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Westfield Man Admits To Defrauding COVID Relief Fund Of $900K: Feds
A 66-year-old Westfield man recently admitted to fraudulently obtaining a $900,000 PPP loan during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said.
Joseph McKeon applied for PPP loans on behalf of his New Jersey company, falsely claiming a higher number of employees and inflated payroll figures, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said. To support his claims, McKeon submitted forged documents, including bank statements and tax returns, Sellinger said.
McKeon withdrew significant amounts of cash and transferred portions of the money, including a $315,504 transaction to an Indiana title company, Selli…
Bergen County Man Defrauds Childhood Friend Out Of $84K In Investment Scam: AG
A Bergen County man and his associate are accused of scamming a childhood friend into liquidating her retirement account to fund a software venture, then misusing the money for personal expenses, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced.
Michael Lakshin of Fair Lawn and Edward "Eddie" Aizman of Brooklyn, NY, along with their company Bowmo, Inc., face a civil enforcement action for defrauding at least one New Jersey investor, according to a complaint filed by the New Jersey Bureau of Securities on Friday, Nov. 22.
Lakshin, leveraging a childhood connection, persuaded the investor t…
Elizabeth Man Submitted Phony Applications To Obtain $100,000+ In Covid Funds: Feds
A 53-year-old Elizabeth man recently admitted to his role in a fraud scheme involving COVID funds, phony tax filings and a fake loan application, authorities said.
In June 2020, Richard Fadraga submitted a fraudulent application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), which resulted in him getting $110,000 from the Small Business Administration in COVID-19 relate proceeds, US Attorney Phillip Sellinger said.
The next month, Fadraga submitted another fraudulent application and received a $131,000 loan, Sellinger said. That application was submitted under another person's name to c…
North Jersey Trio Stole $100K+ In Business Checks From Jersey Shore Mailboxes, Police Say
Two men and a woman from North Jersey were accused of stealing more than $100,000 in business checks from Wall Township mailboxes, authorities said.
James Miller, 37, of Passaic; Kaleik Easton, 29, of Bloomfield; and Asia Harrell, 31, also from Bloomfield; were arrested, the Wall Township Police Department said in a news release.
Investigators said businesses were defrauded out of more than $100,000 after checks were taken from their mailboxes. Police executed two search warrants at the suspects' homes and they were taken into custody on Wednesday, Sept. 19.
Detectives …
Middlesex County Men Indicted In Alleged $7M Fuel Investment Scheme: AG
A New Jersey grand jury has indicted two Middlesex County men for allegedly defrauding fuel investors out of approximately $6.7 million, authorities said.
The scheme used sham companies and false identities to deceive investors into believing they would receive large guaranteed returns from investments in fuel products, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
Instead, the defendants diverted investor funds for their own benefit, Platkin said.
Shahid Javed, 39, of Old Bridge, and Wilfredo Topacio, 64, of Woodbridge, were charged in an indictment with first-degree conspiracy, …
