Taunton Romance Scammer Must Repay Victims $1.1M, Spend 2 Years In Prison: Feds Taunton Romance Scammer Must Repay Victims $1.1M, Spend 2 Years In Prison: Feds
Taunton Romance Scammer Must Repay Victims $1.1M, Spend 2 Years In Prison: Feds A Taunton man who conned several people into giving him more than $1 million must repay his victims once he gets out of prison, a judge ruled on Thursday, Jan. 21.  Francis Okafor, 30, was sentenced to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He must also pay $1.1 million in restitution to his victims.  Investigators said Okafor swindled people from May 2018 through August 2021 using a "romance scam." He faked relationships with them to manipulate them out of money. Okafor used foreign passports in the na…
Ex-Director Of NY Charity Sentenced For Embezzling Over $1M Ex-Director Of NY Charity Sentenced For Embezzling Over $1M
Ex-Director Of NY Charity Sentenced For Embezzling Over $1M The former executive director of a New York charity is heading to federal prison after being convicted of embezzling more than $1 million to fund a life of luxury. Long Island resident Wafa Abboud, age 55, of Merrick, was sentenced to nearly three years behind bars in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Jan. 11.  It followed her convictions on charges of embezzling funds, bank fraud, and money laundering after a two-week jury trial in July 2019. Earlier Report: Ex-Director Convicted Of Stealing Nearly $1M From Long Island Charity Prosecutors said Abboud ran Human First, a no…
Man Left For Dead Under Bridge Was Robbed By Evicted Pair: Montco DA Man Left For Dead Under Bridge Was Robbed By Evicted Pair: Montco DA
Man Left For Dead Under Bridge Was Robbed By Evicted Pair: Montco DA Two 20-year-old people who had been evicted from their apartment robbed and killed of a man whose body was found under a Montgomery County bridge last month, authorities said. Ana Gonzalez-Munguia, 20, and Erick Galo-Ponce, 20, beat 23-year-old Nilson Velazquez-Cardona to death before his body was found under the Stony Creek Bridge on W. Marshall Street Saturday, Dec. 17 around 7:30 a.m. — Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Norristown Acting Police Chief Michael Bishop said. Dr. Ian Hood of the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, who found that the male died of blu…
Police In Hudson Valley Help Catch Suspects Of Nationwide 'Felony Lane Gang' Fraud Scheme Police In Hudson Valley Help Catch Suspects Of Nationwide 'Felony Lane Gang' Fraud Scheme
Police In Hudson Valley Help Catch Suspects Of Nationwide 'Felony Lane Gang' Fraud Scheme Two suspects who admitted to being part of a nationwide fraud scheme were caught with the help of police in the Hudson Valley.  The two men, Joshua Mallory, age 37, and Gary Grier, age 36, both of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 20 to being part of the multi-state "Felony Lane Gang," a fraud scheme involving suspects breaking into cars and stealing debit cards and checkbooks, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.  Between 2015 and 2020, Mallory, Grier, and several co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking …
Pair Stole $164K From 94-Year-Old Connecticut Man's Checking Account, Police Say Pair Stole $164K From 94-Year-Old Connecticut Man's Checking Account, Police Say
Pair Stole $164K From 94-Year-Old Connecticut Man's Checking Account, Police Say A 94-year-old man from Connecticut lost $164,000 in thefts from his checking account, authorities said. The alleged thieves included a pair from New Jersey, according to Old Saybrook Police. Ashlee Crawford, age 33, of Plainfield, NJ, and Shannon Outlaw II, age 27, of North Brunswick, NJ,were charged with larceny and forgery, police said . Crawford also was charged with a second count of forgery. The Middlesex County man, who resides in Old Saybrook, reported the theft to police in February after $164,284 disappeared from his checking account, police said. Crawford was observed on vi…
NJ Pair Stole $164K From 94-Year-Old Connecticut Man's Checking Account: Police NJ Pair Stole $164K From 94-Year-Old Connecticut Man's Checking Account: Police
NJ Pair Stole $164K From 94-Year-Old Connecticut Man's Checking Account: Police A 94-year-old man from Connecticut lost $164,000 in thefts from his checking account, authorities said. The alleged thieves included a pair from Middlesex County, according to Old Saybrook, CT, police. Ashlee Crawford, 33, of Plainfield, and Shannon Outlaw II, 27, of North Brunswick, were charged with larceny and forgery, police said in a press statement. Crawford also was charged with a second count of forgery. The Old Saybrook man reported the theft to police in February after $164,284 disappeared from his checking account, police said. Crawford was observed on video surveillance f…
