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Tag:
Wire Fraud
Atlantic City, NJ
Police & Fire
Former AC Housing Authority Coordinator Fraudulently Obtained Covid-19 Relief Funds: Feds
A 50-year-old Atlantic City resident admitted on Monday, Jan. 13 to fraudulently obtaining thousands in COVID-19 relief funds, authorities said. Luquay Zahir previously served as Ross Family Service Coordinator for the Atlantic City Housing Authority and Urban Redevelopment Agency when unlawfully obtained the funds, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said. In 2020 and 2021, Zahir obtained more than $30,000 through a Paycheck Protection Program loan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act by submitting an applica…
Mahwah-Ramsey, NJ
Real Estate
Chinese Billionaire Fraudster's Former Mahwah Mansion Is Most Expensive NJ Listing At $33M
A historic Bergen County estate seized from a Chinese billionaire indicted in a $1 billion fraud scheme last year has become the most expensive residential listing in New Jersey, on the market for $33 million (scroll down to see the complete listing with photos). The Crocker Mansion, located at 675 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah, spans 50,000 square feet and sits on 12.5 gated acres. Originally built in 1907, the property features 21 bedrooms, a pool house, tennis courts, and a guest house. It was declared a historic landmark by Mahwah Township due to its unique place in local history. In Mar…
Riverhead, NY
Politics
From Transgender Athletes To Mask Ban: These Political Stories Had Long Island Talking In 2024
From a historic presidential conviction to heated debates over mask bans and transgender athletes, 2024 was a political whirlwind that kept Long Islanders talking, tweeting, and taking sides. Here are some of the most-read Daily Voice politics stories from across Nassau and Suffolk counties this year. The US House voted to expel New York Rep. George Santos from office Friday, Dec. 1. US House/Martin Falbisoner George Santos Announces Comeback Bid For NY Congressional Seat: 'Off To The Races' Disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos mounted – and quickly rescinded – a comeback…
Drexel Hill-Upper Darby, PA
Sports
Ex-Eagles Player Wendell Smallwood Jr. Pleads Guilty To
Covid-
19, Tax Fraud
Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood Jr., of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, a Super Bowl champion, pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the IRS on Wednesday, Dec. 20, in Wilmington, Delaware, according to federal court documents obtained by Daily Voice. The plea agreement outlines Smallwood's admission of guilt to defrauding COVID-19 relief programs and engaging in tax fraud schemes. Smallwood, 30, faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison and significant financial penalties, including resti…
Westport, CT
Police & Fire
Ex-Westport Exec Who Stole $4.4M From CT Company In Crypto Scam Gets 4 Years: Feds
A former Connecticut finance executive will serve four years in prison for embezzling more than $4 million from his employer in a slapdash cryptocurrency fraud scheme, federal authorities said. Dylan Meissner, 31, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, followed by two years of probation, after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges, The US District Attorney for Connecticut said this week. Meissner must also repay the company $4,633,424.99 — $4.4 million of which he stole, and the rest is for a loan, authorities said. As vice president of finance at a cryptocurrency …
Mineola, NY
Politics
Santos Spills: Viral Milkshake Attack Was Planned Publicity Stunt, Ousted LI Rep. Confesses
Turns out this milkshake drama was all whipped up. A video appearing to show disgraced former New York congressman George Santos being doused in ice cream in Times Square went viral over the weekend. The clip, which had been viewed millions of times on X, shows the 36-year-old convicted felon being accosted by a man seemingly outraged that Santos has “the audacity to show his face.” Watch video of the incident below. After getting the ex-Long Island congressman’s attention, the man tosses a milkshake all over Santos' jacket and asks, “How do you like that?” “You are un-[expletive] believ…
Mahwah-Ramsey, NJ
Real Estate
Mahwah Mansion Seized From Chinese Billionaire Fraudster Listed At $33M
A historic Bergen County estate seized from a Chinese billionaire indicted in a $1 billion fraud scheme last year has hit the market for $33 million. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carl Gambino (@carlgambino.realestate) The Crocker Mansion, located at 675 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah, spans 50,000 square feet and sits on 12.5 gated acres. Originally built in 1907, the property features 21 bedrooms, a pool house, tennis courts, and a guest house. It was declared a historic landmark by Mahwah Township due to its unique place in loc…
Fairfax, VA
Sports
Alley-Oops! George Mason Basketball Team Duped By Sham Travel Agent In $100K Scheme: Feds
