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Liebert, Simmons, Lynch, Jackson
The first call came in around 1:45 Tuesday afternoon, after a woman used a bogus driver’s license and bank card to try and cash a $1,262.34 check at the Chase Bank branch on Park Avenue in Rutherford, borough Detective Lt. Patrick Feliciano told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
Rutherford police were investigating the first incident when the second call came in barely 10 minutes later from the nearby Chase Bank on Union Avenue, where one of the crew members tried cashing a bogus check for $1,126.88, the sergeant said.
The teller refused to pay the check and the man took off in a silver, 4-door, Nissan Altima with New York plates — the same as described in the first attempt, he said.
The car was stopped moments later at the corner of Jackson Avenue by East Rutherford Police Officers Dan Perry and Ken Felten and Rutherford Officers Brian Caughey, William Sommers, Robert Buell and Sgt. Robert Arnold, Feliciano told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
Inside the 2008 Altima were four people who police believe were involved in both attempts:
Leonard Liebert, 19, of the Bronx, charged with conspiracy, passing bad checks, aggravated assault and carrying a bogus credit card and driver’s license, as well as a phony $6,221.23 check. He was ordered held on $75,000 bail at the Bergen County Jail;
The driver, 21-year-old Shaquacia Lynch, also of the Bronx, charged with conspiracy, passing bad checks and having a fake driver’s license and credit card. She was ordered held on $50,000 bail;
Franklin Jackson, 52, of New York, who was charged with conspiracy and ordered held on $20,000 bail at the Bergen County Jail;
Jadarius Simmons, 25, also listed as New York and charged with conspiracy. Same bail.
Feliciano said Lynch and Jackson had gone into the Park Avenue Chase branch but left the bogus documents behind as they fled — in the same silver Nissan described in the second attempt.
More charges could follow: New York State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating the crew, Feliciano said.
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