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IRS

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 …
NJ Construction Business Owner Who Owes $1.3M+ In Taxes Admits To Evasion Scheme: Feds NJ Construction Business Owner Who Owes $1.3M+ In Taxes Admits To Evasion Scheme: Feds
NJ Construction Business Owner Who Owes $1.3M+ In Taxes Admits To Evasion Scheme: Feds A New Jersey construction company owner admitted to using his personal bank account to evade more than $1.3 million in taxes, authorities said. Alain Rodrigues, 49, of Old Bridge, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Aug. 1 to tax evasion and failure to collect and pay over taxes, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Rodrigues owned and operated a construction company in Old Bridge and Newark. According to court documents and statements, Rodrigues deposited some customers' payments into a business bank account and converted the ba…
IRS Announces 'Revolutionary' Electronic Tax Filing System For NJ Residents IRS Announces 'Revolutionary' Electronic Tax Filing System For NJ Residents
IRS Announces 'Revolutionary' Electronic Tax Filing System For NJ Residents The IRS and New Jersey are offering a new free electronic way to file taxes. The program, called IRS Direct File, was tested in 12 states including New Jersey during the 2023 tax filing season. Eligible taxpayers will be able to use Direct File, which is offered in English and Spanish, for their 2024 tax returns. The services has a deadline of April 15, 2025. After Garden Staters complete their federal returns with Direct File, a link will direct them to New Jersey’s separate free filing system for their state returns. During the pilot program last year, about 140,000 taxpayers claimed mo…
'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…
Feds: NJ Longshoreman Gets 2½ Years For Ducking Taxes On $2.5M Of Income Feds: NJ Longshoreman Gets 2½ Years For Ducking Taxes On $2.5M Of Income
Feds: NJ Longshoreman Gets 2½ Years For Ducking Taxes On $2.5M Of Income A Port Newark mechanic who was convicted of ducking taxes on $2.5 million of income was sentenced to nearly 2½ years in federal prison. Jonathan Michael, 55, of Springfield had filed returns and paid his taxes without fail for decades, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release. In 2014, however, he gave his employer in the machine shop at the Port Newark Container Terminal a bogus W-4 form, claiming that he was exempt from any federal income tax withholding from his pay, federal authorities said. The IRS notified Michael in 2016 that he wasn't entitled to exempt status, but he wrote…
Jersey Shore Bizman Sentenced For IRS Tax Dodge: 2½ Years In Prison, $11.2 Million Restitution Jersey Shore Bizman Sentenced For IRS Tax Dodge: 2½ Years In Prison, $11.2 Million Restitution
Jersey Shore Bizman Sentenced For IRS Tax Dodge: 2½ Years In Prison, $11.2 Million Restitution UPDATE: An Ocean County businessman who stiffed the IRS out of more than $10 million in payroll taxes is headed to federal prison for a plea-bargained 2½ years. Josef Neuman, 37, of Lakewood, also must pay $11.2 million, including interest, that he still owes the government. Neuman was CEO of the Lakewood-based Concord Healthcare Group, which provided services to nursing homes and other healthcare operations -- including 20 or so that he also co-owned, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Despite being responsible for collecting, accounting for and paying the payroll taxe…
Jersey Shore Mayor's Son Who Bought $7.6M Worth Of Real Estate Ducked $2M In Taxes, Feds Charge Jersey Shore Mayor's Son Who Bought $7.6M Worth Of Real Estate Ducked $2M In Taxes, Feds Charge
Jersey Shore Mayor's Son Who Bought $7.6M Worth Of Real Estate Ducked $2M In Taxes, Feds Charge A Jersey Shore mayor's son who owed the IRS $2 million never paid it -- and instead bought $7.6 million worth of real estate, federal authorities said following his arrest. Matthew Tucci, 51, of West Long Branch, collected $11.4 million in tax refunds from the country of Denmark for pension plans that he'd established there for friends, acquaintances, and relatives, an indictment returned by a grand jury in Trenton says. Rather than put the money into respective bank accounts that he'd created for the pension plans, Tucci "deposited the funds in five accounts held by five nominee compa…
Teaneck Tax Preparer Got $1.43M For Himself, $40M For Clients In COVID Scam: Indictment Teaneck Tax Preparer Got $1.43M For Himself, $40M For Clients In COVID Scam: Indictment
