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Bookkeeper Bleeds LI Company For Almost $400K In Embezzlement Scheme: Cops
A Long Island bookkeeper stole nearly $400,000 from her employer by simply writing herself checks from the company, police said Tuesday, May 19.
Patricia Sparby, 66, of West Islip, worked at R&J Display Inc. in West Babylon for several years, the Suffolk County Police Department said.
Between January 2019 and August 2024, Sparby wrote checks to herself totaling $385,424.36, investigators said. The fraud was discovered during an internal audit in 2025, according to police.
Sparby was arrested around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, and her arraignment on a charge of second-degree grand larceny was sc…
Nassau Fraudster Made 110 Illegal Transactions In Chase Scam: Police
A Long Island fraudster made 110 illegal transactions from Chase Bank accounts to steal $55,000, police said Friday, April 3.
Paras Javed, 26-year-old Baldwin man, was arrested Thursday, April 2 and hit with numerous charges, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Javed contacted Chase customer service and claimed to be an account holder on multiple occasions, then changed the victims’ mailing addresses to his own and ordered debit cards, cops said. The scheme began in November 2025 and continued into January 2026, according to investigators.
During those two months, he made all 110 una…
Nassau County Man Dodged $600K In Workers’ Comp Premiums: DA
A construction company owner who underreported more than $3.5 million in payroll to dodge workers’ compensation premiums has been sentenced, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Mahendranauth Khargie, 36, and his Queens-based iron and erection company, GC Stud Inc., pleaded guilty on Oct. 21 to Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree, a felony. The company also pleaded guilty to failing to secure required workers’ compensation coverage, prosecutors said.
The pair were sentenced on Tuesday, Dec. 2, to a Conditional Discharge and ordered to pay $625,000 in…
NJ Man Posed As ‘Mohammed Ali’ In $59K Nassau County Contractor Scam: Police
A man accused of posing as a contractor and stealing more than $59,000 from a Uniondale homeowner was arrested months after the alleged scam, detectives announced on Sunday, Nov. 23.
Zohaib Farrukh, 37, of Piscataway, New Jersey, was taken into custody by First Squad detectives with assistance from First Precinct officers on Friday, Nov. 22, at 3:15 p.m., according to the release.
The investigation began after a homeowner hired a construction company identified as North Falcon Construction Company of Avenue C in New York City and issued a check for $59,202.50 to a man who identified himsel…
Elder Scam Nets $35K From 80-Year-Old Man In Nassau County: Queens Suspect Charge
An 80-year-old man was scammed out of more than $35,000 in Manhasset before police arrested a Queens suspect, Nassau County detectives announced on Sunday, Oct. 19. In
According to police, the victim received a message on his cell phone claiming he owed money to the Treasury Department and had to withdraw funds to avoid prosecution.
Between Tuesday, Oct. 14, and Thursday, Oct. 16, the man withdrew $35,600 in cash and gave it to several unknown men who came to his home, detectives said.
On Saturday, Oct. 18 at 10:20 a.m., the victim realized he had been scammed and contacted police. After i…
LI Woman Steals $230K From Employer, Double Dips Unemployment: DA
A Long Island woman is accused of stealing more than $230,000 from her employer while also illegally collecting unemployment benefits.
Christa Ramos, 57, of Brightwaters, was indicted on multiple felony charges including second-degree grand larceny in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Oct. 17.
An investigation found that Ramos worked as an office manager at Northeast Electrical Contractors, Inc. between 2018 and 2023.
Instead of paying company bills, she allegedly wrote checks to herself totaling more than $230,000, which she deposited into her personal account, prosecutors said.
Ramo…
How To Avoid Lottery, Prize Scams: You Didn’t Enter, But You 'Won'?
A surprise message says you hit the jackpot, but there’s a catch: you must pay a fee or hand over personal details to claim it.
That’s the hallmark of a lottery or prize scam—designed to separate you from your money and identity.
These schemes often arrive by email, text, phone, or mail and lean on pressure tactics to force quick decisions.
Scammers frequently demand “taxes,” “processing,” or “shipping” upfront, or ask for sensitive data to “verify” you.
