Tag:

Forgery

Man Stole, Forged Checks From Bergen County Doctor’s Office: Cops Man Stole, Forged Checks From Bergen County Doctor’s Office: Cops
Man Stole, Forged Checks From Bergen County Doctor’s Office: Cops A Paterson man was arrested after police say he intercepted, duplicated, forged, and cashed checks stolen from a Bergen County doctor’s office, authorities said. Jonta J. Bianco, 27, was charged with theft and forgery following an investigation, Closter Police Capt. Vincent Aiello said Tuesday, May 12. Bianoc was also arrested last year for trying to cash phony checks at a Fairfield bank. The checks were taken from the mail and altered before being cashed by Bianco, according to Aiello. Investigators identified Bianco through TD Bank surveillance footage, and he was apprehended a…
Driver Covers Holding Cell In Urine After Being Found With $122K In Stolen Checks: Cops Driver Covers Holding Cell In Urine After Being Found With $122K In Stolen Checks: Cops
Driver Covers Holding Cell In Urine After Being Found With $122K In Stolen Checks: Cops A 19-year-old Bergen County resident found with more than $122,000 in stolen checks and U.S. Postal Service property during a motor vehicle stop covered his holding cell in urine before being booked in the county jail, police said. Moses H. Lemite, of Teaneck, was taken into custody on Wednesday, April 8, following a stop conducted by Teaneck Detective Sgt. James Lynch, according to Deputy Chief Seth Kriegel. Lynch stopped a Jeep Cherokee with Georgia registration after observing several motor vehicle violations, and determined the vehicle’s insurance was invalid, Kriegel said.  A sea…
NJ Man Tried Scamming Law Firm That Repped Him Out Of $2.8K With Phony Check — Twice: Cops NJ Man Tried Scamming Law Firm That Repped Him Out Of $2.8K With Phony Check — Twice: Cops
NJ Man Tried Scamming Law Firm That Repped Him Out Of $2.8K With Phony Check — Twice: Cops A Garfield man was arrested months after allegedly attempting to defraud a Lyndhurst law firm that had represented him using a fraudulent check, police said. Jason D. Ibanez, 29, was charged with third-degree forgery following an investigation into a $2,800 check that was cashed in Jersey City on Sept. 19, 2025, according to Lyndhurst Police Capt. Paul Haggerty. Officer Anthony Morreale began investigating the incident on Sept. 24 after the check was linked to a Lyndhurst-based injury attorney’s office, police said. Authorities said Ibanez, a former client of the firm, attempted the fraud b…
NJ Man Arrested In $24K The Home Depot Identity Theft Scheme Across Delaware: State Police NJ Man Arrested In $24K The Home Depot Identity Theft Scheme Across Delaware: State Police
NJ Man Arrested In $24K The Home Depot Identity Theft Scheme Across Delaware: State Police A 31-year-old New Jersey man is facing 28 counts of identity theft after police say he used other people's identities to make numerous purchases at The Home Depot stores across Delaware. Last October, a corporate investigator at The Home Depot contacted officers after a suspect, later identified as Christian Pacheco, of Perth Amboy, made 28 visits to The Home Depot locations throughout Delaware, Delaware State Police said. Pacheco told store employees he had forgotten his Home Depot credit card and provided them with a legitimate cardholder’s Social Security number, police said.&n…
Auto Body Repair Owner Stole $42K From Insurers: Monmouth County Prosecutor Auto Body Repair Owner Stole $42K From Insurers: Monmouth County Prosecutor
Auto Body Repair Owner Stole $42K From Insurers: Monmouth County Prosecutor A 67-year-old Howell man was arrested and charged with stealing more than $42,000 from insurers at the auto-body repair shop he owned, authorities announced Tuesday, Jan. 13 Beginning in September 2023, Barry Barbella would deposit claim checks cut by insurance companies into a business account for the now-closed Franklin Auto Body, Inc. in Englishtown, despite performing no work on the corresponding vehicle, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said. Barbella did this at least six times, taking more than $42,265, Santiago said. Barbella used the money to fund payroll and cover perso…
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…
Nurse Impersonator With 20 Fake Names Stole Meds Across Multiple States—Including New Jersey Nurse Impersonator With 20 Fake Names Stole Meds Across Multiple States—Including New Jersey
Nurse Impersonator With 20 Fake Names Stole Meds Across Multiple States—Including New Jersey 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…
4 NJ Men Tried To Cash Phony Checks At TD Bank: Fairfield PD 4 NJ Men Tried To Cash Phony Checks At TD Bank: Fairfield PD
