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Tag:
Organized Crime
Millville, NJ
Police & Fire
Millville Man Arrested As Part Of NJ, Philly Drug Trafficking Ring: Feds
Five members of a drug trafficking organization that sold drugs in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia were arrested and charged last week, authorities said. The arrests came after a lengthy wiretap investigation conducted by a drug enforcement task force and New Jersey State Police’s Gangs and Organized Crime South Unit, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazier said. As part of its investigation, law enforcement wiretapped Andrew Davis a.k.a. Flip Mogella's phones and conducted controlled drug purchases with a confidential source, Frazier said. The drug trafficking ring distributed large …
Bensalem, PA
News
Pepper Spray, Getaway Crews Used In $155K Luxury Store Theft Spree In Bensalem
A violent, high-end retail theft spree spanning Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware involved pepper spray attacks, coordinated getaway crews, and hundreds of stolen luxury items, according to a 98-page criminal complaint. Nehemeiah Jones, 31, of Norristown, is accused of running the operation, which targeted stores including Lululemon, Diesel, Givenchy, Nordstrom, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, resulting in more than $155,000 in losses, authorities announced on Thursday, April 23. The nearly 100-page complaint outlines a months-long pattern of thefts beginning in April 2024, with incidents …
Fairfield, NJ
News
Fairfield Wife Of Lucchese Ringleader Flaunted Luxe Life Before $2M Sports Betting Bust
Kim Zito was up early Sunday, Nov. 16, posting a photo of herself and her husband with a small red heart. The post came just days after both were charged in an illegal $2 million sports betting ring, with Zito's 55-year-old husband, Joe Perna, acting as the operation's financier, according to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. According to Platkin, Perna is a soldier in the notorious Lucchese crime family, and utilized Zito's 23-year-old son, a former Bergen Catholic football player, his ex-wife, Rosanna Magno, an insurance agent, and nearly a dozen former hig…
Arlington, VA
Sports
Ex-Washington Wizards Star Gilbert Arenas Threw High-Stakes Poker Parties At CA Mansion: DOJ
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas has been arrested and charged in a sprawling federal case accusing him and others of running high-stakes illegal poker games out of his mansion in California. Arenas, 43, who the centerpiece for the Washington Wizards for years, was taken into custody Wednesday, July 30, along with five others, including a suspected high-ranking member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group, federal prosecutors said. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Woodland Hills resident, also known as “Agent Zero,” is charged with:…
Bel Air, MD
Police & Fire
Teens Wanted For Bel Air Shop Burglary Arrested In PA; Linked To Organized Crime Ring: Police
A group of teens wanted for smashing their way into a Harford County vintage shop were arrested in Pennsylvania days later — and are now suspected of being part of an organized crime ring stretching across Maryland and beyond, police said. Bel Air Police say four suspects broke into Offline Footwear & Vintage on Main Street around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, July 11, after “smashing through the glass in the front door.” Offline Footwear & Vintage on Main Street Google Maps street view Once inside, “suspects rummaged through merchandise, smashed a display case, and stole numerous v…
Bel Air, MD
Politics
ICE Detains Pro Boxer Days After Embarrassing Jake Paul Loss
The hits keep coming for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Days after his loss to Jake Paul in Las Vegas, Chavez was dealt another blow — this time by the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday, July 3, that the Mexican boxer was flagged as a public safety threat and is facing expedited deportation. Officials say Chavez has been detained by ICE, calling him a "criminal illegal alien" who has an active warrant in Mexico for his alleged involvement in organized crime and weapons trafficking. According to DHS, Chavez was arrested by ICE agents on July 2 in Studi…
Hackensack, NJ
News
Sex Slave Sting: Women Held In NJ Homes, Forced Into Brothels, AG Says
Eight people have been charged with racketeering and human trafficking for running a prostitution ring out of several homes in Trenton and Camden, authorities said. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced the charges on Tuesday, July 1, following a months-long investigation that began in May 2024. At least 15 victims were located during raids at five properties, investigators said. According to the criminal complaints, Vilma Deleon Bracamonte, also known as “Janet,” 55, of Hamilton, and Maria Soledad Xec Chan, 42, of Trenton, were the alleged ringleaders. They face charges …
