Tag:

Fraud

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…
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 NJ Mansion Buy, More Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M NJ Mansion Buy, More
Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M NJ Mansion Buy, 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 Charter School CEO Pleads Guilty To Stealing Funds From The US Government USDOJ PA Charter School CEO Pleads Guilty To Stealing Funds From The US Government USDOJ
PA Charter School CEO Pleads Guilty To Stealing Funds From The US Government Usdoj 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…
PA Woman Stole $162K In COVID-19 Relief Funds Intended For Renters Facing Eviction PA Woman Stole $162K In COVID-19 Relief Funds Intended For Renters Facing Eviction
PA Woman Stole $162K In Covid-19 Relief Funds Intended For Renters Facing Eviction A 53-year-old Pennsylvania woman stole more than $162,000 in COVID-19 relief funds intended for renters facing eviction or utility shut-off, authorities said. Tina M. Yorgey, of Norristown, was charged with multiple counts of theft, receiving stolen property, forgery, and other related offenses, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said on Friday, Sept. 30. Prosecutors say Yorgey received $162,680 in funding on nine COVID Emergency Rental Assistance and Utility Coalition (ERUC) applications by submitting fraudulent claims and forged documents. An investigation…
Man On Bail  With Car Full Of Guns, Drug Leads Police On Pursuit In York County: Authorities Man On Bail  With Car Full Of Guns, Drug Leads Police On Pursuit In York County: Authorities
Man On Bail With Car Full Of Guns, Drug Leads Police On Pursuit In York County: Authorities A 29-year-old man out on bail led police on a pursuit in York County with a car full of drugs and guns, authorities say. Dar-Kim Steven Pollydore fled from the police as they were investigating on Roosevelt Avenue Tuesday, Sept. 20, according to a release by West Manchester Township police. He committed multiple traffic violations during the pursuit, police allege. He was later captured and charged with four felonies for Possession of Firearm Prohibited, Firearms Not To Be Carried Without a License, Flight to Avoid Apprehension, Possession With Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance…
Nigerian Fraudsters Used Romance Scam Vic To Try Stealing $13M From PA Schools: DA Nigerian Fraudsters Used Romance Scam Vic To Try Stealing $13M From PA Schools: DA
Nigerian Fraudsters Used Romance Scam Vic To Try Stealing $13M From PA Schools: DA Detectives intercepted a plan to steal more than $13 million from a Pennsylvania school district, authorities announced Friday, Aug. 26. Fraudsters in Nigeria apparently hacked the Chester Upland School District's email system in 2021 and sent emails to the Department of Education requesting a payment change, 6abc reports citing Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. A woman in Florida was apparently the victim of an online romance scam involving individuals in Nigeria, who convinced her to move the stolen money to accounts overseas, authorities said. The treasurer'…
'I F*cking Killed My Wife' PA Dentist Found Guilty Of Murdering Wife On Safari 'I F*cking Killed My Wife' PA Dentist Found Guilty Of Murdering Wife On Safari
'I F*cking Killed My Wife' PA Dentist Found Guilty Of Murdering Wife On Safari A Pennsylvania dentist and big game hunter apparently hunted his wife and has been convicted of her murder on Monday, August 1, court records show. Lawrence Rudolph, 67, the founder of Three Rivers Dental in Pittsburgh, was arrested by the FBI in Mexico and extradited to the US in December for foreign murder and fraud charges in December 2021, according to court documents. He has been found guilty of killing his wife, Bianca, while in Zambia on a hunting safari in Oct. 2016, court documents show. Rudolph originally told authorities in Zambia that Bianca had shot herself accidentally in the…
Current, Former Wildwood Mayors, Commissioner Charged With Scamming Health Benefits Program Current, Former Wildwood Mayors, Commissioner Charged With Scamming Health Benefits Program