Teaneck Tax Preparer Got $1.43M For Himself, $40M For Clients In COVID Scam: Indictment A Teaneck tax preparer illegally collected $1.43 million for himself and $40 million for clients from the IRS by purposefully exploiting COVID-related credits that neither he nor they were entitled to, a federal indictment alleges. Leon Haynes, 50, was originally arrested on a criminal complaint last July. The investigation leading to the charges continued before a grand jury in Newark. The result: a 55-count indictment for tax evasion, preparing false returns, aggravated ID theft and mail fraud, authorities said. Haynes fraudulently sought more than $150 million from the IRS by claim…
Ridgewood Contractor Who Ducked Taxes On $3.27 Million Charged In 18-Count Indictment: Feds Ridgewood Contractor Who Ducked Taxes On $3.27 Million Charged In 18-Count Indictment: Feds
Ridgewood Contractor Who Ducked Taxes On $3.27 Million Charged In 18-Count Indictment: Feds A Bergen County contractor avoided taxes on $3.275 million in income over six years through a scheme that the IRS sniffed out, federal authorities said. John Constantino, 67, of Ridgewood, ended up stiffing the government out of $682,735 in corporate and personal income taxes, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said. As sole owner and president, Constantino took steps to conceal both his personal income and assets and those of his fireproofing and painting business between 2017 and 2022, the U.S. attorney said. For starters, Constantino used a false address on his driver’s licen…
Cost Of Victory: Taxes Could Rob NJ's Record Lottery Winner Of Hundreds Of Millions Cost Of Victory: Taxes Could Rob NJ's Record Lottery Winner Of Hundreds Of Millions
Cost Of Victory: Taxes Could Rob NJ's Record Lottery Winner Of Hundreds Of Millions The winner of the massive $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot will actually bring home much less money than that. The New Jersey Lottery said the winning ticket in the Tuesday, Mar. 26 drawing was purchased at ShopRite Wine & Spirits on Route 66 in Neptune. No winner had come forward publicly as of Friday, Mar. 29, and state law allows large lottery jackpot winners to remain anonymous. The winning numbers were 7, 11, 22, 29, and 38, and the MegaBall was 4. The final prize from the $1,128,000 jackpot will heavily depend on whether the winner takes the cash option or annuity. The cash op…
South Philly Cheesesteak Proprietors Get Prison Time For Tax Scheme, Feds Say South Philly Cheesesteak Proprietors Get Prison Time For Tax Scheme, Feds Say
South Philly Cheesesteak Proprietors Get Prison Time For Tax Scheme, Feds Say A father-son pair of cheesesteak shop owners were sentenced to prison last week for hiding $8 million in revenue from tax collectors, say federal prosecutors.  Nicholas Lucidonio, 57, and Anthony Lucidonio Sr., 84, the proprietors of Tony Luke's in South Philadelphia, will each spend 20 months behind bars, said the Justice Department in a release.  The Lucidonios, of New Jersey, carried out a "decade-long conspiracy to defraud the IRS" from 2006 to 2016, prosecutors said. The pair only deposited a portion of their earnings into the business's bank accounts and gave "inco…
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A onetime insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes into the ground from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria admitted that he purposely shorted the IRS nearly $39M, federal authorities said. Joseph Schwartz, 64, of Suffern, owned Skyline Management Group, which was based in the Wood-Ridge and amassed 95 nursing homes across 11 states. These once included Hudson View Care & Rehab Center in North Bergen, Brookhaven Health Care Center in East Orange and the Voorhees Care & Rehabilitation Center. Over a period of only sev…
NJ Attorney Awaits Sentence For Pocketing $2M From Client's Offshore Account, More NJ Attorney Awaits Sentence For Pocketing $2M From Client's Offshore Account, More
NJ Attorney Awaits Sentence For Pocketing $2M From Client's Offshore Account, More UPDATE: A once-prominent attorney from Jersey City is awaiting sentencing after admitting in federal court that he swindled a family he represented out of $2 million and then committed another crime while on pretrial release. The family had retained James R. Lisa, 68, 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, he moved more than $6 million back into the United States but told the family the funds still remained offshore, th…
Diamond District Operators From NJ, Long Island Busted In $673M Money Laundering Scheme: Feds Diamond District Operators From NJ, Long Island Busted In $673M Money Laundering Scheme: Feds