The George Mason University men's basketball team planned an exciting summer trip to the Bahamas, but instead, they were left grounded after an Atlanta travel agent allegedly pocketed over $100,000 without booking a single ticket or hotel room. Maurice Eugene Smith, 44, is facing charges of wire fraud for allegedly scamming the Patriots out of their international trip, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. In June 2023, GMU representatives began planning the trip with a company referred to as "Company A" in court records. Smith, operating through…
Towson, MD
News
Felon Running Drug Operation From Luxury Baltimore Apartment Linked To China Suppliers: Feds
A convicted felon living in a luxury Baltimore apartment was found guilty of possessing fentanyl and firearms, including a "ghost gun," in connection with drug trafficking, federal officials announced Monday. Ryan E. Dales, 36, was convicted on multiple charges, including being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, after a four-day trial in Baltimore, authorities said on Dec. 9. According to evidence presented at trial, Dales operated a drug trafficking operation out of his residence…
Westfield, NJ
Police & Fire
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…
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Newark Man Gets 5+ Years For Running Phony Car Ring That Netted $285K: Feds
A Newark man was recently sentenced to 70 months in prison for running a multistate car theft and fraud operation that defrauded victims of more than $285,000, authorities said. Warren Guerrier, 47, had previously pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, US Attorney Phillip Sellinger said. From November 2016 to June 2020, Guerrier led a scheme to steal vehicles, fabricate titles, and sell them to unsuspecting buyers, Sellinger said. Guerrier and his accomplices tracked vehicles, photographed them, and advertised them online. Buyers were given fake cer…
Silver Spring, MD
News
Alleged Russian Ransomware Mastermind Extradited From South Korea To Maryland
A Russian national accused of running a global ransomware operation that extorted more than $16 million from victims worldwide has been extradited from South Korea to Maryland to face federal charges, authorities announced. Evgenii Ptitsyn, 42, is charged with operating and administering the sale, distribution, and deployment of the notorious Phobos ransomware, which targeted over 1,000 public and private organizations globally, including schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure. Ptitsyn made his first appearance in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland earlier this …
Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes, NJ
News
Franklin Lakes Wife Destroyed Phone To Obstruct Feds In Husband's High-Profile Probe: Officials
Federal authorities have charged the wife of a Bergen County celebrity house flipper with trying to obstruct an investigation into her husband’s alleged multimillion-dollar Ponzi-like real estate scheme. Jennifer Iturralde Pina, 43, of Franklin Lakes, is accused of attempting to stop a witness from cooperating with investigators and destroying one of her phones as federal agents arrived to seize it, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said this week. The alleged obstruction is linked to an ongoing investigation involving her husband, Cesar Humberto Pina, 45, a real estate influencer better kn…
Greenwich, CT
Police & Fire
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…
Conshohocken-Plymouth Meeting, PA
News
Fraudulent House Flipping in Philly Gets Delaware Man Jail Time:
Usdoj
A Delaware man is facing jail time for fraud after flipping three Philadelphia properties he promised to convert into affordable housing, authorities said. Felton Hayman, 54, of Wilmington, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and three years of supervised release for his scheme on Monday, Oct. 28, according to a US Department of Justice news release. Hayman used his longtime friendship with an unnamed Philadelphia city councilmember to purchase three vacant city properties at below-market prices based on his promise to build affordable housing on the lots, the news release states. …
Ambler-Blue Bell, PA
News
Owner of Ambler Italian Restaurant Gets Prison Time For Defrauding COVID Programs: Authorities
The owner of a Montgomery County Italian restaurant is getting prison time for defrauding several federal COVID-19 relief programs, authorities said. Giuseppina “Josephine” Leone, 62, of North Wales, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and one year of supervised release on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the US Department of Justice said in a news release. She must also pay a $50,000 fine and a $300 special assessment for pandemic program fraud, the news release states. Leone has also paid full restitution in the amount of $972,861. Her request for a sentence involving an alternative to jail time was de…
Norwich, CT
News
$400K Scheme: Woman Steals From Norwich-Based Addiction Nonprofit, Spends Funds On Vacations