Current, Former Wildwood Mayors, Commissioner Charged With Scamming Health Benefits Program The city of Wildwood’s former and current mayor and a city commissioner broke the law – committing “breaches of the public trust” -- by collecting health benefits that they didn’t earn, state authorities said Friday. Wildwood Mayor Peter J. Byron, former Mayor Ernest V. Troiano Jr., and current City Commissioner Steven E. Mikulski were charged criminally for fraudulently participating in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. In order to be eligible for the benefits, they needed to be full-time employees “whose hours of work are…
$6.8M COVID-19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole $6.8M COVID-19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole
$6.8M Covid-19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole A dual New York/Florida resident was sentenced in New Jersey to a plea-bargained 51 months in federal prison for fraudulently collecting more than $6.8 million in COVID-19 payroll protection loans -- $3 million of which he lost in the stock market. Gregory J. Blotnick, 35, will have to serve just about all of the sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti sentenced Blotnick in Newark to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $4,577,631. Blotnick told the judge last f…
Theft Of $8.2M In HIV Meds From NJ Vets Hospital Gets Rx Tech 2½ Years Without Parole Theft Of $8.2M In HIV Meds From NJ Vets Hospital Gets Rx Tech 2½ Years Without Parole
Theft Of $8.2M In HIV Meds From NJ Vets Hospital Gets Rx Tech 2½ Years Without Parole UPDATE: A former pharmacy tech was sentenced to a plea-bargained 57 months in federal prison Thursday for stealing $8.2 million worth of HIV medications from a New Jersey veterans hospital to sell on the black market, authorities said. Lisa M. Hoffman, 50, of Orange, will have to serve just about all of the term because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas also sentenced Hoffman on Thursday to three years of supervised release while ordering her to pay the full $8.29 million in restitution – and to forfeit an additional $450,000. Hoffman wa…
More Fraud, Theft Charges For PA Pool Shop Owner Who Scammed Dozens Of Clients, DA Says More Fraud, Theft Charges For PA Pool Shop Owner Who Scammed Dozens Of Clients, DA Says
More Fraud, Theft Charges For PA Pool Shop Owner Who Scammed Dozens Of Clients, DA Says A Pennsylvania pool shop owner accused of scamming dozens of clients out of thousands of dollars is facing additional fraud and theft charges, authorities announced Wednesday. Bethlehem resident Roger Kornfeind, who owns Hydro Dynamic Pools, was initially charged in January with 26 counts each of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, as well as 23 counts of home improvement fraud, DailyVoice.com previously reported. Starting in July 2018, Kornfeind, 58, failed to fully install pools for customers who had entered into a purchase agreement and paid at least $2,000 down,…
NJ: Elderly Siblings With 8th-Grade Educations Swindled In $500,000 Investment Scam NJ: Elderly Siblings With 8th-Grade Educations Swindled In $500,000 Investment Scam
NJ: Elderly Siblings With 8th-Grade Educations Swindled In $500,000 Investment Scam A former investment adviser swindled four elderly New Jersey customers out of $529,780 that he used for gambling, meals and car payments, state authorities said. Three of the victims conned by Mario E. Rivero, Jr. were elderly siblings who had eighth-grade educations, couldn't speak or read English and had "diminished capacity," Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Monday, March 14. Rivero -- who'd known the siblings for more than 10 years before becoming their financial professional -- told them and others that their money "would be invested in his mother's and fr…
Man Wanted For Identity Theft In Lehigh Valley, Police Say Man Wanted For Identity Theft In Lehigh Valley, Police Say
Man Wanted For Identity Theft In Lehigh Valley, Police Say Police are seeking the public’s help identifying a man wanted for fraud in the Lehigh Valley area. The man pictured above is a suspect in an identity theft case in Bethlehem, city police said Monday. Anyone with information about the man’s identity is asked to contact Bethlehem Police at 610-865-7000 or email Detective Molony at smolony@bethlehem-pa.gov.