4 NJ Men Tried To Cash Phony Checks At TD Bank: Fairfield PD Four North Jersey men have been arrested and charged following two separate fraud cases at a TD Bank in Fairfield, authorities announced, Thursday, July 24. On Monday, July 21 at 5 p.m. officers responded to the bank at 436 Hollywood Ave. after an employee recognized Jaydin Colon, a 20-year-old Garfield resident, who had previously cashed a fraudulent check in the past at the branch, Fairfield police said. Colon was trying to cash a $1,616.04 fraudulent arrest and he was placed under arrest, police said. While officers were apprehending Colon, they saw a vehicle parked illegally in a nearb…
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. Heartbreaking Loss of a Childhood Friend Today, I received some incredibly disturbing and heartbreaking news: my... Posted by Clement Lehman on …
DUI Crash In Beachside Vacation Spot Leaves Cyclist Badly Injured, Police Say DUI Crash In Beachside Vacation Spot Leaves Cyclist Badly Injured, Police Say
DUI Crash In Beachside Vacation Spot Leaves Cyclist Badly Injured, Police Say A 21-year-old international student was seriously injured when a suspected drunk driver hit him in the heart of Rehoboth Beach, a popular Delaware vacation destination, police said. The crash happened just after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9, in the 300 block of Rehoboth Avenue, according to the Rehoboth Beach Police Department. Investigators say Megan Smith, 20, of Lewes, was driving a Jeep Wrangler westbound on Rehoboth Avenue when she hit the cyclist, who was in the area on a J-1 visa.  The crash caused potentially life-threatening injuries, police said after the cyclist was rushed t…
$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 …
Newark Woman Hit With 29 Charges In $600K Real Estate, Rent Scam Spree Newark Woman Hit With 29 Charges In $600K Real Estate, Rent Scam Spree
Newark Woman Hit With 29 Charges In $600K Real Estate, Rent Scam Spree A Newark woman is facing nearly 30 charges for allegedly stealing more than $600,000 through a string of frauds across New Jersey, authorities said. Joyce Kirkland, 59, was arrested at her home on the morning of Wednesday, June 25, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel said Friday. Kirkland was charged with 29 counts, including theft, money laundering, forgery, and criminal impersonation. Prosecutors say Kirkland forged names on deeds, falsified documents, and stole from the State of New Jersey’s Emergency Rental Assistance Programs, taking more than $300,000. She also allegedly forged …
PA Bookkeeper Stole $822K From Law Firm In NJ In 6-Year Remote Embezzlement PA Bookkeeper Stole $822K From Law Firm In NJ In 6-Year Remote Embezzlement
PA Bookkeeper Stole $822K From Law Firm In NJ In 6-Year Remote Embezzlement She worked remotely from Pennsylvania — and secretly funneled hundreds of thousands from her New Jersey law firm. Now, the 66-year-old bookkeeper is going to jail for a years-long financial betrayal. A former bookkeeper who siphoned more than $800,000 from a Bucks County-based law firm with operations in New Jersey has been sentenced to county jail, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, June 27. Reese Esther Paul, 66, of Holland in Northampton Township, was handed a sentence of one year less a day to two years less a day in the Bucks County Correctional Facility, …
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 “…
Senior Fire Captain In Bergen County Forged Fit Tests For Other Firefighters: Officials Senior Fire Captain In Bergen County Forged Fit Tests For Other Firefighters: Officials
Senior Fire Captain In Bergen County Forged Fit Tests For Other Firefighters: Officials A senior fire captain in Bergen County is facing criminal charges after authorities say he forged safety paperwork for members of the fire department. While acting as a senior fire captain in Emerson, Richard A. Solimando, 45, “improperly conducted respirator fit tests for members of the Emerson Fire Department and fraudulently signed acknowledgements for each report" between Jan. 7 and Jan. 27, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Solimando was arrested on Friday, May 16 in Paramus, and charged with one count of third-degree forgery, and one count of fourth-degree fal…
Disbarred NJ Attorney Accused Of Stealing $130K From Dead Client’s Estate: Prosecutor Disbarred NJ Attorney Accused Of Stealing $130K From Dead Client’s Estate: Prosecutor
Disbarred NJ Attorney Accused Of Stealing $130K From Dead Client’s Estate: Prosecutor A former Monmouth County attorney has been criminally charged with stealing more than $130,000 from a deceased client’s estate over the course of seven years, authorities said. Kathleen M. Cehelsky, 60, of Spring Lake Heights, is charged with: Second-degree Misapplication of Entrusted Property Fourth-degree False Uttering Fourth-degree Forgery The charges were announced Thursday, May 16, by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago. According to Santiago, the theft began shortly after the death of Cehelsky’s client in 2014, when she began illegally transferring funds from the client’…
