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63°
Friday, jun 5
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Conspiracy
Police & Fire
$7.7M Stolen In NJ Real Estate Scam: Bergen Man, Florida Accomplice Charged
A Bergen County man and his Florida accomplice are accused of helping launder more than $7.7 million stolen in a sophisticated fraud scheme targeting a Garden State real estate transaction, authorities said. Jason S. McNeill, 49, of Wyckoff, and Ryan A. Telesford, 43, of Lake Worth, FL, were charged with money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to commit theft by deception, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Monday, June 1. The investigation began in December 2025 after the Hackensack Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Offi…
News
$8 Million Theft From NJ Business Gets 3 Charged: Union County Prosecutor
Three people were arrested and charged after a theft and money laundering scheme stole $8 million from a business in Elizabeth, authorities announced Friday, April 24. An investigation revealed Alejandro Garcia, a 27-year-employee of the company, stole $8 million from the business using unauthorized checks, cash withdrawals, and payments to other employees to finance a lavish lifestyle for himself and his family, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said. To facilitate the theft, Garcia established a shadow company titled Roman Truck Leasing Co. of NJ Corporation, Daniel sa…
Police & Fire
728 Marijuana Plants Found In NJ Home, Chinese Man Pleads Guilty: Prosecutor
A man from China pleaded guilty after authorities uncovered a large indoor marijuana growing operation inside a South Jersey home. Hui Chen, 49, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, March 31, to first-degree maintaining a CDS production facility and second-degree conspiracy to distribute CDS, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said. Chen admitted to maintaining a home at 147 Fursin Ave. in Buena for the purpose of indoor marijuana cultivation, officials said. On Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, police executed a search warrant at the home and seized 728 marijuana plants, authorities said. As part …
Police & Fire
Repeat Offender Tries Stealing Cars From Bergen County Driveways, Cops Say
Two attempted motor vehicle thefts at high-end homes in Bergen County earlier this month led to the arrest of a Newark man with a history of similar offenses, authorities said. Upper Saddle River police responded to East Saddle River Road and Oak Drive on Thursday, March 5, after receiving reports of two attempted vehicle thefts, Detective Sgt. Michael Spina said. The first incident involved a suspect entering and attempting to steal a high-value vehicle parked at a home on East Saddle River Road. While officers were searching the area, a second report came in from Oak Drive, where a s…
News
Duo Tried to Cash Bad Check At TD Bank: Fairfield PD
Two people were arrested and charged after they committed fraud at TD Bank on Fairfield on Sunday, Feb. 22, authorities said At 1:24 p.m., officers responded to the TD Bank at 436 Hollywood Ave. after Alejandra Almanzar, a 21-year-old Guttenberg resident, tried to cash a check from a business for $1750.11, Fairfield police said. Bank employees were notified the business name for the checking account had alerted them that this transaction was fraudulent, police said. Almanzar told officers she arrived alone at the bank in a black Cadillac Escalade, police said. Additional officers res…
Police & Fire
Loaded Ghost Gun Seized From Pair Following Mercedes-Benz Burglary In North Arlington: Cops
A ghost gun equipped with a high-capacity 30-round magazine was seized from two 18-year-olds in North Arlington following the burglary of a Mercedes-Benz last week, police said. North Arlington police responded to reports of a motor vehicle burglary around 1:55 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 27, in the River Road area of the borough, according to authorities. Two men later identified as Simon Torres, of Elizabeth, and Juan Florez, of Linden, illegally entered a parked Mercedes-Benz, removed several items, and fled the area on foot, North Arlington Police Lt. David Hudak said. During…
Police & Fire
Teens Jump Couple At Garden State Plaza AMC Lot, Hold Knife To Woman’s Face, Police Say
Three North Jersey teens were arrested after police say a woman had a knife pressed against her face and threatened outside the AMC movie theater at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus last week. Police said a male and female victim had just gotten into their vehicle when they were attacked in the parking lot one night last weekend, Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said. The female victim told officers she recognized one of the assailants because she had been communicating with him in a casual relationship, Guidetti said. During the assault, police said Joshua Ortiz, 19, of Allendal…
Police & Fire
Facebook Marketplace Armed Robbery: Man Pulls Knife On iPhone Seller In Bergen County, Cops Say
A Jersey City man has been charged in connection with an armed robbery during a Facebook Marketplace meetup in Bergen County, authorities said. On June 3, at approximately 10:09 p.m., Palisades Park police responded to Broad Avenue and East Brinkerhoff Avenue for a report of an armed robbery, according to Police Chief George Beck. The victim told police he was selling his iPhone 16 Max Pro through Facebook Marketplace and agreed to meet the buyer in the area. While waiting, a man approached, brandished a knife, stole the phone, and fled on foot, police said. Detective Brian Kunz, under the…
