Tag:

Access device fraud

East Earl Man Admits To Assaulting 3 Kids Amid $124K Elder Theft Case: Lancaster DA East Earl Man Admits To Assaulting 3 Kids Amid $124K Elder Theft Case: Lancaster DA
East Earl Man Admits To Assaulting 3 Kids Amid $124K Elder Theft Case: Lancaster DA A Pennsylvania man accused of sexually assaulting multiple children — and stealing more than $124,000 from an elderly victim to fund personal purchases — has pleaded no contest as his theft case continues in court, prosecutors said. Christopher Todd Zweifel, 59, of East Earl Township, pleaded no contest before Judge Thomas Sponaugle on April 9 to sexually assaulting three juveniles, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday, May 1. The plea came just days before his trial was scheduled to begin. Zweifel pleaded to multiple offenses including aggravated indecent assau…
Millions Stolen In Bank Scam Run By York Fraud Ring: PA AG (UPDATE) Millions Stolen In Bank Scam Run By York Fraud Ring: PA AG (UPDATE)
Millions Stolen In Bank Scam Run By York Fraud Ring: PA AG (Update) A central Pennsylvania fraud scheme that drained millions from unsuspecting bank customers has led to prison time for its ringleader, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Wednesday, March 18. Jeremy Antuan Boria Fraticelli, 23, of Dover, pleaded guilty in January after orchestrating the operation that targeted victims in Cumberland, Dauphin, and York counties, according to the AG’s office. Fraticelli posed as a bank employee along with his co-conspirators, tricking customers into handing over personal banking information. The group then used that data to access accounts, move money int…
Lititz Car Finance Worker Wanted For $85K Drained From Elderly Parents’ Accounts: Police Lititz Car Finance Worker Wanted For $85K Drained From Elderly Parents’ Accounts: Police
Lititz Car Finance Worker Wanted For $85K Drained From Elderly Parents’ Accounts: Police A used car finance worker is wanted after police say he drained more than $85,000 from his elderly parents’ bank account while handling their finances, authorities announced on Thursday, Jan. 22. Howard Stanley Smith, 67, is charged with one count of Felony Financial Exploitation of an Older Adult or Care-Dependent Person and Felony Access Device Fraud, according to the Ephrata Police Department. The investigation began after a concerned family member contacted police in December 2024 and reported Smith was allegedly taking money from his parents, police said. Investigators found the victi…
PA Bookkeeper Stole $822K From Law Firm In NJ In 6-Year Remote Embezzlement: Bucks County DA PA Bookkeeper Stole $822K From Law Firm In NJ In 6-Year Remote Embezzlement: Bucks County DA
PA Bookkeeper Stole $822K From Law Firm In NJ In 6-Year Remote Embezzlement: Bucks County DA She worked remotely from Pennsylvania — and secretly funneled hundreds of thousands from her New Jersey law firm. Now, the 66-year-old bookkeeper is going to jail for a years-long financial betrayal. A former bookkeeper who siphoned more than $800,000 from a Bucks County-based law firm with operations in New Jersey has been sentenced to county jail, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, June 27. Reese Esther Paul, 66, of Holland in Northampton Township, was handed a sentence of one year less a day to two years less a day in the Bucks County Correctional Facility, …
Washington Township Man Made $545K Filing Phony Tax Returns: Feds Washington Township Man Made $545K Filing Phony Tax Returns: Feds
Washington Township Man Made $545K Filing Phony Tax Returns: Feds A 44-year-old Washington Township man admitted to filing phony tax returns and stealing more than $180,000 from an elderly person on Thursday, May 22, authorities said. During the pandemic, James Mastrogiovanni engaged in a scheme to exploit COVID-19 relief programs to line his own pockets, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said. From March 2021 through December 2022, Mastrogiovanni prepared phony tax returns, claiming tax refunds intended to help struggling small businesses by reducing employment taxes owed, Habba said. Neither Mastrogiovanni nor any of his family members owned or operated a busi…
‘Horrible Influence’ With TBI Sentenced After Fentanyl-Fueled Crime Spree: Lancaster DA ‘Horrible Influence’ With TBI Sentenced After Fentanyl-Fueled Crime Spree: Lancaster DA
‘Horrible Influence’ With TBI Sentenced After Fentanyl-Fueled Crime Spree: Lancaster DA A Chester County man described by a judge as a “horrible influence on the community” has been sentenced after pleading guilty to a months-long crime spree that ended in a violent, fentanyl-fueled crash, authorities announced. James Michael Steffy, 41, of West Ridge Road in West Nottingham Township, was sentenced to 14 to 28 years in state prison on Tuesday, March 26, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. Judge Thomas Sponaugle also ordered Steffy to pay more than $52,000 in restitution to his victims. The public “needs to be protected from Mr. Steffy,” the judge sai…
Father-Son Duo From MD, MA Used VA Housing Authority Card For PA Hotel Stay: PSP Father-Son Duo From MD, MA Used VA Housing Authority Card For PA Hotel Stay: PSP