Ex-Bar Director Accused Of $314K Theft As Son Flaunts Lavish Trips, Cosmetic Work Online: PA AG Ex-Bar Director Accused Of $314K Theft As Son Flaunts Lavish Trips, Cosmetic Work Online: PA AG
Ex-Bar Director Accused Of $314K Theft As Son Flaunts Lavish Trips, Cosmetic Work Online: PA AG A Pennsylvania woman is accused of stealing over $300,000 from the Cambria County Bar Association to fund luxury expenses including cosmetic procedures, vacations, and donations to her family’s nonprofit, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Wednesday, May 7. Robin Hagins, 56, of Johnstown, the former executive director of the CCBA, was charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking, Misappropriation of Funds Received, and Forgery following an investigation by the 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Jury. Her bail was set at $150,000 unsecured. Hagins allegedly misappropriated a total of $314,759 b…
Paterson Council President, Campaign Team Stole, Forged Ballots To Win 2020 Election: NJ AG Paterson Council President, Campaign Team Stole, Forged Ballots To Win 2020 Election: NJ AG
Paterson Council President, Campaign Team Stole, Forged Ballots To Win 2020 Election: NJ AG A New Jersey city council president rigged the vote to keep his seat — and now he’s facing a fresh round of felony charges, state officials say. Alex Mendez, the Paterson City Council President, is facing new election fraud charges alongside his wife and three others, including campaign workers, after allegedly stealing and forging ballots to win a municipal election in May 2020, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced Wednesday, April 30. According to a 10-count superseding indictment, Mendez and his co-conspirators are accused of forging ballots and voter registrations and s…
ID Theft Ring Busted With Stolen US Treasury Checks, Gun, Skimmer, And Dogs: NJ Prosecutor ID Theft Ring Busted With Stolen US Treasury Checks, Gun, Skimmer, And Dogs: NJ Prosecutor
ID Theft Ring Busted With Stolen US Treasury Checks, Gun, Skimmer, And Dogs: NJ Prosecutor A New Jersey couple is accused of running a high-level ID theft ring involving stolen Treasury checks, guns, a skimmer, and stolen dogs, authorities announced on Wednesday, April 16. Peter M. Gittens, 37, and Chambreona J. Williams, 33—also known as Tenisha O. Gittens— both of Raritan Township, have been charged with a slew of crimes, including Forgery, Trafficking in Personal Identifying Information, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Theft of Movable Property, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and more, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson and Raritan Township Chief of Police Al Payn…
NY Man Used Counterfeit Cash To Buy PlayStations At Walmart: Stafford PD NY Man Used Counterfeit Cash To Buy PlayStations At Walmart: Stafford PD
NY Man Used Counterfeit Cash To Buy PlayStations At Walmart: Stafford PD A 29-year-old Westchester County, New York man was arrested and charged on Thursday, Feb. 20 for using counterfeit money at a Walmart in Manhawkin. Nepaul Campbell, a Mount Vernon resident, tried to use 21 fraudulent $50 bills to purchase two PlayStation gaming consoles from Walmart on Route 72, Stafford Township Police said.  Campbell was charged with forgery and was ordered to appear back in Ocean County Superior Court, police said.
Cold Case: Mom Leaves Baby Behind, Vanishes En Route To NJ; Car Found In PA Cold Case: Mom Leaves Baby Behind, Vanishes En Route To NJ; Car Found In PA
Cold Case: Mom Leaves Baby Behind, Vanishes En Route To NJ; Car Found In PA The disappearance of Oklahoma mother Karen Denise Wells during a cross-country road trip in 1993 has haunted investigators and her family for over three decades, Pennsylvania State Police said. Wells, 23, was driving from Haskell, Oklahoma, to visit a friend in Bergen, New Jersey, when she vanished on April 12, 1993. Her journey ended mysteriously in Perry County, PA—nearly 200 miles from her destination. After a day on the road, Wells checked into the Pike Motel along Harrisburg Pike in Carlisle. At 7:00 p.m., she called her friend, Melissa, and said she planned to grab food at a nearby Mc…
Woman Used Counterfeit Bills At Ice Cream Shop: Raritan Police Woman Used Counterfeit Bills At Ice Cream Shop: Raritan Police
Woman Used Counterfeit Bills At Ice Cream Shop: Raritan Police A 33-year-old Bound Brook woman was arrested and charged after she used counterfeit cash at an ice cream shop in Raritan on Tuesday, Dec, 18. authorities said. Maria Orellana-Galvez paid for $72 worth of ice cream at As You Like It Ice Cream on West Somerset Street with two fraudulent $100 bills, Raritan Borough police said. Orellana-Galvez was charged on Wednesday, Jan. 1 with forgery and theft by deception, police said.
