SHAMELESS: NJ Con Woman Admits Swindling Elderly Victims Of $675K In 'Lottery Winner' Scam SHAMELESS: NJ Con Woman Admits Swindling Elderly Victims Of $675K In 'Lottery Winner' Scam
Shameless: NJ Con Woman Admits Swindling Elderly Victims Of $675K In 'Lottery Winner' Scam A New Jersey woman admitted scamming seniors nationwide out of huge sums of money -- including $500,000 from one 94-year-old victim -- by telling them they'd won the lottery. Shanile Lyle, 28, of Orange, was part of an international crew that called and conned seniors across the U.S. out of at least $675,000, federal authorities said. The vulnerable victims “received telephone calls alerting them that they had won large sums of money and various other prizes,” according to a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark. They were then told they'd have to "pre-pay" taxes in order to c…
Feds: Hit Man From Philly Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire For NJ Political Operative Feds: Hit Man From Philly Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire For NJ Political Operative
Feds: Hit Man From Philly Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire For NJ Political Operative A Philadelphia resident admitted Wednesday that he was one of the two hit men paid by a onetime New Jersey political operative to kill a former associate. Bomani Africa, 61, who has a criminal history that includes convictions for robbery and drug-related crime, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire via videoconference with a federal judge in Newark, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger announced. People immediately began wondering who the hired killers were after Sean Caddle, 44, admitted on Tuesday that he paid them to whack Michael Galdieri, the son of forme…
Paterson Officer Indicted In Accused Beating Of Arab-American Resident Paterson Officer Indicted In Accused Beating Of Arab-American Resident
Paterson Officer Indicted In Accused Beating Of Arab-American Resident A Paterson police officer beat a 19-year-old Arab-American man and then lied about it, a federal grand jury charged. Officers Kevin Patino, 29, violated the civil rights of the victim, according to the indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Newark, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Osamah Alsaidi was walking with his hands in his pockets the night of Dec. 14, 2020 when Patino and Officer Kendry Tineo-Restituyo approached him, the U.S. attorney said. What they didn’t know was that area surveillance cameras were recording the incident (see below). “Patino grabbe…
Feds: International Fugitive Admits Role In $30 Million NJ Mortgage Fraud Feds: International Fugitive Admits Role In $30 Million NJ Mortgage Fraud
Feds: International Fugitive Admits Role In $30 Million NJ Mortgage Fraud A New Jersey mortgage company loan officer who’d been an international fugitive for several years admitted his role in a long-running, large-scale scam that cost lenders more than $30 million, authorities said. Isaac DePaula, 41, and a group of conspirators pulled off the scheme through a company called Premier Mortgage Services (PMS), according to a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark. The thieves targeted low-income areas, recruiting straw buyers to seek mortgages for properties they really couldn’t afford, federal authorities charged. The conspirators secured the loans by…
Federal Judge In NJ Orders Duo To Stop Selling Supposed COVID 'Cure' Federal Judge In NJ Orders Duo To Stop Selling Supposed COVID 'Cure'
Federal Judge In NJ Orders Duo To Stop Selling Supposed COVID 'Cure' UPDATE: A federal judge has issued a final order to a retired New Jersey lawyer and formerly licensed psychiatrist from Westchester to stop selling unapproved and misbranded drugs advertised as a cure for COVID-19. Ralph Fucetola of Newton and his partner, Rima Laibow, formerly of Croton-on-Hudson, sold a product that they claimed would "cure, mitigate, treat or prevent" the coronavirus, the Justice Department said Tuesday. They claimed that anyone who ingested one capful a day of "Dr. Rima Recommends Nano Silver 10PPM" should have "no fear or concern" about the coronavirus, a complaint on …
Feds: Price-Gouging Mahwah Company Admits Giving ‘Mask Up’ New Meaning Feds: Price-Gouging Mahwah Company Admits Giving ‘Mask Up’ New Meaning
Feds: Price-Gouging Mahwah Company Admits Giving ‘Mask Up’ New Meaning Representatives of a Mahwah-based company admitted selling N95 protective masks at a 400% markup to a grocery store chain at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, federal authorities said. TSC Agency and two partners bought 250,000 of the filtering facepiece respirators at $1.09 apiece mask from a foreign manufacturer in mid-March 2020, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said. TSC then sold 100,000 of the masks to the unidentified chain for $5.25 each, violating federal price-gouging laws, she said. The logistics company – located on Lethbridge Plaza off southbound Route 17 near the S…