Father-Son Duo From MD, MA Used VA Housing Authority Card For PA Hotel Stay: PSP A Maryland man used a housing authority's credit card to book an extended hotel stay in Pennsylvania, state police announced. Patrick Rooney, 47, is accused of using a credit card belonging to the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority to pay for two rooms at the Springhill Suites in Unity Township for a week, Pennsylvania State Police said in a release on Tuesday, Feb. 19. The alleged fraud came just days after Rooney and his son, Thomas Rooney, had an encounter with state troopers, authorities said. Last month, Thomas Rooney, of Massachusetts, was arrested after he was accused …
$29K Counterfeit Check In Kennett Square Borough's Account Leads To Arrest Years Later: Police $29K Counterfeit Check In Kennett Square Borough's Account Leads To Arrest Years Later: Police
$29K Counterfeit Check In Kennett Square Borough's Account Leads To Arrest Years Later: Police A Kennett Square man accused of attempting to deposit a $29,950 counterfeit check "against Kennett Square Borough's internal financial accounts" has been arrested, police announced on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Nathaniel Tyree Curtis, 30, was taken into custody by the Kennett Square Police Department on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, after being transported from Philadelphia to Chester County Prison. The arrest followed an investigation into an attempted fraudulent deposit that targeted Kennett Square Borough’s financial accounts, police said. Curtis allegedly deposited an altered check worth $29,950…
Mom Steals $10K+ From PTO, East Pennsboro Police Allege Mom Steals $10K+ From PTO, East Pennsboro Police Allege
Mom Steals $10K+ From PTO, East Pennsboro Police Allege An Enola mom is accused of taking over $10,000 from a Parent Teacher Organization, East Pennsboro police announced on Thursday, Aug. 8.  Melissa Anne Robinson, 42, was identified as the suspected thief following an investigation that began at 10:36 a.m. on October 9, 2023, as detailed in the police release.  That morning, officers with the East Pennsboro police were called to meet with the East Pennsboro School District PTO about the over $10,000 stolen from the organization. Robinson so came to light as a suspect and allegedly admitted to making the withdrawals for the PTO's acc…
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&…
$2K+ Fraud At Ephrata Performing Arts Center By Employee From Elizabethtown: Police $2K+ Fraud At Ephrata Performing Arts Center By Employee From Elizabethtown: Police
$2K+ Fraud At Ephrata Performing Arts Center By Employee From Elizabethtown: Police A 38-year-old Elizabethtown woman is accused of stealing thousands from the Ephrata Performing Arts Center, the Ephrata police announced on Thursday, May 30.  Megan L. Riggs was arrested on the felony charge of Access Device Fraud and a misdemeanor for Theft by Deception on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, the police detailed.   The charges come as the result of an investigation beginning in August of 2023. Riggs had been employed by Ephrata Performing Arts Center through August 2022, the police explained. During her tenure with the EPAC she allegedly made "unauthorized purchases us…
$10M Reward For Wanted Owner Of Russian Site For Cybercrimes Indicted In Eastern District $10M Reward For Wanted Owner Of Russian Site For Cybercrimes Indicted In Eastern District
$10M Reward For Wanted Owner Of Russian Site For Cybercrimes Indicted In Eastern District Federal officials have announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of a Russian national behind a website for criminals. Denis Gennadievich Kulkov, age 43, has been charged in a four-count indictment unsealed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York with access device fraud, computer intrusion, and money laundering, US District Attorney for the Eastern District Breon Peace announced on Friday, May 3. The Eastern District comprised Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.…
CT Man Uses Victims' IDs To Steal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits: Here's His Sentence CT Man Uses Victims' IDs To Steal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits: Here's His Sentence
CT Man Uses Victims' IDs To Steal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits: Here's His Sentence A 31-year-old Connecticut man will spend years in prison for using the identifying information of more than 40 victims to steal pandemic unemployment benefits, federal officials announced.  New Haven County resident Olajuwon Harrington of Waterbury, also known as “OJ Harrington,” was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday, Jan. 10 for stealing pandemic unemployment benefits, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  According to federal officials, Harrington used the identifying information of real victims without their knowledge t…
PA Woman Embezzled $51K From School PTO: Troopers PA Woman Embezzled $51K From School PTO: Troopers