NJ Scammer Admits Selling Bogus Tom Brady Super Bowl Rings NJ Scammer Admits Selling Bogus Tom Brady Super Bowl Rings
NJ Scammer Admits Selling Bogus Tom Brady Super Bowl Rings A 24-year-old New Jersey man pleaded guilty to fraud for pretending to be a New England Patriots player to buy and sell Super Bowl rings engraved with Tom Brady's last name, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Scott V. Spina Jr., of Roseland, could face decades in prison when he's sentenced May 23, for charges of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft, authorities said. Spina's guilty plea comes one day after the quarterback announced his retirement after 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl titles. Spina ordered three replica Super Bo…
‘Devious:’ PA Pool Shop Owner Scammed 26 Clients Out Of Thousands For Years, DA Says ‘Devious:’ PA Pool Shop Owner Scammed 26 Clients Out Of Thousands For Years, DA Says
‘Devious:’ PA Pool Shop Owner Scammed 26 Clients Out Of Thousands For Years, DA Says A Pennsylvania pool shop owner was slapped with dozens of charges Tuesday after an investigation found that he had spent years scamming at least 26 customers out of thousands of dollars, the district attorney announced. Roger Kornfeind, of Bethlehem, faces 26 counts each of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, as well as 23 counts of home improvement fraud, Northampton County District Attorney Terence Houck said. Kornfeind — the owner of Hydro Dynamic Pools — has been defrauding customers at locations in Pen Argyl, Northampton County; Slatington, Lehigh County; and Oley, …
PA Dentist Killed Wife On Safari To Get $4.8M Life Insurance Policy: FBI PA Dentist Killed Wife On Safari To Get $4.8M Life Insurance Policy: FBI
PA Dentist Killed Wife On Safari To Get $4.8M Life Insurance Policy: FBI A Pennsylvania dentist has been charged with murdering his wife while on a hunting safari in order to claim the $4.8 million from her life insurance policy, according to recently unsealed court documents. Lawrence Rudolph, 67, the founder of Three Rivers Dental in Pittsburgh, was arrested by the FBI in Mexico and extradited to the US in December for foreign murder and fraud charges, according to court documents. He is accused of killing his wife, Bianca, while in Zambia on a hunting safari in Oct. 2016, according to the criminal complaint. Rudolph originally told authorities in Zambia that…
Cold Feet? Makeup Artist Charged With Fraud After Skipping Weddings In 5 States But Kept Funds Cold Feet? Makeup Artist Charged With Fraud After Skipping Weddings In 5 States But Kept Funds
Cold Feet? Makeup Artist Charged With Fraud After Skipping Weddings In 5 States But Kept Funds Imagine it's the day before your wedding. You've planned a beautiful event and you have your perfect hair and makeup look picked out to go with your dream dress-- you have even hired a special makeup and hair artist. Then you receive a message via social media saying that the makeup and hair artist is not coming, the service you have already been paid for will not be refunded, and when you go to respond you are "blocked." That's what happened to 18 women in five states. Holly Ann (Klein) Boyer, 37, registered owner of DBA: Extreme Beauty, located at 2421 Scenic Drive, Manheim in Penn Townsh…
MURDER IN MADRID: NJ-Born Tycoon Poisoned, Robbed In Hotel Room, Authorities Say MURDER IN MADRID: NJ-Born Tycoon Poisoned, Robbed In Hotel Room, Authorities Say
Murder IN Madrid: Nj-born Tycoon Poisoned, Robbed In Hotel Room, Authorities Say A New Jersey-born yacht company tycoon was robbed and killed by men he’d invited back to his luxury hotel room in Madrid, authorities there said. Investigators at first believed that José Rosado, 43, died of natural causes after combining drugs and alcohol. Charges on his credit card led them in another direction, however. Authorities in Madrid on Monday arrested two men accused of killing Rosado with a fatal dose of Ecstasy during a robbery at the luxurious Westin Palace Hotel on Oct. 29 and then going on a shopping spree with his AmEx card. One of the defendants, from Morocco, had 1…
8 Philly Police Employees Indicted For Collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Funds 8 Philly Police Employees Indicted For Collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Funds
8 Philly Police Employees Indicted For Collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Funds Eight Philadelphia police department employees were indicted for collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds, while also collecting their paychecks, federal authorities announced Tuesday. A grand jury on Nov. 18 returned indictments against Shannon Reynolds, 25, Monica Pelzer, 45, Yarelis Feliciano, 28, Najah Harrell, 32, Korey Kinard, 28, Keely Maude, 23, Tashika White, 50, and Paulette Johnson, 55, according to the U.S Department of Justice. All but Johnson, who is employed as a clerk, work as radio dispatchers for the police department. Each …