Elizabeth, NJ
Police & Fire
Ghost Gun, Uzi Seized In Somerset County Raid: Two Elizabeth Men Busted, Prosecutor Says
Two Elizabeth men were arrested and charged after numerous firearms were found at their residences, authorities announced on Monday, June 2. On Wednesday, May 7, at 8:30 p.m., the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task force, along with members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other law enforcement agencies conducted a search warrant at two residences in Elizabeth, located on Magnolia Avenue and Murray Street, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said. The searches led to the seizure of eight handguns, includi…
Fairfield, NJ
Police & Fire
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…
Mansfield-Storrs, CT
Police & Fire
Mansfield Man Ran $350K Bank Scam, Recruited Others; Police Say He Likely Stole More
A Mansfield man is accused of leading a wide-reaching fraud ring that cost banks across Connecticut hundreds of thousands of dollars in bad checks, authorities said. Eric J. Christian, 41, is alleged to have recruited others to help him carry out a scheme known as check kiting, according to the Connecticut State Police Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force (SOCITF). Detectives say he convinced people to open bank accounts that he would use to move bad checks around, draining funds before banks could catch on. The investigation, launched in March 2023 by the SOCITF an…
Bethesda, MD
News
US Issues Urgent Travel Warnings Covering 2 Countries: What To Know
The US State Department is warning Americans against traveling to part of one country and has issued a do not travel warning for one of its neighboring nations. A Level 3 Reconsider Travel Advisory covers these parts of eastern Colombia: Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), and Norte de Santander departments in Colombia; The Colombia-Venezuela border region. "Violent crime, like murder, assault, and robbery, is common in many areas in Colombia," the advisory says. "In some places, organized crime is rampant. This includes extortion, robbery, and kidnapping." A Level 4 Do No…
Lower Paxton, PA
Police & Fire
Colombian Crime Ring's 'Burglary Kit' Uncovered After Chase In Lower Paxton: Police
A suspected Colombian organized crime ring operating out of a black Jeep Grand Cherokee was busted after a wild traffic stop and foot chase in Pennsylvania, authorities announced on Monday, April 14. The Jeep, bearing a fake Montana license plate, was pulled over around 8:30 p.m. on North Mountain Road, Lower Paxton Township Bureau of Police said. Inside were four men and one woman, all believed to be Colombian nationals. Three of the five occupants were identified as Christian Camilo Tenorio-Valderrama, 42, of Queens, NY, Sebastian Castellanos Valderrama, 33, and Dianna Triana Arrieta, 32,…
Franklin Square, NY
News
Mobster Who Stripped Victim Naked, Enacted Mafia-Style Loan Shakedown Sentenced In Nassau Court
A New York mobster will spend years in prison for relentlessly extorting a victim—even while under court supervision and after already being convicted of a similar crime. John “Bazoo” Ragano, a 62-year-old member of the Bonanno crime family from Franklin Square, was sentenced to three years behind bars in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, March 19. It followed his conviction of extortionate collection of credit for forcing a man to continue paying on a $150,000 loan with exorbitant interest rates. The payments, which were $1,800 per week, never reduced the principal of the loan, accordin…
Riverhead, NY
Lifestyle
Casting Call: Mob Thriller Filming On Long Island Looking For 'Fearless' Actors
Lights, camera… crime. If you’ve ever dreamed of playing a ruthless mob enforcer or a cocky young hustler with a New York accent, now’s your chance—a new crime thriller is gearing up to film on Long Island later this year, and they’re on the hunt for actors to join the action. The untitled Italian-American mob-inspired crime thriller is the latest project from Chuck and Karolina Morrongiello, the filmmaking duo behind horror flicks Amityville: Mt. Misery Road and The American Ripper. This time, they’re bringing their signature dark, twisted storytelling to the world of organized crime, and …
Silver Spring, MD
Police & Fire
Revenge Killer Caught On Camera At White Oaks Shopping Center Convicted: Prosecutors (
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A Maryland man faces more than a century behind bars after being convicted for a brazen, caught-on-camera restaurant murder in Montgomery County that prosecutors say was a calculated act of retaliation. A jury found Markus Dowdy, 34, of Silver Spring, guilty of second-degree murder and other offenses following a violent shooting and assault that was caught on camera, prosecutors announced on Monday, March 3. Markus Tyrell Dowdy Montgomery The deadly shooting happened just before 6 p.m. on Nov. 4, 2023, at America’s Best Wings in the White Oak Shopping Center on New Hampshire Ave…
