Tag:

Restitution

$40K Stolen For Vegas Vacation By Former Manager Of One Of America's Most Beautiful Cemeteries $40K Stolen For Vegas Vacation By Former Manager Of One Of America's Most Beautiful Cemeteries
$40K Stolen For Vegas Vacation By Former Manager Of One Of America's Most Beautiful Cemeteries A former cemetery manager admitted stealing more than $40,000 from one of the Capital Region's most historic landmarks and spending some of the money on trips to Las Vegas, Walt Disney World, and other personal expenses, prosecutors announced. David Eslinger, 58, of Fort Edward, pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Identity Theft in the First Degree before Albany County Judge Roger McDonough on Thursday, March 27, according to Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon. An investigation found Eslinger, who served as general manager of Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands,…
Brother, Sister Sentenced In $1.2M Fraud Scheme Targeting 30 State Treasuries Brother, Sister Sentenced In $1.2M Fraud Scheme Targeting 30 State Treasuries
Brother, Sister Sentenced In $1.2M Fraud Scheme Targeting 30 State Treasuries A Greenwich woman will serve time in federal prison after prosecutors say she helped carry out a long-running scheme with her brother that drained more than $1.2 million from state treasuries across the country. Patricia White, 70, was sentenced Monday to nine months behind bars. She must also repay the full $1.2 million taken in the scheme, according to US Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Brian D. Miller. The case ties directly to her brother, Henry J. White Jr., 75. Together, officials say, they filed false claims for unclaimed property in nearly 30 states. Miller sai…
NJ Doctor Flooded Patients With 20K Oxycodone Pills In Health Care Fraud Scheme: DOJ NJ Doctor Flooded Patients With 20K Oxycodone Pills In Health Care Fraud Scheme: DOJ
NJ Doctor Flooded Patients With 20K Oxycodone Pills In Health Care Fraud Scheme: DOJ A physician forced patients into taking unwanted “Goody Bags” of drugs to get prescriptions, flooding them with oxycodone and defrauding health care plans out of millions, federal prosecutors said. Neil K. Anand, M.D., 48, most recently of Bensalem, PA, but originally from Albany, NY, was convicted in April 2025 of conspiring to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, and the unlawful distribution of controlled substances. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Evidence at trial showed Anand and his conspirators require…
Instagram Purchase From 13-Year-Old Girl Leads To PA Man's Federal Prison Sentence: DOJ Instagram Purchase From 13-Year-Old Girl Leads To PA Man's Federal Prison Sentence: DOJ
Instagram Purchase From 13-Year-Old Girl Leads To PA Man's Federal Prison Sentence: DOJ A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to more than 35 years in federal prison after buying child pornography from a 13-year-old girl on Instagram, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced on Tuesday, July 29. Joshua Lang, 37, received a 430-month prison sentence and lifetime supervised release for extensive child sexual exploitation and child pornography offenses. He was also ordered to pay $23,545 in restitution and $14,300 in special assessments, according to the announcement. Lang’s crimes came to light in July 2023, when the Tampa Police Department tipped off the Philadelphia Police Depart…
George Santos Surrenders To NJ Prison: Inside His New Life Behind Bars George Santos Surrenders To NJ Prison: Inside His New Life Behind Bars
George Santos Surrenders To NJ Prison: Inside His New Life Behind Bars Disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos is officially trading Cameo videos for commissary lines. The ousted lawmaker, 37, surrendered to Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in New Jersey on Friday, July 25, to begin serving his seven-year sentence for wire fraud and identity theft. And, true to form, Santos did not go quietly: “Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,” Santos told his 211,000 followers on X the night before. “From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news, what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous…
Fyre Festival Brand Sold On eBay, Price Disappoints NJ Founder: 'This Sucks, It's So Low' Fyre Festival Brand Sold On eBay, Price Disappoints NJ Founder: 'This Sucks, It's So Low'