Police & Fire
NJ Pair Stole $2K From Dead Woman, Confronted Brother About Lock Change During Wake: Cops
Two New Jersey residents are accused of stealing nearly $2,000 from the bedroom of a deceased woman whom they occasionally assisted, and confronted the woman's brother during the wake about lock changes, police said. On Saturday, July 19, at approximately 8:24 p.m., Lyndhurst police responded to a local residence for an unattended death, according to Lyndhurst Capt. Paul F. Haggerty. The death was determined to be from natural causes, but a police investigation was conducted as a procedural matter. On Monday, Aug. 4, at approximately 10:40 a.m., the decedent’s brother and next of kin arrive…
News
‘Government Agents’ Were Actually NJ Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say
Two New Jersey brothers are accused of running a scam that stole nearly $400,000 from elderly victims in New York and Connecticut, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Monday, Aug. 25. Abhishek Barvalia, 31, and Tushar Barvalia, 32, of Rutherfo, were indicted on charges of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, and fourth-degree conspiracy, Gonzalez said. They were released without bail after being arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court and are due back Oct. 22. Prosecutors say the scam ran from June 2023 to January 2024, targeting women ages 76, 78, 83, and 90 i…
Police & Fire
Too Good To Be True: NJ Man Fooled Into $75K Scam Over Months, Cops Say
A $75,000 scam that spanned three months ended with an arrest in Lyndhurst, police said. A township resident reported on Tuesday, Aug. 12, that they had fallen victim to an unsolicited scam beginning April 20, according to Chief Richard Jarvis. Over the next several months, the victim transferred money both digitally and in person, believing they were participating in an investment opportunity, Jarvis said. Detective Michael Giangeruso was assigned to the case and identified a pattern in how the organized criminal enterprise was operating, police said. On Friday, Aug. 22, at approximately 9…
News
NJ Woman Arrested in Narcotics Probe That Busted Cops: Prosecutor
A 50-year-old North Bergen woman was the latest person charged as part of a sprawling narcotics investigation that has resulted in the arrests of several public officials, authorities announced Friday, Aug. 22, authorities said. Melissa Brown is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to possess cocaine, Acting Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello said. The investigation has resulted in 15 arrests and the seizure of over 4 kilograms of suspected cocaine, two handguns, and more than $70,000 in cash. Earlier this month, North Bergen Police Detective Christ…
Police & Fire
Serial Burglar, Juvenile Nabbed For Stealing 2 BMWs: Fairfield PD
A 22-year-old Newark resident and a 17-year-old were arrested and charged with stealing two BMWs in Fairfield, authorities announced Thursday, Aug. 7. On Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 7:57 a.m., officers responded to Colt Street for a report of a motor vehicle stolen from a driveway of a home overnight, Fairfield police said. Altamir Thornton and the juvenile entered the home through a window and stole cash and a key fob to a 2024 BMW X7M, police said. The vehicle, along with a BMW X5 were later spotted in Glen Avenue that day. The BMW X5 was stolen from Piscataway, police said. The two BM…
Police & Fire
Hudson County Postal Worker Stole Credit Cards On Her Mail Route, Cops Say
A U.S. postal employee from Union City has been charged in connection with a credit card fraud scheme that targeted local residents on her North Bergen mail route, authorities said. Eirin Novas, 39, was arrested Friday, July 25, and charged with credit card theft, fraudulent use of credit cards, and conspiracy, North Bergen Police Chief Robert J. Farley Jr. said in a press release Friday, Aug. 1. Awilda Taveras-Bido, 46, of Newark, was also charged with credit card theft, fraudulent use of credit cards, intent of cardholder to defraud, and conspiracy. She was arrested and released on a summ…
Police & Fire
They Pulled Guns On Kids In Edgewater, Officials Say: Now Four Are Facing Charges
Four men have been charged including one who remains at large following a year-long investigation into an armed robbery in Edgewater, authorities said. The investigation stems from a robbery that occurred on Thursday, June 13, 2024, around 7:50 p.m., at a commercial parking lot on River Road, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday, Aug. 1. Five victims, including two juveniles, had just parked when two masked men with firearms approached them, Musella said. The suspects demanded the keys to the victim’s vehicle, patted down some of the victims, and threatened …
Sports
Ex-Washington Wizards Star Gilbert Arenas Threw High-Stakes Poker Parties At CA Mansion: DOJ