Diamond District Operators From NJ, Long Island Busted In $673M Money Laundering Scheme: Feds Four businessmen from New Jersey and one from Long Island laundered millions of dollars a day in cash through fronts they set up in New York City’s Diamond District, federal authorities charged. Federal agents tied the quintet to $673 million in dirty money laundered through the illicit operations over the past four years, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. In exchange, Raj Vaidya, 26; Rakesh Vaidya, 51; Shrey Vaidya, 23; and Neel Patel, 26, all of Edison; and Youssef Janfar, aka “Joe Rodeo,” 57, of Great Neck, NY collected sizable fees, he said. The three Vaidyas and P…
Teaneck Tax Preparer Busted By IRS In $32.6 Million COVID Fraud Teaneck Tax Preparer Busted By IRS In $32.6 Million COVID Fraud
Teaneck Tax Preparer Busted By IRS In $32.6 Million COVID Fraud A tax preparer from Teaneck was arrested Monday for illegally collecting more than $1 million for himself and $31.6 million for clients in tax refunds by filing fraudulent returns with the government, federal authorities said. Leon Haynes, 49, sought $124.8 million combined from the IRS in nearly 1,400 bogus tax formers that he filed claiming COVID-related employment tax credits, said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Acting Deputy U.S. Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg. "Based on Haynes’ false claims about his own companies, the U.S. Treasury mailed him multiple tax re…
Police Seize $360K From Home Of Alleged Elderly Scam Artist In South Jersey Police Seize $360K From Home Of Alleged Elderly Scam Artist In South Jersey
Police Seize $360K From Home Of Alleged Elderly Scam Artist In South Jersey Police in South Jersey seized about $360,000 when they searched the home of an alleged elderly scam artist, authorities said. Michelle Mendonca 42, of Galloway Township was charged with fraud, theft by deception and money laundering for scamming elderly out-of-state residents, Galloway police said. She was arrested at her home on South Pitney Road on Friday, July 14 at 10:35 a.m., they said. Officers of the Galloway Township Police Department conducted a warranted search of her home regarding a multi-state elder fraud investigation. Detective Tim Giberson of the Galloway Township Police D…
Crane Operator Who Made $1.5M At Port Newark Convicted Of Tax Fraud: Feds Crane Operator Who Made $1.5M At Port Newark Convicted Of Tax Fraud: Feds
Crane Operator Who Made $1.5M At Port Newark Convicted Of Tax Fraud: Feds A crane mechanic at the Port Newark Container Terminal was convicted by a federal jury of trying to cheat the IRS. Over a five-year period beginning in 2014, Jonathan D. Michael of Union County gave his boss a W-4 falsely claiming that he was exempt from having any federal tax withheld, authorities said. The IRS notified Michael in 2016 that he wasn't entitled to exempt status, but he wrote to the company and contended that his bogus W-4 was correct, they said. Michael, of Springfield, also didn't file any personal income tax returns, even though he was paid roughly $1.5 million in salary,…
SCAM ALERT: 'Citizens Behind The Badge' Isn't Legit Police Fundraiser, Authorities Warn SCAM ALERT: 'Citizens Behind The Badge' Isn't Legit Police Fundraiser, Authorities Warn
Scam ALERT: 'Citizens Behind The Badge' Isn't Legit Police Fundraiser, Authorities Warn Lyndhurst police have become the latest local law enforcers to warn citizens of a direct mail scam that claims to have their support. A group called “Citizens Behind the Badge” trolls for victims through letters that seek “permission” to list the recipient as “a strong supporter of your local police who are helping to keep the [your town name] area safe.” You're offered a decal that says “I Stand With My Local Police,” which they say you can proudly display “on your car, a window in your home, or in a prominent location for all to see.” Just one more thing…. (here it comes): “CITIZEN…
Multitude Of Government Agencies Victimized Out Of $4M By NJ Man: Feds Multitude Of Government Agencies Victimized Out Of $4M By NJ Man: Feds
Multitude Of Government Agencies Victimized Out Of $4M By NJ Man: Feds A New Jersey man stole more than $4 million through a clutch of schemes that included defrauding three different government programs, authorities charged. Gbenga Akinbode, 33, of Newark, opened a bank account and then used 120 different debit cards to buy $500,000 worth of money orders that were deposited into the account, according to a complaint filed by Homeland Security Investigations in U.S. District Court in Newark. Investigators discovered that the debit cards were funded with $4 million in fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits, bogus Paycheck Protection Program loans…
