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$5.6M Multi-State Fraud Scheme With 1K+ Stolen IDs Lands Pennsylvania Man Federal Charges: DOJ
A Pennsylvania man is accused of stealing over $5.6 million in pandemic aid using more than 1,000 stolen or fake identities, federal prosecutors announced on Monday, June 16.
Adepoju Babatunde Salako, 32, has been indicted in Colorado on multiple federal charges after allegedly orchestrating a nationwide COVID-19 benefits scam, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
Salako faces six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of aggravated identity theft, according to t…
$23.5K Immigration Scam Busted: Harrisburg Woman Accused Of Duping Local Family
A Harrisburg woman pocketed $23,500 from a man trying to bring his family from Vietnam to the U.S.—then vanished, Swatara Township police detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Thursday, June 5.
Gracie Deguia-Reed, 54, is accused of orchestrating an immigration sponsorship scheme that unraveled over five months. The victim told police he made several cash payments—$7,500, two installments of $3,000, and a final $10,000—in hopes of helping six relatives emigrate to the U.S.
Text messages and hand-written receipts provided by the victim show Deguia-Reed claimed she could spons…
Dad Tried Blowing Up Uniondale Gov't Building Over Custody Dispute, Led $600K Fraud Scheme: DA
A Long Island father who tried to blow up a government building in a custody-fueled revenge plot pleaded guilty to a laundry list of charges, including multiple bomb-related crimes, mortgage fraud, and identity theft.
James Luca, age 47, admitted in Nassau County Court Monday, June 2, to trying to ignite explosive devices outside the county’s Department of Social Services building in Uniondale in September 2024.
Upset and aggrieved, he blamed Nassau County Child Protective Services for revoking his visitation rights with his children, as Daily Voice previously reported.
Luca placed two pro…
Asian Mobster Stole $12K From NJ Resident's Bank Account: Fairfield PD
An organized crime member from Flushing was arrested and charged on Thursday, May 22, with stealing $12,000 from a Fairfield resident's bank account last November, authorities said.
Xuan Jin, 50, obtained personal banking information from a Fairfield resident and used that information for cash withdrawals, Fairfield police said. In total, over two days, $12,000 was withdrawn from the victim’s account, police said.
Fairfield police worked with law enforcement in New York City, Rockland County and Fort Lee to identify Jin as the suspect, officers said. Jin's organized crime ring is known to p…
$477K Scheme: Doorman From Yonkers Steals From Retired NYC Teacher, Husband, DA Says
A Westchester County man has admitted to stealing nearly $478,000 from a retired New York City schoolteacher and her husband while working as their building’s doorman, prosecutors announced.
Alfredo Mateo, 38, of Yonkers, pleaded guilty in Manhattan Supreme Court to grand larceny and identity theft charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Wednesday, May 21.
According to Bragg, Mateo launched a calculated financial scheme against the couple after the husband died on September 1, 2022, and the wife, a retired schoolteacher, was living in a nursing home under co…
Kutztown Man Faked Landlord Role To Steal $14K From Opioid Housing Program: Berks DA
A Kutztown man posed as a landlord to steal thousands of dollars meant to help recovering addicts get housing, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams announced on Thursday, May 22.
Kody A. Kirkland, 32, forged documents, faked pay stubs, and filed phony applications to cash in on the State Opioid Response (SOR) Rental Assistance Program, according to county detectives. The taxpayer-funded program, managed by the Treatment Access and Services Center, Inc. (TASC), was created to help people struggling with addiction keep a roof over their heads.
Instead, investigators say Kirkland turne…
Woman Steals $12K+ From Coworkers At Oxford Retirement Home: Police
A Chester County woman is accused of stealing her coworkers’ credit card information while working at a retirement home, using it to make more than $12,000 in purchases, Oxford police announced in a release on Wednesday, May 21.
Faith Curry, 23, of Peach Bottom, was removed from Ware Presbyterian Village on Friday, March 7, after management reported she had been stealing from fellow employees. The facility is located at 7 East Locust Street in Oxford, police said.
Investigators say Curry entered breakrooms alone and accessed her coworkers’ personal belongings, stealing credit card details. …
Machine Gun Glock, Forged Checks, Fake IDs Found In BMW In Rochelle Park: Police
Four people were arrested in a routine traffic stop in Bergen County that led to a major bust involving a Glock modified into a machine gun, fraudulent checks, stolen identities, and pounds of drugs, police said.
On Friday, May 2, Rochelle Park Officer Chris Kiszka pulled over a 5 Series BMW on Rochelle Avenue for having a suspended New York registration, according to a release from the Rochelle Park Police Department, issued by Capt. James DePreta.