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas has been arrested and charged in a sprawling federal case accusing him and others of running high-stakes illegal poker games out of his mansion in California. Arenas, 43, who the centerpiece for the Washington Wizards for years, was taken into custody Wednesday, July 30, along with five others, including a suspected high-ranking member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group, federal prosecutors said. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Woodland Hills resident, also known as “Agent Zero,” is charged with:…
News
NY Man Tries Hiring Hitman To Kidnap, Kill Business Rival, DA Says
A Long Island man was formally charged with plotting to have a former business associate kidnapped and murdered. Navdeep Singh, 48, of Dix Hills, was indicted on a dozen counts of conspiracy and criminal solicitation in Nassau County Court on Tuesday, July 29, weeks after his arrest. Singh offered $100,000 and 10 acres of land in India to a would-be hitman to carry out the attack, according to the Nassau County DA’s office. The alleged plot unfolded between late May and early June 2025. Singh allegedly met multiple times with the hired individual, providing cash payments, cell phones, phot…
Police & Fire
4 NJ Men Tried To Cash Phony Checks At TD Bank: Fairfield PD
Four North Jersey men have been arrested and charged following two separate fraud cases at a TD Bank in Fairfield, authorities announced, Thursday, July 24. On Monday, July 21 at 5 p.m. officers responded to the bank at 436 Hollywood Ave. after an employee recognized Jaydin Colon, a 20-year-old Garfield resident, who had previously cashed a fraudulent check in the past at the branch, Fairfield police said. Colon was trying to cash a $1,616.04 fraudulent arrest and he was placed under arrest, police said. While officers were apprehending Colon, they saw a vehicle parked illegally in a nearb…
Police & Fire
Retired Detective, Dispatcher, Corrections Officer Arrested In NJ Drug Bust: Prosecutor
Three people who work in law enforcement were among seven people arrested following an investigation into the distribution of narcotics in Hudson County, authorities announced Monday, July 21. An investigation led to the seizure of over four kilograms of suspected cocaine, two handguns, seven vehicles and more than $70,000 in cash after search warrants were executed at multiple locations in North Bergen, West New York and Union City, on Thursday, July 17, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. Thomas Mannion, 60, a retired West New York police detective, is charged with conspira…
News
Fourth Detainee Who Escaped New Jersey ICE Facility Captured 2,700 Miles Away
The fourth and final detainee who escaped from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in New Jersey last month was captured Thursday, July 17, in Los Angeles, more than 2,700 miles away, the FBI said. Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon, 25, a Colombian national, escaped from Delaney Hall in Newark following a riot on June 12, as previously reported by Daily Voice. The FBI did not release further details about Pineda-Mogollon's escape. The three other detainees were identified as: Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes, a Honduran national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2021, was arreste…
Police & Fire
$10K In Lululemon Snatched, 4 Nabbed At GWB After Wild Getaway: Police
Four suspects were arrested after more than $10,000 worth of merchandise was stolen in a grab-and-go shoplifting at a Lululemon store in Bergen County this weekend, police said. Officers responded to Closter Plaza at 79 Vervalen St. around 4:31 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, for a shoplifting in progress, according to Closter Police Chief James Buccola. While en route, patrol was told that two men, one wearing a white T-shirt and orange shorts, and another in dark clothing, were using ski masks and stuffing items into large laundry bags, according to the report. Before officers arrived, the sus…
Police & Fire
FBI Helps Bust Bogus Contractors Who Stole Half
-a-m
illion Dollars From Clifton: Cops
Two bogus contractors accused of stealing nearly $600,000 from the City of Clifton have been arrested and extradited to New Jersey, following a multi-year investigation by local police and the FBI, authorities said. Robert J. Richard, 73, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and William A. McInteer, 58, of Brumley, Missouri, posed as a legitimate city vendor and diverted $592,757.43 into a third-party bank account that had no ties to the vendor or the city, Clifton Police Lt. Robert Anderson said. The investigation began in September 2022, when Clifton city officials discovered a large fraudule…
News
Stolen PA Car Found After Occupied NJ Home Riddled With Bullets: Prosecutor
A stolen car from Pennsylvania was left at the scene of a shooting that left a New Jersey home riddled with bullets while people were inside, authorities announced on Thursday, July 3. Dorien E. Roberts, 18, of Port Murray, and Alfatir T. Kelly, 26, of Phillipsburg, were arrested after police responded to the 90th block of Mercer Street around 1:50 a.m. on Monday, June 30, according to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office. Phillipsburg Police were dispatched after receiving a ShotSpotter alert. Though no victims were located, police found a stolen Pennsylvania vehicle, a handgun, and…
News
IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind
