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$33K Laundered, Vehicles Sold To Drug Traffickers By Lancaster Car Dealership: Usdoj
A Lancaster car dealership laundered more than $33,000 in drug money through vehicle sales, leading to federal prison sentences for two men, prosecutors announced on Monday, Jan. 27.
Christopher Lopez, 41, and Michael Torres, 43, both of Lancaster, were sentenced after being convicted of conspiring to launder cash proceeds represented as cocaine sales, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Lopez, the owner of C&D Motorsports, received one year and one day in prison, while Torres, a salesperson, was sentenced to six months. Both were also orde…
Wanted Gang Leader Busted in Lowell After 3 Years On Run: Feds
A Massachusetts man accused of playing a leading role in a dangerous drug trafficking conspiracy was arrested inside a local residence after evading authorities for nearly four years, federal authorities said.
Darasy Chhim, 39, also known by the aliases "Mystickal" and "Rizzus," was taken into custody on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine base, fentanyl, MDMA, cocaine, and methamphetamine. According to federal prosecutors, Chhim has been wanted since June 2021, when he was indicted alongside 14 co-conspirators.
Authorities allege …
Ringwood Woman Stole $700K From Law Firm: Union County Prosecutor
A 54-year-old Ringwood woman was arrested and charged on Thursday, Dec. 12 with stealing more than $700,000 from the law firm she worked at, authorities said.
Between 2018 and 2024 Colleen Hallenbeck, who was employed as a paralegal for a Union County-based law firm, misappropriated funds from various estates handled by the firm, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said.
Hallenbeck was responsible for distributing funds from estate accounts to beneficiaries. However, she wrote hundreds of unauthorized checks, totaling in excess of $700,000, for deposit into accounts s…
Two Newark Men Plead Guilty To Trafficking Fentanyl: Feds
Two Newark men pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 18 to being members of a drug trafficking organization that distributed hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues, authorities said.
From January 2014 through September 2020, Thomas Padovano, 50, and Bartholomew Padovano, 72, agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, methylone, and ketamine, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said.
The Padovanos placed orders with a source in China and distributed the controlled substances and analogues in Ne…
Westfield Man Admits To Defrauding COVID Relief Fund Of $900K: Feds
A 66-year-old Westfield man recently admitted to fraudulently obtaining a $900,000 PPP loan during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said.
Joseph McKeon applied for PPP loans on behalf of his New Jersey company, falsely claiming a higher number of employees and inflated payroll figures, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said. To support his claims, McKeon submitted forged documents, including bank statements and tax returns, Sellinger said.
McKeon withdrew significant amounts of cash and transferred portions of the money, including a $315,504 transaction to an Indiana title company, Selli…
$4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five In Orange, Saratoga Counties Plead Guilty, NY AG Says
Five Hudson Valley and Capital Region residents and seven transportation companies have admitted to stealing millions from Medicaid.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday, Dec. 5, that five have pleaded guilty to stealing more than $4.4 million from New York’s Medicaid program through fake billing, illegal kickbacks, and engaging in money laundering and other fraudulent schemes to conceal their crimes.
Muhammad Rizwan Khan, 38, Muhammad Usman Khan, 40, and Farhan Khan, 29, all of Orange County, and their related companies pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Or…
19 Arrested During Targeted Crackdown On Drugs, Guns In Atlantic City: Police
Nearly 20 people have been arrested in a major crackdown on drugs and illegal guns in Atlantic City, authorities said.
The Atlantic City Police Department announced the 19 arrests in a news release on Wednesday, Nov. 27. A weeks-long operation targeted drug activity and "quality-of-life issues" in the neighborhoods surrounding Florida, Bellevue, and Texas avenues.
Police seized 195 bags of heroin, more than 117 grams of cocaine, five grams of methamphetamine, 11 ecstasy pills, various prescription drugs, and two guns. Several vehicles, including an illegal dirt bike, wer…
Prospect Park Ex-Con Charged In Deadly Attack Near Times Square
A New Jersey man recently released from prison has been arrested and charged with murder after a young Manhattan woman died from injuries sustained in an assault, according to the NYPD.
Leslie Torres, 23, was walking on West 46th Street near 8th Avenue when she was attacked by Jaheem Warren, 33, of Prospect Park, on Tuesday, Oct. 29 around 1:35 p.m., according to NBC and the NYPD.
Torres was left unconscious on the sidewalk in front of the Riu Plaza New York Times Square Hotel, NBC says.
Torres, who lived on West 45th Street, was in critical condition when she arrived at Mount Sinai W…
Mugshots Released: SWAT Raid Uncovers 28K Fentanyl Pills, Meth, Ghost Guns In Bergen County
A major drug bust in Bergen County led to the seizure of tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and untraceable firearms, authorities said in announcing the arrests of the three men behind it.
Ramon Morillo, 39, of Fort Lee; Brandon Morillo, 31, of Lodi; and Joseph Diaz, 34, of Fort Lee, were arrested on Thursday, Nov. 7, following a months-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
The investigation began in July 2024, when detectives identified Mo…
Greenwich Investment Firm Founder Stole Millions In Clients' Cash: Feds
A 49-year-old Connecticut man faces potentially decades in prison after he allegedly defrauded and stole $3.5 million of his client's money for years, federal authorities said.
Justin C. Murphy, 49, of Stamford, is charged with 15 counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering, and three counts of tax evasion, the US Attorney for Connecticut announced on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Murphy ran the Greenwich-based investment firm Mara. The company also went by Mara Investment Group, LLC, Mara Investment Management LP, and Mara Investments Global Management LLC.
Federal inv…