Fyre Festival Brand Sold On eBay, Price Disappoints NJ Founder: 'This Sucks, It's So Low' The name synonymous with a failed music festival, fraud, and bland cheese sandwiches has been sold on eBay. A bidder purchased Fyre Festival's notorious brand, trademarks, and social media accounts for $245,300 on Tuesday, July 15. The eBay auction ended at 12:44 p.m., closing a chapter in one of the most infamous stories in music festival history. According to the eBay listing, 42 bidders placed 175 bids in the auction. The brand's winning bidder hasn't been announced as of press time. The listing claimed the winner would have access to "the most talked-about festival brand in t…
$17M Scam Funded NJ Mini-Golf Buy-In, Lavish Life For PA Adviser: DOJ $17M Scam Funded NJ Mini-Golf Buy-In, Lavish Life For PA Adviser: DOJ
$17M Scam Funded NJ Mini-Golf Buy-In, Lavish Life For PA Adviser: DOJ A Main Line investment adviser stole millions from clients—including friends, relatives, and retirees—to bankroll a luxury lifestyle and buy into a Jersey Shore mini-golf course, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Saturday, July 5.  Scott Mason, 66, of Gladwyne, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a sweeping fraud scheme that lasted over a decade. The Department of Justice says Mason stole more than $17 million while running his firm, Rubicon Wealth Management LLC, and never reported a cent to the IRS. Inste…
Funeral Home Owner Who Stashed 190 Decaying Bodies Gets Maximum Federal Sentence: 'Inhumane' Funeral Home Owner Who Stashed 190 Decaying Bodies Gets Maximum Federal Sentence: 'Inhumane'
Funeral Home Owner Who Stashed 190 Decaying Bodies Gets Maximum Federal Sentence: 'Inhumane' A Colorado man who gave grieving families urns filled with dry concrete instead of their loved ones’ ashes has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison — the maximum possible sentence, authorities announced Friday, June 27. Jon M. Hallford, 45, of Colorado Springs, was the owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, which operated in Colorado Springs and Penrose alongside his wife, Carie Hallford.  Over a four-year period, Hallford failed to cremate or bury at least 190 bodies — while collecting more than $130,000 from families for services he never provided, the U.S. Attorney’s Office…
Former Atlantic County Code Enforcement Officer Who Stole $75K Learns Fate: Prosecutor Former Atlantic County Code Enforcement Officer Who Stole $75K Learns Fate: Prosecutor
Former Atlantic County Code Enforcement Officer Who Stole $75K Learns Fate: Prosecutor A 39-year-old former Ventnor City code enforcement officer was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday, May 27, after pleading guilty to stealing $75,000 from the city, authorities said. Ventnor City officials began investigating a discrepancy within their financial ledgers and realized Michelle Calderon, an Egg Harbor Township resident, sought to personally supersize all cash transactions while working for the city’s Department of Code Enforcement, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said. From 2021 to 2023, Calderon altered balance sheets and kept the money for herself, taking $7…
Lyin’ King George Santos Sentenced To Prison In Final Act Of Political Circus Lyin’ King George Santos Sentenced To Prison In Final Act Of Political Circus
Lyin’ King George Santos Sentenced To Prison In Final Act Of Political Circus Disgraced former New York congressman and convicted fraudster George Santos is heading to federal prison. The Republican ex-lawmaker, 36, was sentenced to 87 months (just over 7 years) behind bars in Central Islip federal court on Friday, April 25, months after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft.  As part of his plea agreement, Santos agreed to pay a $200,000 forfeiture and over $373,000 in restitution to his victims. Friday’s sentencing capped off one of the most bizarre chapters in American political history, one in which a sitting member of Congress was expelled and l…
'Unrepentant' George Santos Crying Out For 'Significant' Prison Time With Social Posts: DOJ 'Unrepentant' George Santos Crying Out For 'Significant' Prison Time With Social Posts: DOJ
'Unrepentant' George Santos Crying Out For 'Significant' Prison Time With Social Posts: DOJ Disgraced former New York congressman and convicted fraudster George Santos is proving, once again, that he’s more concerned with clout than consequences. With just days before his sentencing, federal prosecutors filed a scathing letter in Central Islip federal court Thursday, April 17, highlighting a wave of Santos’ recent social media posts they say “cry out” for a stiff prison sentence. The letter–sent from US Attorney John Durham to Judge Joanna Seybert–claims the X posts are “antithetical to the ‘genuine remorse’” claimed by Santos’ attorneys in their sentencing memorandum. Santos, 36…
NJ Man Who Paid To Torch $6M PA Book Warehouse, Injuring Firefighter, Sentenced: DOJ NJ Man Who Paid To Torch $6M PA Book Warehouse, Injuring Firefighter, Sentenced: DOJ