Inside the car were four people — all not wearing seatbelts, DePreta said. They were identified as Brandon Myers, 18, of Garfield (driver)…
Columbia Co. Victim Gave $100K In Gold, Cash To Scammer Posing As Federal Agent, Police Say
A Long Island man posing as a federal agent conned a Hudson Valley woman into handing over nearly $100,000 in cash and gold, police said.
Mykhaylo Mykhaylov, 39, of Copiague, was busted during an undercover operation in Columbia County on Wednesday, May 7 — just as the victim was about to deliver yet another payment, New York State Police said.
The 73-year-old victim first contacted police on Monday, May 5, after realizing she may have been targeted in a fraud scheme that began in March. She told troopers that people claiming to be agents with the Federal Trade Commission had convinced her …
Man Dons Suit Jacket, Hat, Tries Using Fake ID To Withdraw $20K In Rye: Police
A man dressed in a suit and hat tried to walk out of a Westchester bank with $20,000—but sharp-eyed staff and quick police work stopped the fraud cold, authorities said.
Officers were called to Webster Bank at 72 Purchase St. in Rye around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, for a report of a person trying to cash a large check using a fake ID, the City of Rye Police Department announced on Thursday, April 24.
Bank staff told officers that the man, later identified as Jose Urena, 48, of New York City, entered the branch claiming he wanted to withdraw $20,000 from a Webster Bank account, accor…
ID Theft Ring Busted With Stolen US Treasury Checks, Gun, Skimmer, And Dogs: NJ Prosecutor
A New Jersey couple is accused of running a high-level ID theft ring involving stolen Treasury checks, guns, a skimmer, and stolen dogs, authorities announced on Wednesday, April 16.
Peter M. Gittens, 37, and Chambreona J. Williams, 33—also known as Tenisha O. Gittens— both of Raritan Township, have been charged with a slew of crimes, including Forgery, Trafficking in Personal Identifying Information, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Theft of Movable Property, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and more, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson and Raritan Township Chief of Police Al Payn…
Glenside Agent Faked 332 Life Insurance Policies, Laundered $600K In Commissions: PA AG
A Montgomery County life insurance agent forged hundreds of policies using unsuspecting people’s identities to steal more than $600,000 in commissions, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Tuesday, April 15.
Dennis Wright, 42, of Glenside, is accused of creating 332 fake life insurance policies between June 2020 and February 2022, forging personal details and signatures — without the victims’ knowledge or consent — to earn sales commissions from National Guardian Life Insurance (NGL), investigators said.
Wright then funneled the $603,000 he received through multiple fake b…
How Crappy: Inmate Vandalized Toilets At Saratoga County Jail, Police Say
A criminal defendant is accused of vandalizing multiple toilets at a Capital Region jail.
Michael Vinciguerra Jr., 32, of Burnt Hills, was re-arrested Wednesday, April 9, for alleged vandalism that occurred at the Saratoga County jail in Ballston Spa.
An investigation found that Vinciguerra, who was being held at the jail pending a criminal case, purposely damaged toilets on three different occasions in February and March, according to sheriff’s officials. The cost of repairs exceeded $1,500.
Vinciguerra was arraigned in the Milton Town Court and returned to the Saratoga County jail while …
13 Fugitives Captured In Major Warrant Sweep Across Passaic County: Sheriff
Thirteen fugitives were arrested in a major warrant sweep across Passaic County, Sheriff Thomas Adamo said.
The sweep was carried out on Thursday, April 10, and included help from several divisions of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, including the Detective Bureau, Patrol, and Courthouse Division.
“This operation was a collaborative effort involving multiple divisions, including the Sheriff’s Detective Bureau, Patrol, and the Courthouse Division,” Adamo said. “I want commend every individual who was involved in this significant operation.”
According to Adamo, the focus of the operation…
$750K Stolen From Family, Friends In Financial Scam: Berks DA
A Berks County man is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from family and friends over the course of more than a decade, authorities announced on Monday, April 7.
Santiago J. Torres, 41, of Sinking Spring, has been charged with 17 counts of Felony Theft by Deception, 11 counts of Felony Identity Theft, 11 counts of Felony Forgery, and seven counts of Felony Access Device Used to Obtain or Attempt to Obtain Property, according to Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams.
Detectives launched an investigation in August 2024 after multiple victims came forward with concer…
Fake ID Scheme, USPS Robberies, Bank Fraud: Penns Grove Man Learns Fate, Feds Say
A 25-year-old Salem County man was recently sentenced to more than 9 years in prison after he robbed two postal workers while committing bank fraud, authorities said.
From May 2018 through February 2020, Dezhon McCrae, a Penns Grove resident, was part of a scheme to obtain stolen checks from the mail and then use the checks to create counterfeit checks with the same routing and account numbers for deposit into area banks, U.S. Attorney John Giordano said, following his sentencing in Camden federal court.
McCrae's group posted advertisements on social media, seeking people who had bank …
