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Police & Fire
NJ Man Charged In $44K Bad Check Scheme, Prosecutor Says NJ Man Charged In $44K Bad Check Scheme, Prosecutor Says
NJ Man Charged In $44K Bad Check Scheme, Prosecutor Says A 33-year-old Long Branch man previously accused in a $300,000 scam has been charged with stealing more than $44,000 from a local bank branch using a fraudulent check scheme, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Wednesday, Feb. 26. Jacob Gindi is facing third-degree bad checks and third-degree theft by deception charges following an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Unit, Santiago said. The case began when Deal Police received a report in December 2024 of suspected fraudulent activity at a bank branc…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Cops Intercept 'FBI Agent' En Route To Collect $40K In New Jersey, Authorities Say Cops Intercept 'FBI Agent' En Route To Collect $40K In New Jersey, Authorities Say
Cops Intercept 'FBI Agent' En Route To Collect $40K In New Jersey, Authorities Say A 28-year old Cherry Hill resident was arrested and charged on Thursday, Feb. 13 with trying to scam a person in Evesham out of $40,000 by posing as an FBI agent, authorities said. Officers began investigating after a person told law enforcement they received a phone call from an individual claiming to be a member of the F.B.I, Evesham police said. Brij Shukla informed the person that they owed the government $40,000 and instructed them to withdraw the money, stating that a "courier" would visit their residence to retrieve the cash, police said. Detectives began investigating the crime…

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by Sam Barron
News
Middlesex County Man Ran $1 Million Bogus Sugar Investment Scheme: Feds Middlesex County Man Ran $1 Million Bogus Sugar Investment Scheme: Feds
Middlesex County Man Ran $1 Million Bogus Sugar Investment Scheme: Feds A 64-year-old Middlesex County man admitted on Thursday, Jan. 23, to defrauding people in South Korea via a bogus investment scheme involving sugar, authorities said. Mohammed Rahman, an Iselin resident, ran Caltech Trading Corporation, through which he purported to buy and sell commodities, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said. Rahman and other individuals in South Korea persuaded approximately 60 victims there to invest funds purportedly towards the purchase of $1 million of sugar from Brazil, which Caltech would then sell for a substantial profit, Khanna said.  Rahman and his…

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by Sam Barron
News
$44M COVID Tax Scheme: 7 Nabbed In Largest US Case Ever $44M COVID Tax Scheme: 7 Nabbed In Largest US Case Ever
$44M COVID Tax Scheme: 7 Nabbed In Largest US Case Ever Seven New Yorkers have been charged in a sweeping tax fraud scheme, accused of exploiting pandemic relief programs to steal over $44 million, federal prosecutors announced. The indictment by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, unsealed Wednesday, Jan. 22, alleges that the defendants filed over 8,000 fraudulent tax returns, seeking more than $600 million in COVID-19 relief funds through the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and related programs. Investigators determined the group successfully secured $44 million from the federal government. Defendants Long Island …

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Disbarred Lawyer Stole $1 Mil+ From Clients: Monmouth County Prosecutor Disbarred Lawyer Stole $1 Mil+ From Clients: Monmouth County Prosecutor
Disbarred Lawyer Stole $1 Mil+ From Clients: Monmouth County Prosecutor A 49-year-old disbarred Hazlet lawyer was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday, Jan. 17, after he admitted to stealing nearly $1.18 million from more than 60 clients. Steven Salami is also ordered to pay the full amount of stolen funds, back to the New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, which had previously reimbursed his clients, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said. From April to August 2019, while working as an attorney, Salami took $300,000 from four victims as part of real estate transactions, Santiago said. Salami put the money in escrow, but f…

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by Sam Barron
Business
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express said it will pay $230 million to resolve federal investigations into deceptive sales tactics and recordkeeping violations involving small business credit card and wire transfer products. The credit card company agreed to pay a $108.7 million civil penalty, the Department of Justice said in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 16. The settlement resolved claims against American Express of deceptive marketing and "dummy" account information. American Express was accused of engaging in unlawful sales tactics and falsifying records between 2014 and 2021. "When financial companies …

