Tag:

Fraud

$100K+ Allegedly Stolen By Former PA Attorney General Director $100K+ Allegedly Stolen By Former PA Attorney General Director
$100K+ Allegedly Stolen By Former PA Attorney General Director A McKeesport Area School District police chief, Director of the Community Violence Fund program for the McKeesport Chapter of the NAACP, and Regional Director of the PA Office of Attorney General’s Region 5 Bureau of Narcotics Investigation is accused of stealing over $100,000 drug forfeiture money and numerous over monetary thefts, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday night, Sept. 5.  Brenda D. Sawyer, 61, of North Versailles, was arrested on the following charges on Sept. 5 for her alleged crimes of taking the money which went missing from…
Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA
Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA A McKean County man was convicted on Friday, Aug. 23 in a fake "kidnapping for drugs" plot, authorities said. Tuesday Hale, formerly of Bradford, was found guilty of crimes related to the staged kidnapping in August 2023, according to District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer. The conviction followed a two-day jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse, she said. Hale was charged after the City of Bradford Police received a report from a Bradford man who had received messages – including a staged picture – from his girlfriend’s cell phone stating that his girlfriend had been kidn…
Caretaker Steals $4.5K From Elderly Woman, Berks DA Alleges Caretaker Steals $4.5K From Elderly Woman, Berks DA Alleges
Caretaker Steals $4.5K From Elderly Woman, Berks DA Alleges A 46-year-old woman from Reading is charged with making more than 80 unauthorized purchases on the bank cards of an elderly woman whom she cared for, authorities said. Jennifer Konen is accused of stealing nearly $4,500 by making the transactions using a 78-year-old woman's banking information, according to the Berks County District Attorney. Konen was the woman's healthcare provider. In April, Berks County District Attorney’s detectives initiated a criminal investigation into allegations involving exploitation and fraud involving the senior citizen. It was reported that numerous&…
$1.5M Con: Ex-Employee Admits Defrauding CT Insurance Company $1.5M Con: Ex-Employee Admits Defrauding CT Insurance Company
$1.5M Con: Ex-Employee Admits Defrauding CT Insurance Company A former employee from Pennsylvania admitted to defrauding a Connecticut insurance company to the tune of $1.5 million. James Keating, age 52, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in New Haven federal court on Tuesday, July 30. Prosecutors said Keating – who served as assistant vice president and a surety bond claims handler at Hartford County-based Allied World Insurance Company in Farmington – created a shell company to bill Allied World for unnecessary claims work that was never performed. Between 2017 and 2021, he also solicited and received kickbacks from Allied World…
Philly Area Gravestone Salesman Scammed Mourners Out Of $1.5 Million, Feds Say Philly Area Gravestone Salesman Scammed Mourners Out Of $1.5 Million, Feds Say
Philly Area Gravestone Salesman Scammed Mourners Out Of $1.5 Million, Feds Say The owner of a headstone company is accused of ripping off hundreds of grieving customers across greater Philadelphia, federal prosecutors allege in an indictment.  Gregory J. Stefan Jr., 54, of Upper Merion, is charged with seven counts of wire fraud, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Between January 2018 and September of last year, Stefan accepted more than $1.5 million from customers who ordered memorials for loved ones, then failed to deliver the headstones they bought, authorities said. Stefan accepted the orders from nearly 500 customers through his companies 1843 LLC…
PA Gravestone Thief's Brother Bilked NJ Widow Out Of $5,000, Indictment Says PA Gravestone Thief's Brother Bilked NJ Widow Out Of $5,000, Indictment Says
PA Gravestone Thief's Brother Bilked NJ Widow Out Of $5,000, Indictment Says Another New Jersey widow has come forward alleging she was bilked out of money for a gravestone she never got. Jerry J. Stefan, 49, of Gladwyne, PA, has been indicted alleging he bilked a Deptford, NJ widow out of $5,054 for a gravestone she never received for her late husband. He's the brother of a Pennsylvania gravestone dealer already charged in three states with defrauding gravestone customers. A Gloucester County grand jury indicted Jerry J. Stefan on June 26 on a charge he never provided a gravestone or returned the money he took. He was indicted on a third-degree charge of failure t…
Philly Woman Stole $184K In COVID Relief Money For Butt Lift: Warrant Philly Woman Stole $184K In COVID Relief Money For Butt Lift: Warrant