PA Woman Embezzled $51K From School PTO: Troopers A parent-teacher organization officer in Berks County is accused of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the group and using the money to pay bills, state police say.  Alison Haines of Shoemakersville is charged with felony theft and access device fraud and surrendered to authorities on Tuesday, Sept. 26, according to troopers.  Investigators said she made $51,492 in unauthorized transactions using a business debit card issued to her by the Perry Elementary School PTO.  She spent the money at Aldi's, Walmart, and Amazon.com, and also made "a significant amount" of AT…
MontCo Man Stole From Ambulance Service While Serving As Chief Of Operations: Police MontCo Man Stole From Ambulance Service While Serving As Chief Of Operations: Police
MontCo Man Stole From Ambulance Service While Serving As Chief Of Operations: Police A Montgomery County man is facing 65 counts for various violations on accusations he stole from an ambulance service for years while serving as chief, authorities said. Garry Roy Schmoltze Sr., was being held on $5,000 unsecured bail in connection with the alleged thefts, which came to light by members of the Gilbertsville Area Community Ambulance Service in July 2022, the Douglass Township Police Department said. Schmoltze served as the Gilbertsville Area Community Ambulance Service's chief of operations from 2009 to 2022, police said. "In July of 2022, it was discovered by the …
Smiley Suspect Believed To Have Burglarized PA Post Office: Police Smiley Suspect Believed To Have Burglarized PA Post Office: Police
Smiley Suspect Believed To Have Burglarized PA Post Office: Police Police in Chester County a looking for a man who they say ransacked the Westtown post office in the middle of the night late last year.  Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police were called to the post office, 844 E. Street Road, just 7 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, the department said in a press release.  There, postal workers had walked into the office to find mail littered throughout the building, with packages missing from PO boxes and employee desks having been "rummaged through," they told authorities.  On Tuesday, April 4, the department issued an arrest warrant for 22-ye…
Alabama Man Stole Racehorse From York County, PA State Police Say Alabama Man Stole Racehorse From York County, PA State Police Say
Alabama Man Stole Racehorse From York County, PA State Police Say The racehorse "Predict the Future" has unpredictably been returned home to its Pennsylvania owns months after it was stolen by an Alabama man running a fraudulent credit card scheme, authorities announced on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The York County owner listed the standardbred pacer for sale and quickly received a phone call from a man who said his name was “Leroy Davis" who claimed that he was from Mississippi and agreed to pay $15,000 with two $7,500 credit card transactions, police say. Then the owner arraigned to have her shipped to what he thought was the buyer's address in Moss …
Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale
Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale Three U.S. Postal Service workers from New Jersey and New York City masterminded a scheme to buy more than $1.3 million worth of designer clothes and accessories using credit cards that they stole from the mail, federal authorities charged. The items were then sold with the help of an entrepreneur who operated an online shopping site, they said. Nathanael Foucault, Johnathan “Junzie-J” Persaud, and Fabiola “Lady Fab” Mompoint passed the cards to a quintet of shoppers who bought the items at department stores in New Jersey and the city with the stolen credit cards, an indictment returned by …
PA News Anchor Lied About Having Stalker: State Police PA News Anchor Lied About Having Stalker: State Police
PA News Anchor Lied About Having Stalker: State Police A Pennsylvania television news anchor has been arrested for falsely claiming she had a stalker, Pennsylvania state police say.  Haley Potter, 24, originally from Pittsburgh, began making false statements to the police saying she had an ongoing harassment issue from an unknown stalker in April, according to a release by the police.  The Slippery Rock University class of 2020 graduate allegedly led police down a slippery slope when showed them text messages, phone calls, and voicemails detailing her whereabouts that she claim to have received from an unknown person. Them she showed police a …
PA Woman Secretly Ordered $1,500 In Food Using Friend's Debit Card For Months PA Woman Secretly Ordered $1,500 In Food Using Friend's Debit Card For Months
PA Woman Secretly Ordered $1,500 In Food Using Friend's Debit Card For Months A 28-year-old Pennsylvania woman was arrested for using an acquaintance's debit card stored on her phone to order more than $1,500 worth of food for months, authorities said. Maranda L. Kachel made the orders using the stored card number between January and March 2022, Ephrata police said. She was charged with access device fraud, police said.
