard Quinones-Perez, 24, both of the Bronx, New York, are wanted on charges of theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. An elderly victim from Barnegat was contacted in December 2021 by an individual claiming to be her grandson, authorities said. The individual informed her that he had b…
BEWARE: 'Amazon' Phone Scammer Cons Glen Rock Victim Out Of $10,000 BEWARE: 'Amazon' Phone Scammer Cons Glen Rock Victim Out Of $10,000
Beware: 'Amazon' Phone Scammer Cons Glen Rock Victim Out Of $10,000 A Glen Rock resident lost more than $10,000 in an Amazon telephone scam, authorities said. The victim had just made an Amazon purchase when a text arrived from a purported “customer service representative” claiming there’d been a $1,490.97 purchase that the resident didn’t make, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. The scammer then gave the victim a number to call to dispute the charge, he said. The victim called and was directed to buy gift cards “to fix the security breach,” the chief said. “Over the next five hours the victim purchased over $ 10,000 in gift cards from NIKE, TARGET and E-B…
NJ Man Admits Hatching $400,000 Homeless GoFundMe Scam NJ Man Admits Hatching $400,000 Homeless GoFundMe Scam
NJ Man Admits Hatching $400,000 Homeless GoFundMe Scam The mastermind of a GoFundMe scheme that conned 14,000 donors across the country out of $400,000 to purportedly benefit a homeless veteran admitted in federal court in New Jersey on Monday that he and his ex-girlfriend pocketed most of the money. Mark D’Amico, 42, formerly of Bordentown, admitted concocting a bogus feel-good story about the supposed victim coming to the rescue of Katelyn McClure after she ran out of gas on Route 95 on her way home to New Jersey from Philadelphia. Both McClure and the homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., were in on the scheme, authorities said. Together, D’Am…
NYC Crew Conspired To Scam Atlantic City Casinos Out Of $1.12 Million, Authorities Charge NYC Crew Conspired To Scam Atlantic City Casinos Out Of $1.12 Million, Authorities Charge
NYC Crew Conspired To Scam Atlantic City Casinos Out Of $1.12 Million, Authorities Charge A group of New York City con artists conspired to scam five Atlantic City casinos out of $1,120,000 by exchanging bogus bank checks for gaming chips, authorities said. The Hard Rock casino rejected a check and the Golden Nugget permitted only incremental amounts, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said Thursday. But Caesars, the Borgata and the Ocean Casino Resort all honored $284,000 checks, losing a combined total of $852,000, he said. The New Jersey State Police Casino Gaming Bureau and the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau began investigating soon a…
FBI: Jersey City Stockbroker Scams Investors Out Of $600,000 With Bogus Ticket-Reselling Biz FBI: Jersey City Stockbroker Scams Investors Out Of $600,000 With Bogus Ticket-Reselling Biz
FBI: Jersey City Stockbroker Scams Investors Out Of $600,000 With Bogus Ticket-Reselling Biz FBI agents busted a now-former stockbroker from Jersey City who they said ran a side hustle that scammed victims out of more than $600,000 through a fictional ticket-reselling business. Michael J. Clarke, 62, lost his job once it came to light that his promises of getting discounted tickets that he could later sell at premium rates for concerts and sporting events -- as well as seat licenses to the U.S. Open -- were lies, authorities said. Clarke, who was a licensed municipal securities trader, promised victims who fronted him the money for the purported ticket brokerage that they'd get a …
SCAM ALERT: ‘Gypsy’ Thieves Are Back, Con Elderly Glen Rock Couple Out Of $18,000 SCAM ALERT: ‘Gypsy’ Thieves Are Back, Con Elderly Glen Rock Couple Out Of $18,000
Scam ALERT: ‘Gypsy’ Thieves Are Back, Con Elderly Glen Rock Couple Out Of $18,000 SEEN IT? “Gypsy” scammers are out again, police warn, pointing to an elderly Glen Rock couple who came thisclose to losing $18,000. The con artists, also called “travelers,” move around the East Coast using scams and diversions to get into people’s pocketbooks. This time, a grifting group coincidentally came to the door of a couple who’d called a legitimate roofing company for help, Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. When the couple asked whether they were their contractors, they said they were. They then “proceeded to cover the entire roof with some sort of tar or rubberized as…
Ex-AC Mayor Who Spent $86,000 In Youth Sports Donations On Himself Gets 30 Days In Fed Pen Ex-AC Mayor Who Spent $86,000 In Youth Sports Donations On Himself Gets 30 Days In Fed Pen
Ex-AC Mayor Who Spent $86,000 In Youth Sports Donations On Himself Gets 30 Days In Fed Pen UPDATE: Former Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam was sentenced Thursday to a plea-bargained 30 days in federal prison, 11 months of house arrest and 200 hours of community for scamming donors out of $86,000 that he told them was going to a youth basketball team. Frank Gilliam, 49, used the money on fancy clothes, expensive meals, and trips that were “completely unrelated to the operation of a youth basketball team,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachel A. Honig said. “I stand before this court a fractured human being,” Gilliam told U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez via videoconference in Camde…
Police: Bergen Wingman Who Thought He Bought Plane Scammed Out Of $10,000 Police: Bergen Wingman Who Thought He Bought Plane Scammed Out Of $10,000
Police: Bergen Wingman Who Thought He Bought Plane Scammed Out Of $10,000 A Bergen County man who thought he’d put a down payment on a Cessna got taken for $10,000 by a scam artist who told him the aircraft had crashed, authorities said. The Glen Rock victim told borough police he thought he had an agreement to purchase a 2004 Cessna 182T for $200,000 through a website called planecheck.com, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. As part of the deal, he told police, he sent the purported seller a $10,000 non-refundable deposit. The “seller” was to have flown the aircraft from Georgia and to Greenwood Lake Airport in West Milford for delivery, Ackermann said. Wh…
If Lt Mark Richardson Calls You About Missing Jury Duty, Hang Up If Lt Mark Richardson Calls You About Missing Jury Duty, Hang Up
If Lt Mark Richardson Calls You About Missing Jury Duty, Hang Up It’s the phone scam that won’t die: A caller who claims to be from the local sheriff’s office threatens to arrest you if you don’t pay fines for ducking jury duty. He says his name is Lt. Mark Richardson. Heading into what will be its fifth year, the scam is still fooling people throughout the U.S. Hoping the scare tactic works, the caller warns that you’re in big trouble because you failed to report for jury duty. Then he offers you a way out: Just buy Amazon or iTunes gift cards for such-and-such an amount, then give him the numbers on the back of the card. "Yeah, right," you say. …
Feds Praise Leonia PD After Ringleader Of International Call-Center Phone Scam Gets 20 Years Feds Praise Leonia PD After Ringleader Of International Call-Center Phone Scam Gets 20 Years
Feds Praise Leonia PD After Ringleader Of International Call-Center Phone Scam Gets 20 Years A worldwide investigation that produced a 20-year federal prison sentence for an Indian national who ran call centers that defrauded Americans across the U.S. out of millions of dollars got a huge boost from police in Leonia. Leonia Detective Michael Jennings, in particular, did legwork that helped federal authorities eventually identify Hitesh Madhubhai Patel, 44, as the ringleader of the transnational scheme. For that reason, police in the Bergen County borough near the George Washington Bridge got a shout-out from the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday. It began in 2015 when Jennings …