Philly Woman Stole $184K In COVID Relief Money For Butt Lift: Warrant A Philadelphia woman is accused of fraudulently cashing a COVID-19 relief check and spending the money on plastic surgery.  In an arrest warrant obtained by Local10.com, authorities said 30-year-old Ashley Stibbins-Parker made a bank account for a Georgia entity called "City of Weston LLC.''  Investigators believe she used the account to collect $184,838.72 in federal CARES Act funding meant for the real City of Weston in Florida.  Broward County commissioners sent the money to Weston City Hall via check in February 2021, but by the next month, it had been deposited into Sti…
$118K+ Furniture Scam Lands Bedminster Couple Jail Time: DA $118K+ Furniture Scam Lands Bedminster Couple Jail Time: DA
$118K+ Furniture Scam Lands Bedminster Couple Jail Time: DA A husband and wife in Bedminster will spend time in jail for ripping off customers of their furniture business, according to prosecutors.  Austin Smallacombe pleaded guilty last month to felony theft by deception and related counts, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said in a release. His wife Amanda Smallacombe previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of the same offenses, authorities said.  Investigators have said the pair ran "A&A Custom Furniture" from their Perkasie home, taking large deposits for custom furniture orders that they never delivere…
Former Bucks Hospital Director Pleads Guilty To Stealing $600K From Charitable Account: DA Former Bucks Hospital Director Pleads Guilty To Stealing $600K From Charitable Account: DA
Former Bucks Hospital Director Pleads Guilty To Stealing $600K From Charitable Account: DA A one-time director of Doylestown Hospital pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars on Monday, April 15, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.  Norma Galagarza, 68, of Chalfont, was previously accused of siphoning over $600,000 from a corporate account filled with charitable donations, Daily Voice reported.  On Monday, she entered an open guilty plea to felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, forgery, access device fraud, and computer trespass, the DA's Office said.  She was sentenced to five years' pr…
Fake Cop Scammed Elderly Couple Out Of $30K In Bucks County: Authorities Fake Cop Scammed Elderly Couple Out Of $30K In Bucks County: Authorities
Fake Cop Scammed Elderly Couple Out Of $30K In Bucks County: Authorities A fraudster claiming to be a Warwick police officer shook down a township couple over the weekend, according to officials.  Township police said the scammer called an elderly couple in the Hidden Ponds neighborhood and claimed he had arrested their adult daughter.  The victims handed over more than $30,000 for a "cash bail," investigators said.  "Unfortunately, this is a common scam," township police said. "We will do everything we can to try and recover our victims' lost money, but we have little evidence. Please be alert, and share this information with friends and relativ…
Bensalem Police Won't Ask You For Money: Department Warns Of Scam Callers Bensalem Police Won't Ask You For Money: Department Warns Of Scam Callers
Bensalem Police Won't Ask You For Money: Department Warns Of Scam Callers Police in Bensalem are advising area residents to be on the lookout for scam phone calls.  BPD says multiple residents have reported fraudulent phone calls from scammers impersonating officers, sometimes using the names of real policemen.  The fraudsters "often state that someone in the home has missed a grand jury date or hearing and owes money to avoid criminal or civil penalties," the department says.  No Bensalem police officer of any rank will call to ask for money, authorities warn.  Residents should be weary of any callers who ask them to pay through gift cards,…
PA Youth Club Treasurer Purchased Eagles Tickets For Husband, Vacationed With Stolen $136K: DA PA Youth Club Treasurer Purchased Eagles Tickets For Husband, Vacationed With Stolen $136K: DA
SYC Treasurer Kathy Hammond Arrested The treasurer of a Delaware County-based youth sports non-profit organization has been arrested on accusations she stole more than $136,000 from it, authorities said. Kathleen "Kathy" Hammond, 54, of Springfield, has served as the treasurer of the Springfield Youth Club (SYC) since 2018, but was terminated amid the accusations, the county's District Attorney said. Hammond used the money on an "array of personal expenses," including vacations, concerts, and tickets to Eagles games, DA Jack Stollsteimer said. Hammond admitted to the thefts when SYC confronted her about missing funds fro…
PA Family Dollar Employee Bilked $170K Through Workers' Comp Scheme: AG PA Family Dollar Employee Bilked $170K Through Workers' Comp Scheme: AG