Wildwood Mayor Admits Tax Dodge: Feds Wildwood Mayor Admits Tax Dodge: Feds
Wildwood Mayor Admits Tax Dodge: Feds Wildwood Mayor Peter J. Byron admitted Friday that he ducked paying taxes on $40,425 that he received for working as a salesman for a law firm, federal authorities said. Byron, 67, officially pleaded guilty to twice willfully "aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of fraudulent tax returns" to the IRS for calendar years 2017 and 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced on March 24. The mayor still has a state case to deal with. He, former Mayor Ernest V. Troiano Jr. and City Commissioner Steven E. Mikulski were charged last year with fraudulently collecting stat…
IRS Bags Hundreds Of Tax Cheats, Money Launderers As COVID Relief Fraud Tops $3.2 Billion IRS Bags Hundreds Of Tax Cheats, Money Launderers As COVID Relief Fraud Tops $3.2 Billion
IRS Bags Hundreds Of Tax Cheats, Money Launderers As COVID Relief Fraud Tops $3.2 Billion It wasn't long after the government began offering COVID relief loans three years ago that IRS investigators were hot on the tails of scammers. Since then, agents with IRS Criminal Investigation have pursued 975 tax and money-laundering cases nationwide involving $3.2 billion worth of fraudulently obtained loans, credits and payments meant to help American workers, families, and small businesses who were rocked by the pandemic. Over that time, IRS-CI has kept its conviction rate at nearly 100%, federal authorities say. It has produced indictments against 458 defendants, …
CLIMATE OF FEAR: Jersey Doc Admits Harboring Indian Nationals As Unpaid Domestics CLIMATE OF FEAR: Jersey Doc Admits Harboring Indian Nationals As Unpaid Domestics
Climate OF FEAR: Jersey Doc Admits Harboring Indian Nationals As Unpaid Domestics A Jersey Shore doctor must pay $642,212 to two undocumented women from India whose true identities she hid for eight years while harboring them as unpaid domestics, federal authorities said. Harsha Sahni, 66, of Tinton Falls, also must cover $200,000 worth of treatment of a brain aneurysm that one of the women suffered while they worked in her and her family's homes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Federal prosecutors required the payments as part of a plea deal that allowed Sahni to avoid the potential consequences of a conviction at a trial, the U.S. attorney said. In exchange, S…
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…
BENE(PHISH)IARY: Scam FBI Email Says You’re Owed $4.1M — And Are Suspected Of Tax Evasion BENE(PHISH)IARY: Scam FBI Email Says You’re Owed $4.1M — And Are Suspected Of Tax Evasion
Bene(Phish)Iary: Scam FBI Email Says You’re Owed $4.1M — And Are Suspected Of Tax Evasion This one’s rich (no pun intended): A familiar phishing scam that claims federal authorities have seized $4.1 million intended for you from a shady foreign diplomat is again making the rounds. A surety bond for the princely sum was found in two consignment boxes seized at JFK Airport in Queens, NY, along with documents bearing YOUR name, according to the hoax email. The author, who claims to be FBI Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate in Washington, D.C., then offers to “walk you through the process of clearing and claiming the money.” That’s the good news. “After questioning the diplomat t…
Owners Of Popular Philly Cheesesteak Joint Plead Guilty In Tax Fraud Scheme Owners Of Popular Philly Cheesesteak Joint Plead Guilty In Tax Fraud Scheme
Owners Of Popular Philly Cheesesteak Joint Plead Guilty In Tax Fraud Scheme The owners of a popular Philadelphia cheesesteak joint pleaded guilty Monday, May 9 to federal charges in a tax fraud scheme, authorities said. Anthony Lucidonio, Sr., 84, of Philadelphia, and Nicholas Lucidonio, 56, of New Jersey, the owners of Tony Luke’s on Oregon Avenue were accused of hiding more than $8 million from the IRS for around a decade, according to the US Attorney's Office. Federal prosecutors say the father-son duo did this by paying their employees in cash to avoid withholding payroll taxes between 2006 and 2016. The pair were indicted in 2020. The pros…
IRS May Charge Penalty If You're In One of These Categories, Report Says IRS May Charge Penalty If You're In One of These Categories, Report Says