Former Bookkeeper Who Embezzled $1.78M From NJ Steel Company Gets Six Years In Fed Pen Former Bookkeeper Who Embezzled $1.78M From NJ Steel Company Gets Six Years In Fed Pen
Former Bookkeeper Who Embezzled $1.78M From NJ Steel Company Gets Six Years In Fed Pen A former bookkeeper who embezzled $1.7 million from the Newark-based steel company she worked for must spend a plea-bargained six years in federal prison. There’s no parole in the federal prison system, which means Tammy L. Martinez, 49, of South Amboy, must serve out just about the entire term. For more than five years, Martinez forged her manager’s signature on bogus checks made out to her or to cash, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. She cashed the checks at area TD Bank branches where the company had an account or dropped the money into a personal account, a complaint on file…
Ex-Newark Officer Who Took Payoffs To Protect Prostitutes Gets Nearly 4 Years In Fed Pen Ex-Newark Officer Who Took Payoffs To Protect Prostitutes Gets Nearly 4 Years In Fed Pen
Ex-Newark Officer Who Took Payoffs To Protect Prostitutes Gets Nearly 4 Years In Fed Pen A retired Newark police veteran who admitted pocketing tens of thousands of dollars to protect city whorehouses while he was on the beat was sentenced to a little under four years in federal prison. Julio I. Rivera, 52, of Old Bridge, not only looked the other way: He also promised to have fellow officers do the same and agreed to crack down on a paying brothel owner's competitor, authorities said. Rivera pulled down between $200 and $800 a week from the operators, according to a 14-count indictment on file in U.S. District Court in Newark. The indictment charged Rivera with several counts…
NJ Founder Of Tri-State Nature Tour Company Takes Guilty Plea In Child Porn Case NJ Founder Of Tri-State Nature Tour Company Takes Guilty Plea In Child Porn Case
NJ Founder Of Tri-State Nature Tour Company Takes Guilty Plea In Child Porn Case The North Jersey founder of a tri-state nature tour company admitted Wednesday that he collected hundreds of child porn images, federal authorities said. Vaughn Tiedeman, 48, of Living Adventure Tours in Sussex County, was arrested by federal Homeland Security agents on child porn trafficking charges in early 2019. Between July 2018 and January 2019, the West Milford resident “downloaded and possessed more than 600 images of child sexual abuse, including images of young children and depictions of violence,” Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael Honig said. Rather than risk conviction…
Ex-Hedge Fund Manager From NY, FL Admits $6.8M COVID-19 Scam In NJ Federal Court Ex-Hedge Fund Manager From NY, FL Admits $6.8M COVID-19 Scam In NJ Federal Court
Ex-Hedge Fund Manager From NY, FL Admits $6.8M Covid-19 Scam In NJ Federal Court A dual New York/Florida resident admitted in federal court in Newark that he schemed to steal more than $6.8 million in COVID-19 payroll protection loans -- $3 million of which the government said he flushed away in the stock market. Gregory J. Blotnick applied to 13 lenders for 21 loans over a period of nearly a year, beginning in March 21, 2020, lying about the number of employees at nine companies whom he supposedly needed to pay, federal authorities said. Blotnick, 34, dumped the money into a personal brokerage account instead, then poured nearly 45% of it into losing stock trades, Acti…
FBI: Jersey City Stockbroker Scams Investors Out Of $600,000 With Bogus Ticket-Reselling Biz FBI: Jersey City Stockbroker Scams Investors Out Of $600,000 With Bogus Ticket-Reselling Biz
FBI: Jersey City Stockbroker Scams Investors Out Of $600,000 With Bogus Ticket-Reselling Biz FBI agents busted a now-former stockbroker from Jersey City who they said ran a side hustle that scammed victims out of more than $600,000 through a fictional ticket-reselling business. Michael J. Clarke, 62, lost his job once it came to light that his promises of getting discounted tickets that he could later sell at premium rates for concerts and sporting events -- as well as seat licenses to the U.S. Open -- were lies, authorities said. Clarke, who was a licensed municipal securities trader, promised victims who fronted him the money for the purported ticket brokerage that they'd get a …
Feds: NJ Family Services Caseworker Busted With Child Porn At Newark Airport Feds: NJ Family Services Caseworker Busted With Child Porn At Newark Airport
Feds: NJ Family Services Caseworker Busted With Child Porn At Newark Airport A New Jersey child services worker was busted on child porn charges following a search of his cellphone and laptop at Newark Airport, federal authorities said. Trent Collier, a 55-year-old "family service specialist" for the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency, had arrived on a flight from the Dominican Republic last week when his luggage was searched, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said. "Law enforcement" officers conducting forensic searches of both devices found "at least two images of child pornography depicting the genitals of prepubescent children," according to a co…