NJ Man Who Paid To Torch $6M PA Book Warehouse, Injuring Firefighter, Sentenced: DOJ A New Jersey man who orchestrated the arson of a Bucks County book warehouse—injuring a firefighter and causing over $6 million in damages—has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, authorities announced. Ramiz Duka, 62, of Cherry Hill, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for his role in the Dec. 10, 2022, fire at Ebooks Web LLC on Bridgewater Road in Bensalem, Acting U.S. Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr. said on Monday, March 10. Duka conspired with two men to set the warehouse ablaze, paying them $15,000 for the job, investigators previously revealed.…
Newark Man Avoids Prison After $10K Atlantic City Casino Robbery: Prosecutor Newark Man Avoids Prison After $10K Atlantic City Casino Robbery: Prosecutor
Newark Man Avoids Prison After $10K Atlantic City Casino Robbery: Prosecutor A 51-year-old Newark man was spared prison and accepted into recovery court over the objections of prosecutors after being convicted of robbing a victim of their casino winnings in Atlantic City in 2023, authorities said. On Friday, Mach 3, 2023, the victim won $20,000 playing poker and was befriended by Robert Reed, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said. The next morning, Reed told the victim he missed his bus and asked for a ride, authorities said. While walking to the victim's car in the parking garage, Reed struck the victim over the head with a glass bottle and took $10,000 in c…
Six Members Of PA/NJ Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Sentenced: DAac Six Members Of PA/NJ Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Sentenced: DAac
Six Members Of PA/NJ Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Sentenced: DAac Six members of a multi-million-dollar catalytic converter theft ring that spanned the Delaware Valley have been sentenced, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Monday, Dec. 16. The defendants included Michael Williams, the 53-year-old owner of TDI Towing in Philadelphia, his three sons-in-law Michael Bruce, Kevin Schwartz, and Patrick Hopkins, his wife Deborah Davalos, and her sister Lisa Davalos. Williams, of Huntingdon Valley, was sentenced to 2 ½ to 5 years in state prison, followed by two years of probation, and was ordered to pay $124,900 in restitution to 157 vic…
Margate Doctor Who Wrote $5M In Fraudulent Prescriptions Sentenced, Feds Say Margate Doctor Who Wrote $5M In Fraudulent Prescriptions Sentenced, Feds Say
Margate Doctor Who Wrote $5M In Fraudulent Prescriptions Sentenced, Feds Say A Margate doctor will spend more than a year in prison for his role in a $5 million prescription kickback scheme, authorities said. Brian Sokalsky, 46, was sentenced on Tuesday, Oct. 29 to a year and three months in prison, said Vikas Khanna, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, in a news release. Sokalsky previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit healthcare fraud by prescribing compound medications. Sokalsky was a doctor at Jersey Shore Sports Medicine. His online biography said he graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science from R…
Egg Harbor City Nurse Found With 200+ Pics, Videos Of Child Porn Sentenced: Feds Egg Harbor City Nurse Found With 200+ Pics, Videos Of Child Porn Sentenced: Feds
Egg Harbor City Nurse Found With 200+ Pics, Videos Of Child Porn Sentenced: Feds An Egg Harbor City man will spend nearly three years in prison after he was found with violent child pornography, authorities said. Anthony Barbarino, 38, was sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 24 to 33 months for possession of child pornography, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. According to court documents and statements, Barbarino had 93 pictures and 108 videos of child sexual abuse on three electronic devices between Tuesday, Apr. 12, 2022, and Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022.  At least one photo included a child younger than 12 and…
Woman Who Stole $178K+ From Jersey Shore Engineering Firm Sentenced: Prosecutors Woman Who Stole $178K+ From Jersey Shore Engineering Firm Sentenced: Prosecutors
Woman Who Stole $178K+ From Jersey Shore Engineering Firm Sentenced: Prosecutors A Manahawkin woman will spend several years in prison after stealing nearly $180,000 from a Long Beach engineering firm, authorities said. Dona Carlo-Tanzola, 51, was sentenced on Friday, Oct. 11 to five years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. The former administrative assistant at Horn, Tyson & Yoder, Inc. pleaded guilty to theft on Monday, July 1. Long Beach Township police said Carlo-Tanzola deposited checks for the business into her personal bank accounts between May and November 2022. She also edited the…