IRS May Charge Penalty If You're In One of These Categories, Report Says Some Americans may find unexpected items in their mailbox as the IRS levies certain tax penalties against them if they find themselves in one of several categories, according to a new report. According to fool.com, individual taxpayers, business owners, and those who entrust their finances to others could face potential penalties for these infractions: Individual Taxpayers Failure to file: A penalty is levied for those who fail to file their taxes each year; Failure to pay: Those who owe the IRS money after filing and fail to pay may also be financially dinged; Inaccurate return: Those w…
CRYPTO CRIME: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust CRYPTO CRIME: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust
Crypto Crime: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust The self-described “Crocodile of Wall Street” and her husband were arrested by federal agents in Manhattan on Tuesday, Feb. 8, on charges of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen in a bombshell hack of a virtual currency exchange. Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, 34, and Heather Rhiannon Morgan, a 31-year-old business blogger/rapper, weren’t charged in the 2016 theft from Bitfinex of what at the time was $71 million worth of cryptocurrency – now valued at $4.5 billion. They are charged with conspiring to (a) commit money laundering and (b) defraud the United States, …
FEDS: NJ Men Busted Following Three Fentanyl-Laced NYC Drug-Delivery Deaths FEDS: NJ Men Busted Following Three Fentanyl-Laced NYC Drug-Delivery Deaths
Feds: NJ Men Busted Following Three Fentanyl-Laced NYC Drug-Delivery Deaths Two North Jersey men worked for a drug-courier service that peddled fentanyl-laced cocaine responsible for killing three customers in a single day, federal authorities in Manhattan charged. Billy "Jason" Ortega, 35, of West Milford was the dispatcher who sent Kaylen Rainey, 30, of Manhattan to three different city addresses on March 17, 2021 after promoting "new batches" of drugs, an FBI complaint on file in the Southern District Court of Manhattan alleges. Three customers -- Amanda Scher, Julia Ghahramani and Ross Mtangi -- all died after ingesting the coke, authorities said. Scher texted…
Former Rockland Owner Of Failed Nursing Homes In NJ, 11 Other States Charged In $39M Tax Dodge Former Rockland Owner Of Failed Nursing Homes In NJ, 11 Other States Charged In $39M Tax Dodge
Former Rockland Owner Of Failed Nursing Homes In NJ, 11 Other States Charged In $39M Tax Dodge An insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a failed nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria ducked nearly $39 million in payroll taxes, a federal indictment unsealed on Monday alleges. Joseph Schwartz, 62, was arrested at his Suffern home last Thursday. A federal judge in Newark released him to home confinement hours later, with conditions, pending trial. Then came the unsealing announcement on Monday, also out of Newark. Schwartz’s Skyline Healthcare LLC amassed 95 nursing homes in 11 states nationwide in less than two years – incl…
Ring Member Convicted In $565,091 IRS Scam That Sent Refund Checks To Same NJ Town Ring Member Convicted In $565,091 IRS Scam That Sent Refund Checks To Same NJ Town
Ring Member Convicted In $565,091 IRS Scam That Sent Refund Checks To Same NJ Town A New Jersey woman was convicted of participating in a massive ID theft scheme that had $565,091 in tax refunds from the IRS sent to a small section of the same town. Awilda Henriquez, 35, took her chances with a trial after three of her accomplices took guilty pleas. She was found guilty in U.S. District Court in Camden on Thursday of 27 counts involving defrauding the federal government, mail theft, stealing government money and aggravated ID theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Ring members filed more than 3,300 tax returns in 2013 using the names and Social Security numbe…
Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M
Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M A New Jersey man admitted that he orchestrated an online scam that conned dozens of unsuspecting women on dating sites out of more than a million dollars – and led one of them to suicide. Rubbin Sarpong, 37, of Millville pocketed the money and bought property in Ghana, along with luxury cars, expensive jewelry, top-shelf booze, designer clothes and more, federal authorities said. Then he flaunted it on Instagram. Sarpong had catfishing accomplices, several of whom live in Ghana, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael Honig said. Posing as American military personnel stationed oversea…