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Saturday, jun 27
Police & Fire
PA Man Disguised Himself As Late Dad To Get Social Security, Pension: Feds
A Pennsylvania man has admitted to fraudulently collecting his late father's retirement checks, and even disguising himself as an older man to sell the lie, federal authorities say. Timothy Gritman, a 55-year-old resident of Brodheadsville in Monroe County, pleaded guilty to Social Security and wire fraud in a federal court on Tuesday, Feb. 14, said US Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero in a statement. According to prosecutors, Gritman's father Ralph was 79 and "in poor health" when he was last seen alive by other family members in 2016. The next summer, authorities say Gritman moved with …
Police & Fire
Contractor Ripped Off Philly Area Homeowners For $475K, Faces 300 Felonies: DA
A Collegeville contractor is accused of defrauding Philadelphia-area homeowners out of nearly half a million dollars, and is now charged with more than 300 felonies as a result, authorities say. Joseph Ford, the 53-year-old owner of 1st Call Electric LLC, sits in the Montgomery County lockup in lieu of a $50,000 bond, said District Attorney Kevin R. Steele in a statement Monday, Jan. 23. Investigators began looking into Ford's contracting business last August, when two jilted customers walked into the Lower Providence police station and complained that they'd been ripped off.&nb…
Police & Fire
Fake 'Marine' Who Conned Elderly Bucks Couple For $320K Learns Fate
The conman who posed as a US Marine Corps veteran to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from an elderly couple in Bucks County is going to prison. Marc Cheeseman, a 50-year-old Silverdale resident, was sentenced to five to seven years in a Pennsylvania state prison in a hearing on Thursday, Jan. 19, District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said in a statement. Cheeseman previously pleaded guilty in September to several felony theft charges and one misdemeanor count of impersonating a veteran, the DA said. In court, prosecutors argued that he carried on a yearslong scheme t…
Police & Fire
Bucks Furniture Company Scammed Customers: Police
A Bucks County furniture company is accused of pocketing customers' money without actually delivering merchandise. A&A Custom Furniture of Perkasie advertises unique, handcrafted furniture and home goods on its since-deleted website, but police say the company has been stiffing its clientele. Investigators say the company, run by Austin and Amanda Smallacombe, accepted "large financial deposits" from customers on Facebook and other social media sites but then never actually fulfilled the orders. State court records show no active criminal charges against either Smalla…
Police & Fire
Man Fleeced $40K From Disabled Relative, Bucks Jury Finds
A Carbon County man who reached in his disabled relative's pocket and stole nearly $40,000 in inheritance money is now facing down a prison term. Patrick Alderton, a 46-year-old Weatherly resident, was convicted Wednesday, Jan. 11 on multiple felonies related to the scam, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub. Investigators were tipped off in October 2020, when Alderton — then living in Whitehall — was the personal representative for the estate of a relative during a guardianship case, the DA said. The relative, who lives at a nursing home in Qua…
Police & Fire
Felony ID Theft Charges For NJ Man With 7 Verizon iPads In Lehigh Valley Delivery Scheme: PD
A Passaic County man who was found with seven iPads during a delivery scheme involving a bogus Verizon customer service rep in the Lehigh Valley area was arrested and charged with felony identity theft and several other offenses, authorities said. Officers responding to a fraudulent activity report on the 1800 block of Felicity Lane in Lower Saucon Township met with a victim around 5:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, the department said. The victim told police that she had received a Verizon package in the mail with an Apple IPad Pro that had been fraudulently purchased through her Verizon acc…
Police & Fire
Scammer Stole Thousands From Bucks County Grandmother, Police Say
A scam caller who stole thousands of dollars from a Bucks County grandmother is now facing jail time, according to authorities. Police in Falls Township charged Christopher Mauricio, 19, of Philadelphia, with two felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property, the department announced. Investigators say Mauricio ran an elaborate scam involving multiple assumed identities and phony paperwork to steal $5,000 from a woman in her 90s. Officials said a caller contacted the victim on April 25, claiming to be her grandson. He told her he was in jail in Allentown and needed…
Politics
Philly Political Consultant Forged Signatures For Ballot Access: DA
A Philadelphia political consultant is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he forged signatures to gain ballot access for his clients. Rasheen Crews of Crews Consulting was working on behalf of "multiple candidates" in the 2019 Democratic Philadelphia mayoral primary to help fill out their nominating petitions, said state Attorney General Joshua Shapiro in a statement on Wednesday, Nov. 16. But to get the forms filled, investigators say Crews hired "individuals" to sit in a hotel room and write "write names, addresses, and forged signatures" on the petitions, investiga…
Police & Fire
MontCo Contractor To Pay $43K For Ripping Off Clients: DA
A general contractor in Montgomery County will spend months in jail and pay thousands in restitution after pleading guilty to ripping off several Philadelphia area homeowners, authorities say. Joseph E. Collopy, 46, of Lansdale, will spend nine to 23 months behind bars followed by seven years of probation, and must hand over a total of $42,856.96 to former clients, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement Thursday, Nov. 10. Through his companies Macintosh Construction and Collopy Construction Inc., the DA said Collopy signed a contract to re…
Police & Fire
Philly Group Ran Illegal Puppy Selling Ring: AG
Five Philadelphia residents are in police custody for running an illegal puppy business, officials announced. The group used counterfeit bills and phony checks to purchase expensive breed dogs in Lancaster County and resold them for a massive profit, said state Attorney General Josh Shapiro in a statement on Friday, Oct. 21. The alleged conspirators would seek listings for in-demand puppies like French bulldogs and Yorkshire terriers, authorities said, and resell them for as much as $20,000 each, authorities said. Investigators said they uncovered more than 30 separate in…
Schools
PA Charter School CEO Pleads Guilty To Stealing Funds From The US Government
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A charter school's CEO and President has pleaded guilty to stealing funds from a federal grant program that was meant for the school where he worked, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Leonard Hart, 50, of Mount Wolf, the former CEO and principal of Lincoln Charter School in York has admitted to submitting to LCS nearly 20 false and fraudulent reimbursement requests between 2018 and 2020, on Thursday Oct. 20, according to a release by the US Department of Justice. Hart "obtained by fraud and misapplied approximately $6,400," starting in May 201…
News
Northampton County Police Chief Resigns Citing Thumb Injury To Avoid Facing Misconduct Charges
A police chief in Northampton County has resigned using his thumb injury as an excuse to avoid facing charges involving misconduct and fraud. Stockertown Police Chief Eric Schwab entered his resignation letter and left his position last month — not long before charges including fraudulent timecard records, ongoing insubordination, dereliction of sworn administrative duties, unlawful dissemination of confidential secure police records, and threat to borough resident were set to be served against him at a special council meeting, according to a copy of the minutes from the Monday, Sept. 12 mee…
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