A 50-year-old woman has admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Connecticut nonprofit at which she served as executive director, federal officials said. New London County resident Michele Devine of Waterford, age 50, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with her alleged theft of almost $400,000 from a Norwich-based addiction and mental health nonprofit, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Monday, Oct. 21. According to federal officials, Devine served as the executive director of the Southeastern Regional Action Council on S…
Alexandria, VA
Business
Former NFL Player, UVA Alum Turned Developer Charged With Embezzlement In Virginia: Feds
A former NFL player who was a standout at the University of Virginia is facing federal charges for alleged embezzlement, authorities announced. Christopher Harrison, 52, was charged by a grand jury for allegedly misappropriating loans intended for the development of two projects linked to his real estate company. According to the indictment, Harrison allegedly secured loans from Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust (CRBT) for $14,492,057 for the Model Tobacco Project in Richmond and $7,706,675 for the Whitaker Park Project in North Carolina. Under the terms of the agreements, the former offe…
Hillsborough, NJ
Police & Fire
Disbarred NJ Attorney Admits To Ponzi Scheme That Cost Investors $1 Million: Feds
A 61-year-old Hillsborough resident pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Oct. 9 to running a Ponzi-like wire fraud scheme that caused losses of more than $1 million, authorities said. Lawrence Coven, who had previously been disbarred as an attorney, operated and controlled Sunrise Enterprises LLC, which purported to provide financial services to investors, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said. In reality, Coven induced investors into sending him funds by falsely representing that he would invest their money through Sunrise in exchange for large profits by providing short-term loans to borrowers …
Armonk, NY
News
$3.4M Scheme: Ex-Controller Admits To Embezzling Family-Owned Armonk Business
A senior member of a family-owned company has admitted to embezzling more than $3.4 million from the business over five years. According to court filings released on Thursday, Oct. 10, John Hickey, age 34, created false invoices that appeared to be from entities with which the Northern Westchester-based corporations did business from February 2018 to November 2023. The company, located in Armonk, manufactured flame retardant fabrics. Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Hickey then forged signatures that supposedly approved payment of those invo…
York, PA
News
York Judge Indicted For 31 Counts Of Fraud, Witness Tampering:
Usdoj
A federal grand jury has indicted a Pennsylvania judge and lawyer on 31-counts of wire and mail fraud, as well as witness tampering and obstruction of justice, the US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Steven Stambaugh, age 61, of York, has been charged with twenty-six counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of tampering with a witness, and one count of obstruction of justice for a COVID-19 scheme, according to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam explained. Stambaugh is accused of defrauding the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania "to ob…
Newark, NJ
News
Company Hired To Replace 18,000 Lead Pipes In Newark Faked Work, Billed For It Anyway: Feds
Two people hired by the City of Newark to replace 18,000 lead pipes are facing federal charges after they intentionally left the pipes in the ground, hid them from officials, and then collected payment for work that they didn't properly perform, federal officials said. Michael Sawyer, 57, of Burlington, and Latronia "Tee" Sanders, 55, of Roselle, are each charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said (click here for the complaint). Citing charging documents, NJ Advance Media says JAS Group Enterprise Inc. (JAS), the company in which Sa…
Elizabeth, NJ
News
Elizabeth Man Submitted Phony Applications To Obtain $100,000+ In Covid Funds: Feds
A 53-year-old Elizabeth man recently admitted to his role in a fraud scheme involving COVID funds, phony tax filings and a fake loan application, authorities said. In June 2020, Richard Fadraga submitted a fraudulent application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), which resulted in him getting $110,000 from the Small Business Administration in COVID-19 relate proceeds, US Attorney Phillip Sellinger said. The next month, Fadraga submitted another fraudulent application and received a $131,000 loan, Sellinger said. That application was submitted under another person's name to c…
Smithtown, NY
News
Covid-
19: John Gotti's Smithtown Grandson Admits To $1M Relief Fraud
A New York man with ties to the Mafia formally confessed to a million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Long Island resident Carmine Agnello, age 38, of Smithtown, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Sept. 26. Agnello is the grandson of the late John Gotti, former boss of the Gambino organized crime family. According to prosecutors, between April 2020 and November 2021, he fraudulently applied for, and received, at least three small business loans under the US Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). The program…