Former Jersey Shore Fire Dept. Treasurer Who Stole $100K+ Sentenced, Prosecutors Say Former Jersey Shore Fire Dept. Treasurer Who Stole $100K+ Sentenced, Prosecutors Say
Former Jersey Shore Fire Dept. Treasurer Who Stole $100K+ Sentenced, Prosecutors Say A Point Pleasant Beach man will spend several years in prison after stealing more than $100,000 from a volunteer fire department, authorities said. Salvatore Umek, 46, was sentenced on Friday, Oct. 11 to five years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. The former treasurer of Point Pleasant Beach Fire Company No. 2 pleaded guilty to theft on Monday, June 10. Investigators said Umek stole about $100,000 from the fire company's bank account to pay off personal credit card debt between February 2019 and November 2021. He als…
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 …
Jersey Shore Business Owner Admits To Keeping Nearly $1M In Employees Taxes From IRS: Feds Jersey Shore Business Owner Admits To Keeping Nearly $1M In Employees Taxes From IRS: Feds
Jersey Shore Business Owner Admits To Keeping Nearly $1M In Employees Taxes From IRS: Feds A Brick Township construction company owner admitted to withholding his employees' taxes and not paying the money to the IRS, authorities said. Gerard Artz, 44, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Sept. 26 to failure to collect and pay over taxes, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. He was the owner of Prime Installations, which operated in Brick and New York City. According to court documents and statements, Artz directed his company to withhold employment taxes from the company’s employees’ paychecks between 2016 and 2020. Prime Installations failed …
Killer Who Made Pit Stop At Cape May Wawa Gets Life In PA Coworker's Murder Killer Who Made Pit Stop At Cape May Wawa Gets Life In PA Coworker's Murder
Killer Who Made Pit Stop At Cape May Wawa Gets Life In PA Coworker's Murder A man described by authorities as a "violent predator" was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Monday, Sept. 9 for kidnapping, robbing, and killing a Pennsylvania co-worker, authorities announced. Michael Allen Stark, 50, of Royersford, PA was found guilty by a Bucks County jury of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, theft by unlawful taking, flight to avoid apprehension, and abuse of a corpse, according to District Attorney Jennifer Schorn and court records. Stark's victim was 50-year-old Matthew James Branning of Sellersville, who went missing after l…
South Jersey Man Who Scammed $500K+ Sentenced In Foreign Currency, Car Loan Schemes: Feds South Jersey Man Who Scammed $500K+ Sentenced In Foreign Currency, Car Loan Schemes: Feds
South Jersey Man Who Scammed $500K+ Sentenced In Foreign Currency, Car Loan Schemes: Feds A Mount Laurel man will spend several years in prison after scamming hundreds of investors and car owners out of more than $500,000, authorities said. Michael Salerno, 55, was sentenced on Monday, Aug. 26 to three years and one month in prison, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jacqueline Romero said in a news release. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud after he was indicted for schemes in September 2020 and February 2023. Salerno operated Black Diamond Forex, L.P., BDF Trading, L.P., Advanta Capital Markets, Inc., and Advanta FX between …
Former Employee Admits To Stealing $178K+ From Jersey Shore Engineering Firm: Prosecutors Former Employee Admits To Stealing $178K+ From Jersey Shore Engineering Firm: Prosecutors
Former Employee Admits To Stealing $178K+ From Jersey Shore Engineering Firm: Prosecutors A Manahawkin woman admitted to stealing nearly $180,000 from a Long Beach engineering firm, authorities said. Dona Carlo-Tanzola, 51, pleaded guilty on Monday, July 1 to theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Monday, July 8. She's a former administrative assistant at Horn, Tyson & Yoder, Inc. Long Beach Township police said Carlo-Tanzola deposited checks for the business into her personal bank accounts between May and November 2022. She also edited the business’s financial records and deleted paid invoices in client accounts. …
'American Ninja Warrior' Champ Drew Drechsel Sentenced For Child Sex Crimes Involving NJ Victim 'American Ninja Warrior' Champ Drew Drechsel Sentenced For Child Sex Crimes Involving NJ Victim
