45°
The man known variously as Joseph Anthony Caracciolo, Joseph Crillo, Joseph Grillo, and Tony Gallardo was due in federal court this afternoon in Camden following his arrested in New York on Aug. 28.
Authorities say he has lived in the Orlando, Boca Raton and Palm Beach areas in Florida, as well as in Connecticut, Virginia and the Sacramento and San Bernardino areas of California. He’s traveled extensively over the past two decades, they said.
Caracciolo, 47, has posed as a chef, a pediatric dentist, a business owner, a sales-person, and an electrician’s assistant, the FBI said. He also claimed to be suffering from cancer, they said.
He also known to have frequented Atlantic City casinos, “using aliases and conducting gambling transactions in the names of others he meets there,” the bureau said in a release this afternoon.
Although he was charged by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is adopting the case for federal criminal prosecution.
Caracciolo officially is charged with traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor under 13.
According to another release, issued by U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman’s office: “During a period between May and August 2012, Caracciolo traveled from New York to New Jersey and from New Jersey to Pennsylvania in order to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl. In intercepted communications, Caracciolo acknowledged paternity of a child born to the victim. The exchanges were monitored by law enforcement with the victim’s consent.”
According to the Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Website, Caracciolo has been in violation of his sex offender registration requirements since August 2005.
Caracciolo has several tattoos, which include:
- “Ivy” on his left finger;
- A chef in a chef’s hat with the words “Top Chef” and an underlying quote on his forearm;
- A cancer ribbon with boxing gloves on his forearm;
- The initials “AJ” on his inner left wrist;
- The letter “M” on inner right wrist;
- The initials “NY” on his left upper arm;
- An “X” between the webbing of the thumb and index finger.
Anyone with information about Caracciolo is asked to call the FBI’s tip line: 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Information also can be provided to the nearest FBI field office, or filed electronically at https://tips.fbi.gov
Fishman credited special agents of the Newark FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force; the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office; and the Egg Harbor Township Police Department with the investigation and arrest.
Handling the case for the government are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin C. Danilewitz and Matthew T. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Ramapo and receive free news updates.