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…
Two Central Jersey Women Tried Using Dead Relatives' Identities To Vote, Prosecutors Say Two Central Jersey Women Tried Using Dead Relatives' Identities To Vote, Prosecutors Say
Two Central Jersey Women Tried Using Dead Relatives' Identities To Vote, Prosecutors Say Two Middlesex County women were accused of separate cases of voter fraud, authorities said. Katherine Fokas of Monroe and Lori Mulligan of Parlin were given voting fraud-related charges, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said in a news release on Friday, Nov. 1. The investigation began after prosecutors received from the county's elections board. Investigators said Fokas, 57, tried to apply for a mailed ballot using a dead family member's identity. She was charged with third-degree submitting a forged application for a mail-in ballot, impersonation, and forgery…
NJ Apartment Association Bookkeeper Who Stole $357K Learns Prison Sentence NJ Apartment Association Bookkeeper Who Stole $357K Learns Prison Sentence
NJ Apartment Association Bookkeeper Who Stole $357K Learns Prison Sentence A former bookkeeper for the New Jersey Apartment Association has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for stealing $357,250 from the organization, authorities said. Karly Simon-Sapp, 50, of Plumsted Township, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer to five years New Jersey State Prison and ordered to pay $357,520 in restitution, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. She previously had pleaded guilty to theft. Between January 2016 and January 2022, Simon-Sapp, in her capacity as a bookkeeper for the New Jersey Apartment Association, forged the …
Contractor Behind Leaky, Moldy Jersey City Buildings Busted For Phony Insurance: Prosecutor Contractor Behind Leaky, Moldy Jersey City Buildings Busted For Phony Insurance: Prosecutor
Contractor Behind Leaky, Moldy Jersey City Buildings Busted For Phony Insurance: Prosecutor A 37-year-old North Jersey resident was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 12 and charged with theft and forgery on accusations he submitted a fake insurance certificate, authorities said. Prince Narang's company, Artisan Design and Construction, was hired to perform contract work on a residential building in Jersey City, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.  Narang, of Glen Ridge, submitted a bogus insurance certificate to the property owner and bank to obtain a construction contract, Suarez said.  The owner tried to file an insurance claim for property damag…
Bergen County Councilwoman Arrested In CT Bergen County Councilwoman Arrested In CT
Bergen County Councilwoman Arrested 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…
Former 'Professional Of The Year' Arrested For Theft In NJ Town, Prosecutors Say Former 'Professional Of The Year' Arrested For Theft In NJ Town, Prosecutors Say
Former 'Professional Of The Year' Arrested For Theft In NJ Town, Prosecutors Say Brick Township's recreation director has been arrested on accusations he charged private organizations to use the township's fields and then kept the money for himself, prosecutors said. Daniel Santaniello, 46, of Brick Township, was charged with theft and uttering a forged instrument relative to his position as the township's recreation director, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Brick Township Police Chief David Forrester said. He was arrested Wednesday, July 17. In 2016, Santaniello won Professional of the Year Award from the New Jersey Recreation & Park…
Central Jersey Firefighter Falsified And Destroyed Records, Prosecutors Say Central Jersey Firefighter Falsified And Destroyed Records, Prosecutors Say
Central Jersey Firefighter Falsified And Destroyed Records, Prosecutors Say A West Long Branch firefighter was accused of falsifying and destroying records, authorities said. Ronald Guidetti, 61, of Long Branch, turned himself in to police on Monday, July 1, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced in a news release. The investigation started when "concerns were raised" about two training certificates for a firefighter with West Long Branch Fire Company No. 2 earlier in 2024. Investigators said Guidetti falsified certificates in response to an Open Public Records Act request filed with the company. He was also accused of removi…