'American Ninja Warrior' Champ Drew Drechsel Sentenced For Child Sex Crimes Involving NJ Victim "American Ninja Warrior" champion Drew Drechsel's has fallen from grace and landed in federal prison. Drechsel, 35, who was crowned Total Champion of NBC's "American Ninja Warrior" in 2019, was sentenced last week in Camden Federal Court to 121 months in prison — just more than 10 years — for the charges stemming from child sex crimes that U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said involved a teen victim from New Jersey. "The Real Life Ninja" told investigators he met the victim in 2014, when they were 14 years old through the parkour community as an “American Ninja Warrior.…
NY Judge Sees No Remorse, Sentences Bergen 'Bling Bishop' To 9 Years For Swindling Followers NY Judge Sees No Remorse, Sentences Bergen 'Bling Bishop' To 9 Years For Swindling Followers
NY Judge Sees No Remorse, Sentences Bergen 'Bling Bishop' To 9 Years For Swindling Followers 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A convicted con man from Bergen County known as the "Bling Bishop" used the opportunity he was given to speak before being sent to federal prison for nine years to annoy the judge on Monday. Lamor Whitehead of Paramus must serve a mandatory 7½ years following his conviction by a jury in lower Manhattan in March for swindling the life savings from a parishioners mother, among other crimes. One by one, some of those who were financially destroyed spoke to Manhattan Federal Court Judge Lorna Schofield during the June 17 sentencing hearing. Then it was Whitehead's turn. Bishop …
South Jersey Man Sentenced In $4M Money-Laundering Scheme South Jersey Man Sentenced In $4M Money-Laundering Scheme
South Jersey Man Sentenced In $4M Money-Laundering Scheme A Burlington County man was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for illegally laundering more than $4 million in proceeds from a mail fraud scheme, authorities said. Pablo Estrada, 27, of Florence, previously pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. He was sentenced on Wednesday, June 12. In addition to the prison term, Estrada was ordered to pay restitution of $4.21 million. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From August 2020 through January 2023, Estrada received money from victims of …
Man Admits To Stealing $100K+ As Treasurer Of Jersey Shore Fire Department: Prosecutors Man Admits To Stealing $100K+ As Treasurer Of Jersey Shore Fire Department: Prosecutors
Man Admits To Stealing $100K+ As Treasurer Of Jersey Shore Fire Department: Prosecutors A former official at an Ocean County volunteer fire department admitted to stealing more than $100,000, authorities said. Salvatore Umek, 46, of Point Pleasant Beach, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 10 to theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He was the treasurer for Point Pleasant Beach Fire Company No. 2. Investigators said Umek stole about $100,000 from the fire company's bank account to pay off personal credit card debt between February 2019 and November 2021. He also put money directly into his personal bank account for his own bene…
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 25-year-old ex-con from Trenton who’s already served 2½ years in state prison is headed to federal prison for 16 more for a string of gunpoint carjackings and robberies. Joshua M. Perez was one of three armed robbers who commited a Oct. 10 carjacking, another on Dec. 5 and the robbery later than second night of a local gas station, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Surveillance cameras captured video of Perez and two other robbers emerging from a sedan, pointing handguns at occupants of another vehicle, Sellinger said. They then fled with money and cellphones in the victims…
'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More 'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More
'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A once-prominent New Jersey lawyer must spend the next 4½ years in federal prison for swindling a family he represented out of $2 million -- and then, while on pre-trial release, impersonating another attorney in applying for a loan. The family had retained James R. Lisa, 68, of Jersey City, to gather millions that had been moved into offshore bank accounts by relatives decades ago and to resolve any tax issues that arose as a result, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Soon after being retained, Lisa moved more than $6 million back into the United States but told the famil…
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A confessed member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, NJ, must serve a little over two years before he'll be eligible for release because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Jackson was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. One of Jackson's associates told detectives t…