Mortgage Fraud: NJ Developer, Attorney Admit Swindling Lenders Out Of $3.5M Mortgage Fraud: NJ Developer, Attorney Admit Swindling Lenders Out Of $3.5M
Mortgage Fraud: NJ Developer, Attorney Admit Swindling Lenders Out Of $3.5M A New Jersey real estate developer and a lawyer admitted running a multi-layered mortgage fraud that cost banks more than $3.5 million in losses, federal authorities said. Developer Victor Santos, 63, of Watchung, paid stand-in "straw" buyers $5,000 each to first purchase a dozen properties in Newark and then secure tenants to lease them, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. A group of conspirators including him and attorney Fausto Simoes, 69, of Millington, covered the costs -- including fees and mortgage payments, the U.S. attorney said. "Santos, Simoes, and others also caused the sub…
Long Island Financial Advisor Admits To $3M Bank Loan Scheme Long Island Financial Advisor Admits To $3M Bank Loan Scheme
Long Island Financial Advisor Admits To $3M Bank Loan Scheme A Long Island financial advisor could spend decades in federal prison after admitting to his role in a $3 million bank loan scheme. Gary Confredo, age 60, of East Northport, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud in federal court in Central Islip Friday, Nov. 4. Prosecutors said Confredo, also known as Gary Conte, conspired with others to submit fraudulent applications for commercial loans and lines of credit to Bank of America on behalf of his clients at the Commack-based Goldstar Financial Management Corp. Between November 2016 and October 2019, he submitted altered tax retu…
Burlington County Man Admits Bank Fraud Totaling $523K, Feds Say Burlington County Man Admits Bank Fraud Totaling $523K, Feds Say
Burlington County Man Admits Bank Fraud Totaling $523K, Feds Say A Burlington County man admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal bank customer identities, authorities said. He used that information to steal more than $520,000, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. Jamere Hill-Birdsong, 33, of Mount Holly, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 1 to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, Sellinger said. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From August 2016 through August 2017, Hill-Birdsong conspired with Lamar Melhado, of the Bronx, and others to defraud a Mount Laurel bank.  Hill…
Hudson County Man Seized By Federal Agents In $1M ID Theft Scheme Hudson County Man Seized By Federal Agents In $1M ID Theft Scheme
Hudson County Man Seized By Federal Agents In $1M ID Theft Scheme A Hudson County man was seized by federal agents early Thursday on charges of pocketing more than $1 million from victims whose identities they said he stole. Marc Lazarre, 37, of Secaucus was charged with bank fraud and aggravated ID theft charges following his arrest the morning of Oct. 20, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Lazarre swiped bank account and personal identity information to open accounts in the victims’ names without their knowledge and then withdrew funds, Sellinger said. Lazarre also "unlawfully obtained checks made out to victims, used fraudulent identificati…
Father-Son Owners Of Hudson Valley Car Dealership Sentenced For Fraud Father-Son Owners Of Hudson Valley Car Dealership Sentenced For Fraud
Father-Son Owners Of Hudson Valley Car Dealership Sentenced For Fraud A father and son who own a Hudson Valley car dealership are heading to federal prison for their role in a multimillion-dollar tax and bank fraud scheme. Orange County residents Mehdi and Saaed Moslem, owners of the Exclusive Motor Sports dealership in Central Valley, were sentenced to eight years and three years in prison, respectively, in federal court in White Plains Monday, Oct. 17. Earlier Report: Father/Son Owners Of Area Auto Dealership Charged With Tax, Bank Fraud The pair was previously found guilty of defrauding their lenders and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) following …
Ex-Tyngsborough Cop Admits Bank Fraud, Gun Charges: Feds Ex-Tyngsborough Cop Admits Bank Fraud, Gun Charges: Feds
Ex-Tyngsborough Cop Admits Bank Fraud, Gun Charges: Feds A 37-year-old former Tyngsborough police officer pleaded guilty last week to lying on loan applications about receiving money from a Chinese investor for an indoor gun range and violations of the National Firearms Act, federal authorities said.  Daniel Whitman admitted to two counts of bank fraud, two counts of making false statements to a bank, possessing an unregistered firearm, and other charges on Friday, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He faces up to 30 years in prison on the fraud charge, officials said. A court will sentence him in December.  While working as a…