Police Seek Northampton County Man Accused Of Felony Access Device Fraud, Theft Police Seek Northampton County Man Accused Of Felony Access Device Fraud, Theft
Police Seek Northampton County Man Accused Of Felony Access Device Fraud, Theft Police in Northampton County are seeking the public’s help locating a man accused of felony access device fraud and theft by unlawful taking. A warrant was issued August 25 for the arrest of Geoffrey Allen Painter, 28, with a felony charge for forgery, as well as theft by unlawful taking and possession of an access device known to be counterfeit or altered, Lower Saucon Township police said Thursday. The alleged crimes occurred on the 1200 block of Seidersville Road in Bethlehem, police said. Anyone with information about Painter’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Lower Saucon Police De…
Bethlehem Police Seek ID For Suspect In Access Device Fraud Investigation Bethlehem Police Seek ID For Suspect In Access Device Fraud Investigation
Bethlehem Police Seek ID For Suspect In Access Device Fraud Investigation Police in Bethlehem are seeking the public’s help identifying a suspect in an investigation. The suspect pictured above is wanted for access device fraud, police said. Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect is asked to call Bethlehem Police at 610-865-7000 or send an email to [email protected].
SEEN HIM? Police Seek Northampton County Man Accused Of Felony Forgery, Identity Theft SEEN HIM? Police Seek Northampton County Man Accused Of Felony Forgery, Identity Theft
Seen HIM? Police Seek Northampton County Man Accused Of Felony Forgery, Identity Theft Police in Northampton County are seeking the public’s help locating a man accused of felony forgery and identity theft. A warrant was issued Thursday for the arrest of Edward Reyes, 33, with felony charges for forgery, identity theft, access device fraud and unlawful use of a computer, Palmer Township Police said. Reyes also faces misdemeanor charges for theft by unlawful taking and possession of an access device known to be counterfeit or altered, police said. The alleged crimes occurred at Cloud City Games on Park Avenue in Easton, police said. Anyone with information about Reyes’ locat…
Hackensack Woman Caught Trying To Tap Teaneck Residents' Accounts At PA Banks, Police Say Hackensack Woman Caught Trying To Tap Teaneck Residents' Accounts At PA Banks, Police Say
Hackensack Woman Caught Trying To Tap Teaneck Residents' Accounts At PA Banks, Police Say A Hackensack woman was busted trying to withdraw money from accounts belonging to Teaneck residents at banks in the Philadelphia suburbs, authorities said. Aysha Aguilu, 30, first tried it at a TD Bank branch in West Chester on Thursday, West Whiteland Police Detective Scott Pezick said. Alerted to the incident, employees at the Exton branch called police when Aguilu showed up at their bank trying pull cash from the account of a 66-year-old Teaneck woman, Pezick said. Officers found her on a nearby street, the detective said. She was carrying two counterfeit New Jersey driver's licen…
Lehigh Valley Man Charged For Gambling With Credit Cards Stolen While Escorting Woman To Car Lehigh Valley Man Charged For Gambling With Credit Cards Stolen While Escorting Woman To Car
Lehigh Valley Man Charged For Gambling With Credit Cards Stolen While Escorting Woman To Car A man from Bethlehem has been charged after he allegedly gambled online using credit cards he stole from a woman in a wheelchair when escorting her to her car. Victor Manuel Mariera, 41, is accused of stealing the cards from the woman at Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem shortly after 12:45 a.m. on April 7, LehighValleyLive reports citing the the Bureau of Gaming Enforcement. Mariera, of the 1100 block of Dover Lane, was seen caught on surveillance footage taking the woman to her car, rummaging through her white bag and placing it in his backpack, the report says. The victim later reported a …
DA: Bucks Caregiver Steals $17K From Bristol Twp. Cancer Patient, Gives It To Inmate Boyfriend DA: Bucks Caregiver Steals $17K From Bristol Twp. Cancer Patient, Gives It To Inmate Boyfriend
DA: Bucks Caregiver Steals $17K From Bristol Twp. Cancer Patient, Gives It To Inmate Boyfriend A Bucks County caregiver is facing up to two years in jail for stealing nearly $17,000 from a Bristol Township cancer patient and putting some of the money into her boyfriend’s inmate account at the Bucks County Correctional Facility, authorities said. As part of the victim's treatment of tongue cancer, she had part of her tongue removed, making it difficult for her to speak and run errands. She hired Kelly Sharkey, 30, in late May or early June 2019 to assist her, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office. The woman gave Sharkey her debit and credit card to make househo…
