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NJ Corrections Lt. Stole, Sold $475K In State Ammo, Prosecutors Say
A New Jersey Department of Corrections lieutenant in charge of managing state ammunition stockpiles was charged with stealing and selling taxpayer-funded ammo for personal profit, authorities said.
Timothy Morris, 56, of Bayville (Ocean County), who served as NJDOC’s Range Master, is accused of illegally ordering excess ammunition and selling it on the secondary market, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced.
Morris allegedly pocketed more than $475,000 through this scheme while attempting to conceal his financial transactions, prosecutors said.
Morris, who has held his Range Master…
Firefighter Stole $10K From Union, Spent It On Food: Burlington County Prosecutor
A 38-year-old New Jersey firefighter was arrested and charged on Monday, March 10, with stealing $10,000 from a labor union representing first responders, authorities said.
Tull,a Williamstown resident and a firefighter in Cinnaminson, was treasurer of a union that represented firefighters and EMTs throughout Burlington County, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said.
An investigation revealed Tull used the union's debit card to withdraw $6,300 from ATMs, which he then put into his personal account, Bradshaw said. Tull illegally utilized the union’s debit card to spend $3,384…
NJ Psych Hospital Escapee Is Convicted Squatter Who Threatened Cops: Officials
Authorities are searching for a 39-year-old man who walked away from Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, months after being charged with squatting in two vacant homes and falsely claiming ownership, officials said.
Markies Wells, who also goes by Messiah Law-Elbey, was last seen at 4:08 a.m. on Friday, March 7, wearing a green jumpsuit, according to Ewing Police. He is described as 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, with a full beard and dreadlocks, police said.
Wells was accused of breaking into and illegally living in multiple homes in Monmouth County, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said.
Kea…
$700K Gold, Bitcoin Theft: ‘PayPal’ Poser From NJ Scams Elderly PA Man, DA Says
A slick con artist posing as a PayPal agent scammed a 74-year-old Pennsylvania man out of nearly $700,000 in gold and cryptocurrency, authorities revealed on Friday, Feb. 28.
Hirtik Hemchand Khatri, 24, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, allegedly orchestrated a high-stakes fraud that convinced the victim to empty his savings, fearing he’d be arrested if he didn’t comply, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Whitehall Township Police Chief Michael Marks said.
Khatri, who twice showed up at the victim’s home in a Mercedes-Benz to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in gol…
Suspended Attorney Stole Clients Cash In NJ, PA Real Estate Scam: DA
A suspended real estate attorney is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, prosecutors announced on Monday, Feb. 24.
James "Jim" J. Vassallo Jr., 55, of Voorhees, New Jersey, was arrested for misappropriating funds while handling a Downingtown, Pennsylvania, home purchase in early 2023, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said. Despite having his Pennsylvania law license suspended since August 2018, Vassallo allegedly continued to act as an attorney, taking money from his clients under false pretenses.
The victims wired funds …
NJ Outlet Burglar Linked To Multi-State Smash-And-Grab Thefts Caught In PA: Police
A Philadelphia man accused of a multi-state smash-and-grab spree spanning Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey has been arrested after allegedly burglarizing multiple outlet stores, stealing tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise, and driving a stolen car, authorities announced on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Timothy Eugene Root, 58, was charged with felony burglary, felony theft, felony retail theft, misdemeanor criminal mischief, misdemeanor possession of an instrument of crime, and receiving stolen property, police said.
Derry Township officers responded to the Polo Ralph Lauren…
$40K In Eggs Stolen From Distribution Trailer: Police
Amid the avian flu outbreak, authorities are investigating the theft of "high-value goods" from a Pennsylvania business, State Police announced on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Approximately 100,000 organic eggs, valued at $40,000, were stolen from a distribution trailer at Pete and Gerry's Organics in Antrim Township, according to PSP Chambersburg.
The theft occurred sometime overnight on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Commerce Avenue facility, troopers detailed in the release.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact PSP Chambersburg at 717-264-5161.
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…
State Worker Steals $130K From Mom Who Killed Both Sons Then Fled To NJ For Drugs: DA
A Philadelphia woman stole over $130,000 from a former Norristown State Hospital resident who was convicted of murdering her two young sons, using the funds for personal expenses, including a Puerto Rico vacation, officials announced on Monday, Dec. 23.
Bridget Nicole Compton, 51, is accused of stealing $132,480.01 from the TD Ameritrade account of Trinh Nguyen, a former Norristown State Hospital resident, officials in Bucks County, PA said. Nguyen is currently serving two life sentences for fatally shooting her sons, 13-year-old Jeffrey “JT” Tini and 9-year-old Nelson Tini, in their Upper M…
Six Members Of Catalytic Converter Theft Ring — Including Gloucester Man — Sentenced: DA
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…
NJ Police Sergeant Tests Positive For Meth, Took Drugs From Evidence Room: Prosecutor
A police sergeant in Hammonton is facing multiple charges after testing positive for methamphetamine and taking drugs from the department's evidence room, authorities said.
Detective Sergeant Robert Zbikowski, 45, of Hammonton, was charged on Monday, Nov. 25, with second-degree official misconduct, second-degree pattern of official misconduct, third-degree theft by unlawful taking, and two fourth-degree charges: tampering with physical evidence and obstruction of law, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
In 2024, the Hammonton Police Department contacted the Atlantic County…
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 …
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 Woman Who Paid $20K For Service Dog Scammed By WV Breeder, Police Say
A West Virginia woman was accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a Galloway Township woman who ordered a service dog but never received one, authorities said.
Catherine Causey, 52, of Kearneysville, WV, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the Galloway Township Police Department said in a news release. She was charged with theft by deception and money laundering.
Galloway police received a report on Tuesday, June 18 of an ongoing theft of about $20,000. A woman said she never received a service dog from Causey Labradors and Training despite making full payments and having cont…
