Heard But Not Seen: Nigerian National Nabbed In $250,000 Audiobooks Scheme, NJ Feds Say Heard But Not Seen: Nigerian National Nabbed In $250,000 Audiobooks Scheme, NJ Feds Say
Heard But Not Seen: Nigerian National Nabbed In $250,000 Audiobooks Scheme, NJ Feds Say A Nigerian national living in Bangladesh contracted with more than 600 voice actors to produce audiobooks of written works that he didn't hold the rights to, federal authorities in New Jersey charged. Anyanwu Benjamin Chizitere, 30, of Enugu, Nigeria, was part of a group that collected more than $250,000 by infringing on the copyright of a Newark-based company and its authors, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Chizitere worked for a financial services business that provided online money transfer and digital payment services to the company, the U.S. attorney said. He po…
NJ Nurses Have Licenses Revoked, Ordered To Stop Practicing Amid Fake Nursing Diploma Scam NJ Nurses Have Licenses Revoked, Ordered To Stop Practicing Amid Fake Nursing Diploma Scam
NJ Nurses Have Licenses Revoked, Ordered To Stop Practicing Amid Fake Nursing Diploma Scam Nearly 50 nurses in New Jersey had their permanent or temporary licenses nullified in the wake of a federal investigation into five now-closed Florida universities that issued bogus diplomas, state authorities announced. According to New Jersey Attorney Genearl Matthew J. Platkin, 20 nurses received notices ordering them to immediately cease and desist any nursing practice in the state. They were also required to notify their employers, he said on Thursday, March 9. Any who continue to practice nursing in New Jersey could face fines or other penalties, the attorney general said. Each of th…
Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits
Boyfriend Of Newark Woman Missing Since 2017 Charged With Stealing Disabled Son's Benefits The former live-in boyfriend of a Newark woman who's been missing more than five years accessed her personal information and within days began embezzling benefit payments meant for her disabled son, federal authorities charged. Asmar Earp, a 37-year-old ex-con with an extensive criminal record, first changed the pin code on the benefits debit card belonging to Venika Williams less than a week after she was reported missing in December 2017, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. A few months later, he used Williams's name, date of birth and Social Security number to receive …
'Love Psychic' Convinced Client To Mail $90M In Jewels To Paramus, Federal Court Docs Say 'Love Psychic' Convinced Client To Mail $90M In Jewels To Paramus, Federal Court Docs Say
'Love Psychic' Convinced Client To Mail $90M In Jewels To Paramus, Federal Court Docs Say A precious, pink, 13.15-carat diamond from Qatar was among the $90 million worth of jewelry that a New Jersey relationship psychic convinced a client to swipe in his quest for love, court papers say. John Lee, who has a mailing address on Route 17 in Paramus, met his alleged victim on a website called Purple Garden, where he posed as a "love expert" under the username 1111Giovanni1111, federal prosecutors said in court papers filed in Florida. Lee, of Davenport, FL, convinced his victim — who worked for a wealthy individual in Qatar — to send him jewelry to be cleansed of bad spirits in Jun…
Fake Nursing Degrees Sold For $15K, Pair Arrested In South Jersey: Feds Fake Nursing Degrees Sold For $15K, Pair Arrested In South Jersey: Feds
Fake Nursing Degrees Sold For $15K, Pair Arrested In South Jersey: Feds A large-scale scheme to sell fake nursing degrees has been busted up by federal authorities.  Two South Jersey men were charged in the scheme that allowed thousands of prospective nurses to skip time-consuming training and licensing by purchasing credentials for up to $15,000. Those indicted collected more than $100 million peddling the bogus licenses, federal officials said. HHS-OIG, the FBI and Justice Department worked jointly on the operation, dubbed "Operation Nightingale," named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The overall scheme involved the distribut…
Prominent NJ Attorney Stole $2M From Family's Offshore Bank Account, Feds Charge Prominent NJ Attorney Stole $2M From Family's Offshore Bank Account, Feds Charge
Prominent NJ Attorney Stole $2M From Family's Offshore Bank Account, Feds Charge A prominent attorney from Jersey City went to great lengths to swindle $2 million from a family he represented, federal authorities charged. The family had retained James R. Lisa, 67, 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, they said. Soon after being retained, he moved more than $6 million back into the United States but told the family the funds still remained offshore, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Lisa kept them waiting for two years before giving them $4 million while cl…