9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas 9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas
9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas An international ring of identity thieves stole $1.3 million worth of vehicles and watercraft from dealerships in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts using fraudulently obtained digital driver's licenses, authorities charged. Nine defendants used the stolen identities of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico -- along with fake Puerto Rico driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, debit cards and birth certificates -- to obtain the licenses from motor vehicle agencies in Jersey City and North Bergen, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. They used thos…
PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG
PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG A grand jury in Pennsylvania has indicted a caregiver for stealing the personal information of disabled clients in exchange for nearly $90,000 in PUA funds, authorities announced Thursday. Nelson Fornah, 35, of Darby, was charged with identity theft, access device fraud, tampering with public records, and other offenses, according to Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “As a caregiver, this defendant was responsible for supporting adult individuals with disabilities in order to help them build trust and communicate with others. Instead, he used his position of trust to take advantage o…
Partial Human Remains Found Near Brian Laundrie's Personal Belongings, FBI Confirms Partial Human Remains Found Near Brian Laundrie's Personal Belongings, FBI Confirms
Partial Human Remains Found Near Brian Laundrie's Personal Belongings, FBI Confirms Investigators found what appeared to be partial human remains near personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie on Wednesday in a Florida park, the FBI confirmed. The discovery was made in the Carlton Reserve in North Port, in an area that has been under water until recently, CNN says citing FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson. The remains appear to have "been there a while," a source told the news outlet. Laundrie has been a person of interest in the killing of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito. He was charged with fraud for apparently using her debit card after she had died. Identif…
PA Man, 20, Stole Over $100K In Postage Stamps, USDOJ Says PA Man, 20, Stole Over $100K In Postage Stamps, USDOJ Says
PA Man, 20, Stole Over $100K In Postage Stamps, Usdoj Says A Pennsylvania man has been found guilty of stealing over $100,000 worth of US postage stamps, according to the US Department of Justice. Elieze Guilamo, 20, of York, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for conspiring to steal government property on Tuesday, according to a release by the department of justice. Guilamo previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with other individuals to purchase $105,875 worth of postage stamps from post offices in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, according to acting United State…
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…
NJ Car Thief Admits Selling Stolen Vehicles On Craigslist, Offerup NJ Car Thief Admits Selling Stolen Vehicles On Craigslist, Offerup
NJ Car Thief Admits Selling Stolen Vehicles On Craigslist, Offerup A Belleville man told a federal judge on Thursday that he advertised vehicles for sale on Craigslist and Offerup, then went out and stole them. Eric Morgan, 34, said he photographed particular vehicles and attached a GPS tracker to develop the owner’s “pattern-of-life,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. “The target vehicle was then listed for sale on an internet-based marketplace,” Honig said. “Potential purchasers of the target vehicles responded to listings and scheduled in-person meetings to purchase the vehicles. “Shortly before the scheduled meeting times, the targeted vehic…
Former NJ Councilman Lied About Income To Keep $92-A-Month Section 8 Apartment, State Charges Former NJ Councilman Lied About Income To Keep $92-A-Month Section 8 Apartment, State Charges
Former NJ Councilman Lied About Income To Keep $92-a-month Section 8 Apartment, State Charges An embattled former South Jersey councilman under-reported his income so he could keep a federally subsidized Section 8 apartment, state authorities charged. An investigation began after Penns Grove Gardens sought to evict Carl Washington Jr. for subletting to a tenant arrested at the apartment for drugs, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said Tuesday. Investigators from Bruck’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability Corruption Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General learned that Washington “falsely reported his i…