Baldwin, NY
Politics
Nassau County Rep. D’Esposito Denies Scathing Report He Gave Mistress, Fiancée’s Daughter Jobs
New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito is vowing to stay in his congressional race following a scathing New York Times report alleging he gave his mistress and his fiancée’s daughter jobs in his district office. The Long Island Republican, age 42, hired the pair shortly after being elected to his 4th District seat in 2023 and paid them nearly $30,000 in taxpayer funds in a violation of House ethics rules, the outlet reports. New York’s 4th congressional district covers central and southern Nassau County, including Elmont, Hempstead, and Valley Stream. Asked whether the New York Times report was …
Drexel Hill-Upper Darby, PA
News
Woman Buried In Basement For $100K In Social Security Benefits:
Usdoj
A 37-year-old Philadelphia woman was caught stealing nearly $100,000 in Social Security benefits stolen from a woman she allegedly buried under her house, the US Department of Justice announced on Friday, Sept. 13. Holly Sadowski was arrested on charges of Social Security fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, for concealing the death of a woman, U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero explained. She faces 107 years in prison and a $1,750,000 fine, Romero said in a statement. "The indictment further alleges that a DNA analysis of the human remains recovered from the concrete base…
Jersey City, NJ
Police & Fire
Jersey City Jeweler Defrauded Customs Of $13.5 Million In Jewelry Imports: Feds
A 39-year-old Jersey City jeweler who operated in the Diamond District pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Sept. 10 to spearheading a scheme to illegally evade customs duties for more than $13.5 million of jewelry imports into the country and with illegally processing more than $10.3 million through an unlicensed money transmitting business, authorities said. Monishkumar Kirankumar Doshi Shah, a.k.a. Monish Doshi Shah, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, US Att…
Freeport, NY
Business
$2M Con Job: Freeport Contractor Admits Defrauding Victims Of Hurricane Sandy
A former New York contractor confessed to stealing millions of dollars from homeowners who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy to fund his lavish lifestyle. Alexander Almaraz, age 56, who formerly lived on Long Island in Freeport, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Sept. 5. Prosecutors said Almaraz, who owned Design Concepts Group (DCG) in Freeport, targeted homeowners who suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 and later received relief funds from the governor’s office. Earlier Report: Lamborghini, Porsche, Jaguar,…
Toms River, NJ
Police & Fire
Toms River Man Led Scheme To Commit Mortgage,
Covid-
19 Business Loan Fraud: Feds
A Toms River man was accused of leading a multimillion-dollar scheme to commit mortgage fraud and steal federal COVID-19 loans, authorities said. Arthur Spitzer, 37, was indicted on 25 counts, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release on Tuesday, Sept. 3. A grand jury also indicted 38-year-old Mendel Deutsch of Toms River and 42-year-old Joshua Feldberger of Howell Township in the case. According to the indictment, Spitzer got mortgage loans for real estate properties that he didn't own in New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York. He chose properties that ha…
Hackensack, NJ
News
Woman Charged With Selling $18M In Bogus Coupons Downloaded In NJ: Feds
A San Antonio, TX, woman was arrested and charged with selling more than $18 million worth of counterfeit coupons used at various retail stores across the United States — including New Jersey — for the purchase of household items, federal officials said. From June 2020 through June 2024, Janet Bernal — who goes by the names Rocky, Rocky G, Rocky Gee, and RockyG-Kruella — orchestrated a scheme to produce and sell fraudulent, counterfeit coupons for use by purchasers at retail stores throughout the United States, including large pharmacies and grocery stores, U.S. Attorney Philip R. …
Hartford, CT
Police & Fire
Hartford Man Accused Of Ripping Off Amazon Workers
A Connecticut man accused of stealing dozens of high-end goods from Amazon workers faces federal charges. Terrell Kimble, age 44, of Hartford, is charged with four counts of wire fraud, and was released after posting a $250,000 bail, the US Attorney for Connecticut said. Kimble worked as a regional fleet specialist for Amazon and oversaw a rewards program called Coupa that would give high-performing workers high-end electronics like Apple iPads, AirPods, Apple Watches, and Nintendo Switches. Federal prosecutors said Kimble kept those gifts for himself and had the items se…
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