PA Family Dollar Employee Bilked $170K Through Workers' Comp Scheme: AG A Delaware woman will spend at least five years in a Pennsylvania prison after admitting to defrauding two employers through a workers' compensation scam, authorities say.  Victoria Newell-Brown, 56, pleaded guilty to 10 felonies in October, said the Attorney General's Office in a release.  In 2019, while working at a Family Dollar store in Philadelphia, prosecutors said Newell-Brown claimed she was "totally disabled" from a fall. The company paid her medical expenses, workers' compensation, and wage-loss benefits for $1,500 every two weeks for over two years, according to of…
PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security
PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security A Monroe County man was sentenced to five years in federal prison this week for covering up his father's death and continuing to cash his checks, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Timothy Gritman, 56, of Brodheadsville, pleaded guilty to Social Security and wire fraud in a federal court exactly one year ago, Feb. 14, 2023, Daily Voice reported. This year on Valentine's Day, Gritman was sentenced to five years plus three more of supervised release, prosecutors said in a release.  Authorities have said Gritman's father Ralph was 79 and "in poor health" when he was l…
Trenton Lead Inspectors Admit Inflating Overtime Pay: Feds Trenton Lead Inspectors Admit Inflating Overtime Pay: Feds
Trenton Lead Inspectors Admit Inflating Overtime Pay: Feds Two Trenton lead inspectors admitted that they received nearly $55,000 in illegal overtime pay from the city for hours they did not work, federal authorities said. Michael Ingram, 71, of Trenton, and William Kreiss, 40, of Yardley, PA, pleaded guilty in Trenton federal court to conspiracy to embezzle, steal, and obtain by fraud from the city of Trenton, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Trenton’s Department of Health and Human Services was required to provide services to identify lead sources in homes in Trenton where children had tested positive for elevated levels of lead in their …
Ex-Employees Defrauded Chesco Business Out Of $133K, Police Believe Ex-Employees Defrauded Chesco Business Out Of $133K, Police Believe
Ex-Employees Defrauded Chesco Business Out Of $133K, Police Believe Four former workers at a Kennet Square company wrote phony checks for over a year to steal more than $130,000 from their ex-boss, according to borough police.  Authorities said they were contacted by a West State Street business in April about fraudulent bank activity. The owner told investigators that some employees were previously given permission to write checks for business-related purposes.  After that, officials said the owner discovered approximately $133,000 in bogus checks had been inked in the company's name. The alleged fraud was first noticed in September 2022 but may…
Bucks Contractor Scammed Homeowners Out Of Over $100K, Court Finds Bucks Contractor Scammed Homeowners Out Of Over $100K, Court Finds
Bucks Contractor Scammed Homeowners Out Of Over $100K, Court Finds A general contractor in Bucks County may face prison time for fraud after he was convicted of ripping off nine Philadelphia-area homeowners on renovation projects last week.  Joseph Eibell, 48, of Huntingdon Valley, was found guilty in a Bucks County court on Thursday, Oct. 26 following a three-day trial, the District Attorney's Office said.  The contractor was first charged in June 2022 with defrauding four customers, but more victims were uncovered as the investigation continued, officials said.  Police found evidence that from April 2019 until June 2022, Eibell's company&…
Grieving Bridgewater Woman Victimized By NJ Gravestone Scammer: 'People Can't Find Closure' Grieving Bridgewater Woman Victimized By NJ Gravestone Scammer: 'People Can't Find Closure'
Grieving Bridgewater Woman Victimized By NJ Gravestone Scammer: 'People Can't Find Closure' Barbara Kalmus was still reeling from the death of her sister last May when she was preyed upon by Gregory Stefan, Jr. The Bridgewater resident was one of several people authorities say was grifted by Stefan, who was recently arrested on a warrant by police in Vineland for scamming customers out of thousands of dollars through his company Colonial Memorials, not long after it was revealed he had been doing the same with his father and brother with their Pennsylvania company, 1843 LLC. Following her sister's death due to cancer, Stefan reached out to Kalmus about getting a headstone for he…
South Korean Clothing Manufacturer Admits Customs Fraud, Agrees To Pay US $2 Million South Korean Clothing Manufacturer Admits Customs Fraud, Agrees To Pay US $2 Million
South Korean Clothing Manufacturer Admits Customs Fraud, Agrees To Pay US $2 Million A South Korean company has agreed to reimburse the United States $2 million for defrauding Customs officials about the value of imported clothing and apparel. Principals with Anyclo International Inc. admitted this week that the company evaded duties on clothing and apparel that it manufactured abroad and imported into the U.S. for nearly seven years, beginning in October 2012, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. The fraud involved preparing two invoices for the same shipments, the U.S. attorney said. One invoice bore the true value of the merchandise, Sellinger said. Th…
