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'Trusted' Unlicensed Contractors Defrauded Nassau County Homeowners, Police Say
They were hired to make repairs but ended up scamming Long Island homeowners instead, police allege.
Nassau County Police arrested two men on suspicion of fraud and related charges Monday, July 22, for allegedly posing as construction contractors in order to con homeowners.
Investigators said David Young, age 31, of Philadelphia, and Adam Turner, age 25, who is homeless, targeted elderly homeowners and offered to perform construction services through their unlicensed company, “Top Line Masonry.”
The two then defrauded victims by falsely reporting damage that wasn’t there or by causing more…
$185M Scheme: Manhasset Man Among Trio Charged By Feds
Three New York men have been charged in connection with a $185 million fraud scheme involving over a thousand investors, federal authorities announced.
The three are Long Island resident Mario Gogliormella, age 47, of Manhasset; and New York City residents Steven Lacaj, age 27, of Manhattan, and Karim Ibrahim, age 34, of Queens, also known as “Chris Hayes."
“By allegedly raising approximately $185 million from over 1,400 investors, Mario Gogliormella, Steven Lacaj, and Karim Ibrahim left a trail of shattered trust and financial ruin," US Attorney for the Southern Distric…
Odometer Rollback Scheme Orchestrated By Long Island Auto Prez, Saleswoman, DA Says
A Long Island car dealer and her associate are accused of duping customers into buying high mileage used cars by changing their odometer readings.
Ashley Duff, age 27, and Ginger Sipes, age 58, both of Shirley, are facing fraud and conspiracy charges in Suffolk County Court.
Prosecutors said Duff’s company, ABB Auto World Inc., bought high mileage cars from auctions and then had their odometers rolled back to show lower mileage. Some of the vehicles had over 200,000 miles on them.
Duff and Sipes would then advertise the cars for sale on Facebook Marketplace, charging thousands of dollars m…
Long Beach Nurse, Former Marine Reservist Faked COVID Vax Cards: Usao
Two people – including a nurse from Long Island – have been given their prison sentences for running a scheme, peddling faked COVID-19 vaccination cards.
Queens man Jia Liu, age 28, faced his 21-month sentence for the scheme on Friday, April 5, according to the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York.
Alongside Steven Rodriguez, a 29-year-old nurse from Long Beach, the two men conspired to steal, forge, sell, and distribute COVID-19 vaccination cards to hundreds of unvaccinated people between March 2021 and February 2022.
Original Story - COVID-19…
$30K Gambling Scam: Man Nabbed For Scheme In Mineola
A Brooklyn man was caught and arrested for attempting to scam a Long Island woman out of tens of thousands of dollars, police said.
It happened on Monday, April 1 in Mineola, according to Nassau County Police.
On that day, a 57-year-old woman was contacted by the alleged scammer, who claimed to be a Microsoft employee.
He told the victim that she had a $30,000 gambling charge on her account.
Then, a short time later, another man called the victim, this time claiming to be from Chase Fraud Prevention. Police said that the second caller persuaded the woman to take out the $30,000 in cas…
Freeport Woman Scams Nearly $50K From SSA Using Late Grandmother's Pen Name: DA
A woman from Long Island used her dead grandmother’s pen name to collect Social Security benefits for years, authorities claimed.
Freeport resident Alexandria Sobrane, age 46, was arraigned on Tuesday, March 18 for her alleged Social Security fraud, the Nassau County District Attorney announced.
According to the DA’s Office, Sobrane’s grandmother, Hannah Sobrane, was born in 1920 and wrote children’s books under the pen name Babe Power.
Starting in 1985, she retired and began receiving her Social Security benefits under the nom de plume she used for writing.
However, in 2008, when the …
Avoid Scams: These Are Top 10 Consumer Frauds Of 2023, NY AG Says
To honor National Consumer Protection Week, New York Attorney General Letitia James has revealed the most common fraud complaints faced by residents during 2023.
In an announcement on Monday, March 4, James said that these common complaints ranged from price gouging of much-needed goods and services to housing issues, online banking fraud, and even travel-related issues.
The top ten most common consumer complaints of 2023 in New York were:
Retail Sales: (Online purchases, price gouging, retail sales, defective merchandise, poor customer service, pet stores, animal breede…
Man Scams 9/11 Victim, Widow In Locust Valley: Police
A Queens man has been arrested after he allegedly conned two women out of over $150,000, including one Long Islander who was awarded money as part of the 9/11 Victim Fund, police said.
Richard Yasnis, age 42, was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 20 for his alleged Locust Valley crimes, according to Nassau County Police.
In July 2023, Yasnis, who is from Jamaica, Queens, allegedly posed as an investment advisor and representative of the Cahill Financial Group, which is based in New York City.
Under the guise that it would be used to invest in stocks and real estate, police said Yasnis receive…
Fake ICE Agent In Levittown Sparks Investigation, Police Say
A man was allegedly caught posing as a Customs and Border Protection Officer on Long Island, prompting police to investigate potential fraud.
On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Andy Kwok, age 53, was arrested in a Levittown restaurant for pretending to be a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, according to Nassau County Police.
At approximately 11:20 a.m., Kwok, a resident of the hamlet of Delmar in Albany County, was dining at K City Hot Pot and Sushi, located at 3056 Hempstead Turnpike.
He was dressed as a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer, complete with a fraudulent ID car…
$77K Scam: Man Arrested For Fake Check Scheme In Massapequa, Police Say
A New Jersey man was nabbed after he scammed a Long Island law firm out of over $70,000 by using a fraudulent check, police said.
Nassau County Police announced that Osokam Ekufia, 44, of Newark, was arrested for the larceny, which happened in October 2022 in Massapequa.
On Oct. 5, 2022, a Massapequa law firm received a check from Ekufia worth $84,620.00.
The check was meant to be placed into an escrow account, and once it cleared, $77,500 was to be deposited into a TD Bank account.
However, on Oct. 7, the firm got a call from TD Bank confirming that the $84,620 check was fake.
In t…
Long Island Man Admits Posing As Nypd Officer To Get Store Discounts
Impersonating a cop to save a buck will land a Long Island man in prison for years.
Eric Diaz, age 43, of Brentwood, pleaded guilty to a felony count in Suffolk County Court Wednesday, Oct. 11, after being caught with multiple fraudulent NYPD identification cards.
According to prosecutors, Diaz posed as a cop on multiple occasions while visiting a retail store in Bay Shore between April and May 2023.
During the visits, he displayed what looked like a police badge, handcuffs, and a handgun and asked for a “police discount.”
He was eventually stopped by police, who found him with a ho…