Legitimate lotteries do not require payment to release a prize, and you should never be asked for your Social Security…
LI Boat Broker Pocketed Hundreds Of Thousands From Client Sales, DA Says
A Long Island boat broker is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients who trusted him to sell their vessels.
Rory Hogan, 60, of Babylon, was indicted in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Sept. 5, on grand larceny and related charges.
Hogan, the owner of Riteway Marine Solutions in Babylon, took boats from more than ten clients under the agreement that he would sell them and deliver the proceeds, between October 2023 and April 2025, prosecutors said.
Instead, investigators allege Hogan sold the vessels and kept the money for himself while telling customers the sales h…
$1M Cross-Country Title-Washing Ring Used Stolen Porsches, Audis, BMWs In PA: AG
A high-end title-washing ring based in central Pennsylvania profited more than $1 million by selling stolen luxury cars from Florida, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
The fraudulent operation was allegedly led by 44-year-old Anthony E. Troncoso, who, with a network of 12 others, used fake documents to “wash” vehicle titles, then sold over two dozen stolen cars to private buyers, dealers, and auction houses between 2022 and 2023, according to AG Sunday.
The vehicles—many of them Porsches, Audis, BMWs, Land Rovers, and other high-end brands—were stolen in Florida. …
NY Duo Posed As FBI Agents, Scammed Man Out Of $15K, Police Say
Two Brooklyn residents are accused of impersonating FBI agents to con a man into handing over $15,000 in a phony arrest threat.
Wei Baoguo, 34, and Yu Sheng Gui, 38, were arrested Monday, Aug. 4, in Orange County following a criminal investigation by the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the agency said.
Investigators concluded that the pair contacted a 27-year-old man and falsely claimed to be FBI agents, according to police. They allegedly told the victim he was under investigation and would be arrested unless he paid them $15,000.
The victim agreed to meet with the…
$140K Fraud Committed By Former PA Senator's Aide Scamming Church, Supporters
A former aide to Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes admitted to stealing more than $140,000 from a North Philadelphia church where he was a deacon and from a city political ward he led, the FBI announced on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Willie Jordan, 68, of Upper Darby, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III to two counts of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, July 30.
From 2020 to 2024, Jordan exploited his roles at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and Philadelphia’s 44th Ward for personal benefit, court d…
Nypd Officer Steals $87K From Elderly Bank Clients In NY For BMW, Aruba Trip: DA
An NYPD officer who previously worked at a Westchester bank has been charged in a sweeping financial crimes case accusing him of stealing over $85,000 from elderly customers and using the funds to pay for personal expenses—including a Caribbean vacation, luxury car payments, and fitness program subscriptions.
Yeison Rodriguez Acosta, age 27, of Manhattan, was arraigned Thursday, July 17, in Rye City Court on a 30-count felony complaint stemming from a months-long investigation by the City of Rye Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, both agencies announced.…
Trio Ran $500K Luxury Car ID Theft Ring On LI, Dragged Cop While Fleeing: DOJ
Three men are accused of running a sophisticated identity theft ring that used stolen personal information of unsuspecting victims to buy luxury cars—some of which were stored on Long Island.
The defendants—Tiansi Gong, 26, of Manhattan; Kevin McCarthy, 31, of Selden; and Matthew Hibner, 36, of Huntington Station—are accused of conspiring to obtain high-end vehicles using stolen identities, then stashing the cars at a lot on Zorn Avenue in Yaphank.
Investigators determined that the scheme involved more than $500,000 in fraudulent vehicle loans tied to at least 35 identity theft victims, acc…
Funeral Home Owner Who Stashed 190 Decaying Bodies Gets Maximum Federal Sentence: 'Inhumane'
A Colorado man who gave grieving families urns filled with dry concrete instead of their loved ones’ ashes has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison — the maximum possible sentence, authorities announced Friday, June 27.
Jon M. Hallford, 45, of Colorado Springs, was the owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, which operated in Colorado Springs and Penrose alongside his wife, Carie Hallford.
Over a four-year period, Hallford failed to cremate or bury at least 190 bodies — while collecting more than $130,000 from families for services he never provided, the U.S. Attorney’s Office…