$6M Ponzi Scheme: Braggart Hedge Fund 'Tycoon' Busted By Undercover NJ Fed $6M Ponzi Scheme: Braggart Hedge Fund 'Tycoon' Busted By Undercover NJ Fed
$6M Ponzi Scheme: Braggart Hedge Fund 'Tycoon' Busted By Undercover NJ Fed The well-heeled hedge fund tycoon from Chicago seemingly couldn’t help but boast of some spectacular achievements during a meeting with an investment manager in New Jersey. There were annual returns of 336 percent, more than $2 billion raised in just 60 days and a list of investors that included a well-known owner of a professional sports team, authorities said. Phillip Galles, 57, also took a page from George Santos’s book, claiming that he’d graduated from a prominent university in the Midwest, they said. Galles’s “outlandish claims of experience, expertise and success” were all BS, a co…
NJ Psychic Pulls 'Death Card' Con On PA Couple: Police NJ Psychic Pulls 'Death Card' Con On PA Couple: Police
NJ Psychic Pulls 'Death Card' Con On PA Couple: Police A Pennsylvania-based fortune teller from New Jersey not only failed to predict the future but allegedly conned a family while doing it, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  Police in Pennsylvania have formally charged 25-year-old Billie Loren Mitchell of Kearny, NJ on April 27, 2023, but have yet to apprehend and arraign her, according to a police release on May 9, 2023.  Mitchell runs Psychic World at 501 East Main Street in Palmyra, PA, and claims to be a "Clairvoyant psychic and certified holistic healer," as stated on her Facebook page.  An elderly coup…
PA High School Music Booster Treasurer Spoiled Herself Using Thousands In Stolen Cash: Police PA High School Music Booster Treasurer Spoiled Herself Using Thousands In Stolen Cash: Police
PA High School Music Booster Treasurer Spoiled Herself Using Thousands In Stolen Cash: Police A school district volunteer in Bucks County faces criminal charges after police claim she used her role as treasurer in the Music Boosters Association to steal over $25,000 in club funds.  Rebekah Ann Watson, 46, of Bensalem, surrendered to authorities on Friday, March 24, and was charged with access device fraud, theft by unlawful taking, and theft by failure to make required deposits, township police said in a statement.  The investigation into the Bensalem High School Music Booster Association's treasury was launched on Feb. 8, when the club's president and vice president repor…
Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More
Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More Exiled Chinese tycoon Miles Guo was arrested by the FBI Wednesday on charges of swindling his online followers out of more than $1 billion that the government said he used, in part, to buy a 58-room mansion in Mahwah. Some of the agents were still at Guo’s 15-room penthouse in the Sherry-Netherland Hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side the afternoon of March 15, six hours after he’d been arrested there, when a mysterious fire broke out on the 18th floor, responders said. No injuries were reported, but authorities said the blaze significantly damaged Guo’s unit. No one drew any immediate conn…
PA Man Disguised Himself As Late Dad To Get Social Security, Pension: Feds PA Man Disguised Himself As Late Dad To Get Social Security, Pension: Feds
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 …
Contractor Ripped Off Philly Area Homeowners For $475K, Faces 300 Felonies: DA Contractor Ripped Off Philly Area Homeowners For $475K, Faces 300 Felonies: DA
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…
Fake 'Marine' Who Conned Elderly Bucks Couple For $320K Learns Fate Fake 'Marine' Who Conned Elderly Bucks Couple For $320K Learns Fate
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…
Bucks Furniture Company Scammed Customers: Police Bucks Furniture Company Scammed Customers: Police
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…
Man Fleeced $40K From Disabled Relative, Bucks Jury Finds Man Fleeced $40K From Disabled Relative, Bucks Jury Finds
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…
Scammer Stole Thousands From Bucks County Grandmother, Police Say Scammer Stole Thousands From Bucks County Grandmother, Police Say
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…
Philly Political Consultant Forged Signatures For Ballot Access: DA Philly Political Consultant Forged Signatures For Ballot Access: DA
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…
MontCo Contractor To Pay $43K For Ripping Off Clients: DA MontCo Contractor To Pay $43K For Ripping Off Clients: DA
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…