Convicted NJ Wife-Killer Guilty Of Selling Phony Cancer Cure For Dogs In PA Convicted NJ Wife-Killer Guilty Of Selling Phony Cancer Cure For Dogs In PA
Convicted NJ Wife-Killer Guilty Of Selling Phony Cancer Cure For Dogs In PA A Montgomery County man who was convicted of killing his wife was found guilty in federal court of selling bogus cancer cures to desperate dog owners, authorities say.  Jonathan Nyce, a 73-year-old Collegeville resident who spent five years in prison for his wife's 2004 Hopewell Township murder is convicted of wire fraud and other counts related to his phony veterinary business, said US Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero in a statement Friday, Dec. 23.  According to evidence reviewed in court, created a series of companies under the names "Canine Care," "ACGT," and "CAGT" and claimed to sell ca…
MATCH DOT CON: It's Back To Prison For NJ Serial Dating Scammer Who Escaped Federal Custody MATCH DOT CON: It's Back To Prison For NJ Serial Dating Scammer Who Escaped Federal Custody
Match DOT CON: It's Back To Prison For NJ Serial Dating Scammer Who Escaped Federal Custody A serial dating scammer from Atlantic City who escaped from custody while serving time for conning women throughout the country must spend another 5½ years in federal prison. Patrick Giblin, 58, had already served several years behind bars -- and was months short of freedom -- when he made a break for it in July 2020, authorities said. Giblin bolted while being transitioned to a halfway house in Newark from a federal prison in Lewisburg, PA, to serve out the rest of his sentence for duping multiple women in an online dating scam, they said. It was the second time that he'd escaped federal …
$2.4M Eagles Ticket Scam: Ex-South Jersey Lawyer Gets 4 Years In Fed Pen $2.4M Eagles Ticket Scam: Ex-South Jersey Lawyer Gets 4 Years In Fed Pen
$2.4M Eagles Ticket Scam: Ex-South Jersey Lawyer Gets 4 Years In Fed Pen A disgraced South Jersey attorney with a confessed gambling habit must spend the next four years in federal prison for conning an investor out of $2.4 million in a loan scheme involving supposed Philadelphia Eagles season ticket holders. Frank N. Tobolsky, 60, of Cherry Hill told the Delaware investor that he was funding loans for clients using season ticket licenses as collateral, an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Camden says. U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said Tobolsky put a "substantial portion" of the $2.4 million toward personal expenses, some of which…
Feds: Ex-Owner, CEO 'Pilfered' $3.9M From Bergen Pharma Company To Fund Lavish Lifestyle Feds: Ex-Owner, CEO 'Pilfered' $3.9M From Bergen Pharma Company To Fund Lavish Lifestyle
Feds: Ex-Owner, CEO 'Pilfered' $3.9M From Bergen Pharma Company To Fund Lavish Lifestyle The former founder and CEO of a Bergen County pharmaceutical firm embezzled $3.9 million from the business to help pay credit card charges, property taxes and his kid's private school tuition, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Friday says. John Klein, 76, was arrested by federal agents last December. By that point, he'd been sued in federal court by several people with whom he either worked or collected investment money from at Cambridge Therapeutic Technologies in Teaneck, records show. Klein -- now of Tampa, Florida -- "looted and pilfered" the company to fund a "lavish" …
South Jersey Man Collected $400K In Fraudulent Unemployment Benefits, Feds Say South Jersey Man Collected $400K In Fraudulent Unemployment Benefits, Feds Say
South Jersey Man Collected $400K In Fraudulent Unemployment Benefits, Feds Say A Gloucester County man admitted that he illegally obtained more than $400,000 in unemployment insurance benefits, authorities said. Willie Carter, 23, of Paulsboro, pleaded guilty by videoconference to a wire fraud charge on Tuesday, Nov. 8, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: From July 2020 to October 2020, Carter submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit applications to various states.  The charge of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and…
Accountant Busted Boarding Plane At Newark Airport Admits Stealing $3.5M From Clients: Feds Accountant Busted Boarding Plane At Newark Airport Admits Stealing $3.5M From Clients: Feds
Accountant Busted Boarding Plane At Newark Airport Admits Stealing $3.5M From Clients: Feds A Massachusetts money manager who police arrested last month at Newark International Airport trying to escape prosecution admitted to stealing $3.5 million from his clients, including the entire life savings of an elderly couple, federal authorities said.  Steven Xigoros, 55, pleaded guilty in a Boston court this week to two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of filing a false tax return, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Xigoros worked as an accountant, tax preparer, and investment advisor who federal investigators said used th…