It started with a fake business. It ended with a shootout in broad daylight. Four people are facing federal charges in what prosecutors call the largest COVID-19 tax credit fraud scheme ever identified. This $93 million operation allegedly involved fake companies, kickbacks, and a botched attempt to silence the ringleader. The sprawling indictment, unsealed in Los Angeles, details an alleged conspiracy to defraud the IRS by submitting false claims for Coronavirus Response Credits. These federal tax refunds were designed to help small businesses cover sick and family leave wage…
Police & Fire
NJ Volvo Dealership Employee Stole 3 Cars: Police
A 30-year-old Newark man was arrested and charged on Wednesday, June 18, with stealing three cars from a Volvo dealership in Summit where he worked, authorities said. Henrri Bonilla was an employee at Smythe Volvo at 40 River Rd. and used his access to key fobs to steal three vehicles over the course of eight weeks, Summit police said. On Tuesday, April 15, he stole a black 2025 Volvo EX90, valued at $90,000. On Wednesday, May 7,he stole a gray 2025 Volvo EX90 valued at $85,000. On Monday, May 26, he stole a black 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE valued at $37,168, police said. Bonilla is char…
Police & Fire
Migrant From Wayne ID'd Among 4 Escaped Delaney Hall Inmates: Feds
Federal officials are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of four criminal illegal aliens who escaped from Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark on Thursday, June 12, the Department of Homeland Security said. The agency maintained that no widespread unrest occurred at the facility, contradicting various media reports including some saying 50 inmates pushed down a wall after meals were served late. Officials said Delaney Hall remains “dedicated to providing high-quality services” and maintains 24/7 medical care, visitation, legal access, meals, reli…
Police & Fire
'Crystal Clear': NJ Town Pool Employees Stole Chemicals To Run Secret Side Hustle, Cops Say
Four Secaucus town employees were arrested after allegedly running a private pool business using stolen chemicals, town property, and taxpayer-funded hours, authorities said. The employees — John T. Schwartz, 61, Frank N. Flanagan, 32, Joseph Ferrara, 27, and Megan R. Wofsy-Flanagan, 31, all of Secaucus — were charged following a three-month investigation into their company, Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management, according to the Secaucus Police Department. Detectives said the four used their positions with the Secaucus Recreation Department to steal pool chemicals from the Secaucus Town Po…
News
Chilling Murder-For-Hire Plot Foiled After NY Businessman Caught Outside Rival's Home: DA
A Long Island businessman hatched a twisted plan to kidnap, torture, and kill a former colleague, prosecutors alleged. Navdeep Singh, 48, of Dix Hills, was arraigned on felony conspiracy and criminal solicitation charges in Nassau County Court on Monday, June 9. The charges stem from an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting a man Singh had been feuding with for years over a multimillion-dollar construction deal gone sour. Singh, who owns Gravity Construction Corp., promised to pay a hitman $100,000 and 10 acres of land in India to carry out the job, according to the Nassau County DA’s offi…
News
NJ Town's Police Chief Resigns After Criminal Charges, Judge’s Order: Officials
The police chief of a New Jersey town has officially resigned months after being charged with using law enforcement databases for personal searches and helping someone shoplift, municipal paperwork shows. Former Englishtown Police Chief Peter Cooke Jr., 58, submitted his resignation following a judge’s order of Public Employment Forfeiture, according to a resolution passed by the Englishtown Borough Council on Tuesday, May 28. The resignation came after Cooke was charged in November 2024 with third-degree computer theft and third-degree conspiracy to commit shoplifting, Monmouth County Pros…
Police & Fire
$100K NJ Scammer Turned Fugitive Busted At Southern Border, Police Say
A 56-year-old Mexican man has pleaded guilty to theft charges in Fairfield months after he fled the country, only to be captured at the southern border, authorities said. On Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, an employee at Care by Dank's on Route 46 in Fairfield received a phone call from someone pretending to be with FedEx, Fairfield police said. During the conversation, the employee was told to obtain all the money from the business safes and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine, police said. The caller, later identified as Jose Renteria-Medellin, told the employee this was urgent an…
Police & Fire
From Council Chambers To Nightclubs: Familiar NJ Faces Among 39 Charged In Mob Gambling Ring
The general manager of a Hoboken nightclub. The father of a prominent Paramus wrestler who was killed in a car crash. A Prospect Park councilman. It wasn't just mobsters among the 39 people arrested for their alleged roles in an underground gambling empire run by the members of the Lucchese Crime Family. It was familiar faces in the community. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced the arrests on Friday, April 11, following multi-agency raids at 12 locations across northern New Jersey earlier in the week. Among the sites: Four poker clubs operating out of Totowa, Garfield, an…
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