Holtsville Suspect Turned Lost Wallet Into $5K Identity Theft Scheme: Police
A Long Island man stole another person’s identity, opened a bank account, and swiped $5,000 earlier this year, police said.
Justin Kopperl, 28, of Holtsville, used the money to rent cars, deposit false checks, and send money through CashApp, the Suffolk County Police Department said Monday, July 20. The victim in the case had lost their wallet prior to the fraud, according to investigators.
The victim, a Bay Shore man, contacted police on May 6 after realizing a bank account had been opened in his name without his knowledge, cops said. Authorities traced the activity to Kopperl.
Kopperl wa…
‘I Scam The Government’: NYC Jail Guards Among Suspects In Brazen $500K Bank Scam, Feds Say
Two New York City jail guards were among seven people busted in a $500,000 fraudulent check scheme, authorities announced Monday, July 20.
Christopher Walker, 34, is currently employed by the city’s Department of Corrections, while Valeria Waldron, 37, is a former DOC employee who most recently worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, according to the Justice Department.
Two other NYC jail guards — Aaron Warren and Tara Dildy — previously pleaded guilty in the same case in Brooklyn federal court, according to the feds.
The scheme was orchestrated by Bianca Vieux, a 33-year-old …
Would-Be West Babylon Child Predator Finds Undercover Cops Waiting Online: Police
Two men attempting to meet underage girls for sex have been arrested in New York, according to state police.
Edwin Antonio Sabillon Jr., 24, of West Babylon, NY, and Anik Conley-Das, 36 of Norwood, MA, were busted in an undercover operation, New York State Police said.
The two men were “attempting to sexually exploit children online” but instead interacted with undercover officers based in state police barracks on Long Island, authorities said.
Sabillon and Conley-Das were both charged with second-degree rape, attempted child endangerment, and attempted sharing indecent materials with a mi…
Ex-Felon Motorcycle Rider Busted With Illegal Gun In Guilderland: Police
A New York man with a felony conviction has been arrested again for possessing a loaded handgun, police said.
Kevin Phillips, 45, of Schenectady, was riding his motorcycle southbound through Guilderland on the New York State Thruway on Thursday, July 16, when he was stopped for a traffic violation, New York State Police said.
During the stop, troopers learned Phillips was in possession of a loaded handgun, according to authorities. They investigated further and discovered Phillips had a prior felony conviction, making it illegal for him to have the gun, according to state police.
Phillips …
0.2-bac Hauppauge Driver Sentenced For Crash That Killed Nassau Police Officer: Authorities
A Long Island drunk driver was sentenced Monday, July 20 for a crash that killed a police officer earlier this year, authorities said.
Matthew Smith, 21, got between seven years, four months and 22 years in prison, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. Smith’s sentence was negotiated as part of a plea deal in June.
Smith, of Hauppauge, was driving 70 mph in a 30 mph zone when he sped through a red light and slammed into a vehicle driven by Patricia Espinosa around 6 a.m. on Jan. 31, according to authorities.
Espinosa, a 42-year-old Nassau County Police Officer, was on her way…
