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Lab Operators In Bergen, Morris Defrauded Government Out Of $3.5M For COVID Tests: Feds
Two business partners from Bergen and Morris counties operated a clinical lab that defrauded government health insurance programs out of an estimated $3.5 million for COVID testing, federal authorities charged.
Tariq Din, 55, of Saddle River, and Abid Syed, 45, of East Hanover, paid kickbacks to "marketers" for referrals to their Metpath Laboratories in Parsippany, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
Two of the accused marketers, Muhammed Aurangzeb, 45, of Robbinsville, and David Weathers, 59, of the Bronx, received $5 to $30 per referral from Metpath, the U.S. attorney said.
Weathers …
Armed Robber Admits Role In Multiple Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups In NJ, NY
UPDATE: A member of a New Jersey-based armed robbery crew copped to holding up five liquor and convenience stores in two states, federal authorities said.
Jaime Fontanez, 45, of Elizabeth and two accomplices went on a six-month armed robbery spree beginning in August 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
Federal authorities tied the crew to 13 holdups in all in Essex, Union and Middlesex counties, as well as in the Bronx and upstate New York, the U.S. attorney said.
The robbers followed a basic script, with two of them going into the business with their faces covered while a wheelm…
21 Catalytic Converters Recovered, Gang Of Four Busted By Clifton PD
GOTCHA! Clifton police recovered 21 catalytic converters while arresting four men who they said stole them.
Officers responding to a theft in progress on East 4th Street stopped a fleeing Kia in Paterson and arrested the lone occupant, Pedro Mirben-Feliz, 26, of Brooklyn around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said.
A second vehicle, an Acura TL, crashed on Route 3 in Secaucus, where police arrested three occupants -- driver Juan Ortegalazala, 29, of the Bronx and passengers Yheremy Santana, 22, and Angel Batista, 18, both of Jersey City, the lieutenant said.
Betwe…
Bergen Restaurant Owner, 'Green Book' Actor ID'd As Victim Whose Body Was Found Dumped In Bronx
Bergen County actor and restaurant owner Frank Vallelonga Jr. was identified as the alleged overdose victim whose body was found dumped on a Bronx sidewalk earlier this week, authorities said.
Vallelonga, 60, a longtime Paramus resident more recently of Franklin Lakes, lived in a long shadow cast by his late father, Frank Sr., an actor known for his recurring role on "The Sopranos" -- and whose nickname, "Tony Lip," gave his son's Italian pasta and pizza joint its name.
According to Bronx court reports, a city man loaded the lifeless body into a vehicle owned by Vallelonga's younger brother…
Vehicular Homicide: Rocklander Charged In 2021 Hit-Run That Killed Driver, 77, On GSP In Bergen
UPDATE: New Jersey State Police have arrested a Rockland County man who they said was responsible for a hit-and-run crash that killed a 77-year-old motorist on the Garden State Parkway a year and a half ago.
Christopher Forrest, 26, was charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in the death of Dutchess County, NY, resident Howard Perlman on June 17, 2021, according to records obtained by Daily Voice.
Forrest, of Spring Valley, was recklessly driving a BMW that clipped Perlman's Toyota Venza in the area of milepost 172.3 in Montvale shortly after 7 p.m., Stat…
Burlington County Man Admits Bank Fraud Totaling $523K, Feds Say
A Burlington County man admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal bank customer identities, authorities said.
He used that information to steal more than $520,000, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
Jamere Hill-Birdsong, 33, of Mount Holly, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 1 to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, Sellinger said.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2016 through August 2017, Hill-Birdsong conspired with Lamar Melhado, of the Bronx, and others to defraud a Mount Laurel bank.
Hill…
Pediatric Dentist, Affiliates In NJ, NY Pay $750,000 For Unneeded Root Canals On Kids
A group of pediatric dentists in New Jersey and New York who were outed by a former worker for conducting medically unnecessary root canals on children agreed to pay more than $750,000 to settle charges against them, authorities in both states announced.
Formerly known as HQRC Management Services LLC, the targeted practice was run by dentist Barry L. Jacobson, most recently of Alpine, NJ, they said.
It included offices in Teaneck, Wyckoff, and Paterson in New Jersey and in the Bronx, Flushing, Valley Stream, Boro Park, Kingston, Monsey, Albany and Malone in New York.
Jacobson and fellow de…