Report: NY Woman, 62, Attempted To Steal $155K From Victim’s Bank Account In Northampton County Report: NY Woman, 62, Attempted To Steal $155K From Victim’s Bank Account In Northampton County
Report: NY Woman, 62, Attempted To Steal $155K From Victim’s Bank Account In Northampton County A 62-year-old woman was arrested after attempting to make two withdrawals totaling more than $150,000 in another person’s name from a Northampton County bank, reports say. Rochel Cruz, of the Bronx, is accused of filling out a withdrawal slip totaling $55,000 using another person’s information at the Wells Fargo Bank on Schoenersville Road last Friday, LehighValleyLive reports citing court records. Cruz then returned to the same bank and asked for a cashier’s check made out to $100,000 cash, the report says. Cruz had a deposit slip and a fraudulent New Jersey driver’s license when pol…
TAX SCAM: Bergen Man Admits Posing As 18 Different Recipients To Collect Refunds TAX SCAM: Bergen Man Admits Posing As 18 Different Recipients To Collect Refunds
TAX Scam: Bergen Man Admits Posing As 18 Different Recipients To Collect Refunds A Bergen County man admitted collecting tax refunds by using stolen identities to pose as 18 different people. Emmanuel A. Barrientos-Fermin, 33, of Tenafly told a federal judge via videoconference in Newark on Tuesday that he gave an unnamed co-conspirator a photo of himself. The accomplice then produced bogus driver’s licenses with his picture on them, he said. The co-conspirator also gave him matching Social Security cards, driver’s licenses and W-2 forms – even birth certificates, Barrientos-Fermin said. Armed with the documents, Barrientos-Fermin said, he went to various tax preparin…
Police Nab Northampton County Man Accused Of Stealing Credit Cards, Jewelry From Roommate Police Nab Northampton County Man Accused Of Stealing Credit Cards, Jewelry From Roommate
Police Nab Northampton County Man Accused Of Stealing Credit Cards, Jewelry From Roommate Police in Northampton County have arrested a 34-year-old man accused of stealing credit cards and jewelry from a former roommate. Neil Allen Peck II was arrested around 4 p.m. Wednesday on an April 2019 warrant accusing him of stealing credit cards and jewelry from a man who had been allowing him to live with him and share his vehicle, Slate Belt Police said. The victim noticed that the items were missing in early March of 2019, police said. Peck was charged with access device fraud and theft from a motor vehicle. He was being held at the Slate Belt Regional Police Department. Source: Sla…
Former Long Island Radio Station Manager Admits To Defrauding Company Of Thousands Former Long Island Radio Station Manager Admits To Defrauding Company Of Thousands
Former Long Island Radio Station Manager Admits To Defrauding Company Of Thousands The former general manager of a Long Island radio station has admitted to making hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal charges on the business account. Stephanie Bitis, of Sag Harbor, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 16, in federal court to felony access device fraud, according to court documents. Bitis’ crime carries a maximum sentence of imprisonment of 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and forfeiture of any proceeds from her crime. The longtime resident and community activist served as Vice President/General Manager of LIRB from 2015 to 2017. She had previously worked at&nbs…
Man Admits Using Fake Credit Cards To Steal Thousands At 15 CT Lowe's Locations Man Admits Using Fake Credit Cards To Steal Thousands At 15 CT Lowe's Locations
Man Admits Using Fake Credit Cards To Steal Thousands At 15 CT Lowe's Locations A fraudster admitted to using fake credit cards in multiple states - specifically Connecticut - to steal thousands of dollars from Lowe’s. New York City resident Larell David, 30, of Manhattan, pleaded guilty in Bridgeport this week to a scheme through which he defrauded the home improvement store out of more than $183,000. Specifically, David was charged with one count of access device fraud. U.S. Attorney John Durham said that between July 2017 and March 2018, David produced more than 100 counterfeit credit cards in the name of “Kevin Douglas,” which were encoded with legitimate credit c…