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by Chris Spiker
Real Estate
Chinese Billionaire Fraudster's Former Mansion Is Most Expensive NJ Listing At $33M Chinese Billionaire Fraudster's Former Mansion Is Most Expensive NJ Listing At $33M
Chinese Billionaire Fraudster's Former Mansion Is Most Expensive NJ Listing At $33M A historic Bergen County estate seized from a Chinese billionaire indicted in a $1 billion fraud scheme last year has become the most expensive residential listing in New Jersey, on the market for $33 million (scroll down to see the complete listing with photos). The Crocker Mansion, located at 675 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah, spans 50,000 square feet and sits on 12.5 gated acres. Originally built in 1907, the property features 21 bedrooms, a pool house, tennis courts, and a guest house. It was declared a historic landmark by Mahwah Township due to its unique place in local history. In Mar…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
USPS Worker Used Fake NJ Documents In $130K Welfare Fraud Scheme: DA USPS Worker Used Fake NJ Documents In $130K Welfare Fraud Scheme: DA
USPS Worker Used Fake NJ Documents In $130K Welfare Fraud Scheme: DA A Freeport woman and U.S. Postal Service employee is accused of defrauding public assistance programs of more than $130,000 by failing to report her income from two jobs and rental properties, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced Friday, Jan. 10. Angelique White, 32, allegedly received childcare and Medicaid benefits between 2017 and 2021 while omitting her income from the U.S. Postal Service, Northwell Health, and two rental properties she co-owned in Elmont and Freeport, according to Donnelly. White was arraigned Thursday before Judge Robert Pipia on charges of Grand La…

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by Jillian Pikora
Business
Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info
Don't Fall For It: New Twist On Imposter Fraud Targets Your Money, Personal Info The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is sounding the alarm on a sophisticated new imposter scheme designed to steal your money and personal information.  These scams are becoming increasingly convincing, but learning to spot the red flags can help you stay protected. How the Scam Works Initial Contact: Scammers pose as representatives from well-known companies, such as Amazon or a tech support service. They’ll claim there’s a routine issue, like suspicious charges on your account, a computer virus, or an account breach. Escalation: The scammers lie, saying your name is tied to serious …

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
South Jersey Man Who Stole $50K From Grieving Families In Headstone Scam Indicted: Prosecutors South Jersey Man Who Stole $50K From Grieving Families In Headstone Scam Indicted: Prosecutors
South Jersey Man Who Stole $50K From Grieving Families In Headstone Scam Indicted: Prosecutors A Mays Landing man who operated a headstone business has been indicted after he was accused of defrauding more than 30 grieving families out of about $50,000, authorities said. A grand jury handed down the indictment against 71-year-old Jiolio "Joe" Cincotti on Thursday, Dec. 12, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. He was charged with third-degree theft by deception and money laundering offenses after taking payments for headstones that were never delivered. Investigators said between October 2020 and December 2023, Cincotti owned and operated Atlantic …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Award-Winning Former Rec Director Admits To Stealing $9K+ From Brick Township: Prosecutors Award-Winning Former Rec Director Admits To Stealing $9K+ From Brick Township: Prosecutors
Award-Winning Former Rec Director Admits To Stealing $9K+ From Brick Township: Prosecutors A former Brick Township official, once celebrated as a top professional in his field, has admitted to stealing nearly $10,000 in township recreation fees, authorities said. Daniel Santaniello, 46, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 10 to theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release.  Santaniello was previously the recreation director for Brick Township. The New Jersey Recreation & Park Association gave him the "Professional of the Year Award" in 2016. Investigators said Santaniello abused his position to charge private organizations cash to u…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Somerset Man Stole $600K In Benefits Meant For Dead Father: Feds Somerset Man Stole $600K In Benefits Meant For Dead Father: Feds
Somerset Man Stole $600K In Benefits Meant For Dead Father: Feds  A 66-year-old Somerset resident admitted to stealing over $600,000 in government benefits intended for his deceased father for more nearly two decades, authorities said. Steven Jones pleaded guilty to a charge of conversion of federal funds, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Jones’s father received federal retirement benefits before his death in October 2004, Sellinger said. Instead of notifying authorities, Jones falsified his father’s death certificate and orchestrated a scheme to continue receiving the payments, Sellinger said. On two occasions, Jones even had someone impersonate…

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by Sam Barron