New Windsor, NY
Police & Fire
International Theft Group Member Charged In New Windsor Burglary, Caught With $35K: Police
A Colombian citizen accused of being part of an international theft ring has been apprehended following a three-month investigation into a residential burglary in Orange County, police announced. On Thursday, Feb. 20, Flushing resident Andres Felipe Solarzano Charry, 21, was arrested after police executed a search warrant in Queens in connection to a residential burglary in the town of New Windsor in November 2024, the Town of New Windsor Police Department announced on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Authorities say he specifically targeted homeowners of Asian descent as part of a larger organize…
Avon, CT
Business
Proposed 25% US Tariff On Canadian Goods Will Be Paused After Earlier Deal With Mexico
Just hours after a similar agreement was reached with Mexico, the United States has agreed to paused planned tariffs on Canadian goods for 30 days. The deal was reached late Monday afternoon, Feb. 3 after President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded their second conversation of the day. "I just had a good call with President Trump," Trudeau said in a statement announcing that Canada is implementing a $1.3 billion border plan "reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increase…
Greenburgh, NY
News
Luchese Soldier From Elmsford, Associates Admit Role in Mafia Gambling Scheme
A high-ranking member of the Luchese crime family and several associates from Westchester have pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering, and illegal gambling as part of a sweeping federal case targeting organized crime, officials announced. Anthony Villani, a 60-year-old Elmsford resident and a soldier in the Luchese crime family, entered his guilty plea on Thursday, Jan. 30 in federal court in Brooklyn. As part of his plea deal, he will forfeit $4 million in illicit proceeds, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Villani was one of…
New Haven, CT
Police & Fire
New Haven Robber Gets 4 Years In 'Coordinated, Brazen,' Violent Bank Heist: Feds
A Connecticut man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for his role in a meticulously planned and violent bank robbery that shocked Martha’s Vineyard. Romane Andre Clayton, 22, of New Haven, was sentenced in a Boston federal court after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the November 2022 heist at Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. Clayton was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal prosecutors described a chilling robbery where bank employees were ambushed as they opened the building. …
Danbury, CT
News
Danbury Couple Accused Of $1M Lululemon Theft Spree Across 5 States, Including CT
A Connecticut couple has been accused of orchestrating a multi-state theft operation targeting Lululemon stores, resulting in approximately $1 million in stolen merchandise. Jadion Anthony Richards, age 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, age 45, both from Danbury, were charged in in Minnesota on Friday, Nov. 22, at Ramsey County District Court with organized retail theft, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Their alleged activities spanned over two months and involved thefts in several states, including New York, Connecticut, Minnesota, Colorado, and Utah, the Star Tri…
Alexandria, VA
News
Alexandria Man Among Four Charged With $800K Maryland 'Flash Mob' Thefts In Six Counties: AG
Four men have been indicted in connection with an organized retail crime ring responsible for 37 thefts across six Maryland counties, causing approximately $800,000 in losses, authorities announced Monday. The suspects are accused of overwhelming stores with “flash mob” tactics, targeting high-end retail items, and reselling stolen goods. Attorney General Anthony Brown revealed details about the operation, which spanned Howard, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, and Prince George’s counties. Those charged include: Donte Bernard Shaw, 34, of Washington, DC; Taquan An…
Conshohocken-Plymouth Meeting, PA
News
$850K Stolen In 'Theft-Return Scheme' By PA Organized Crime: Attorney General
A criminal organization made $850,000 in illegal profits in a sophisticated theft-return scheme targeting TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls stores, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said. Nine people involved with the Philadelphia-based organization, which has been in operation since 2022, were arrested and charged with numerous felonies, according to a Thursday, Oct. 24 news release from the attorney general. Davon Whitfield, 40, of Roslyn; Naima Scott, 47, of Abington; and Zonay Griffin, 26, all of Philadelphia, were named as the leaders who personally made about 1,500 transactio…
Silver Spring, MD
News
Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly Man In Silver Spring: Prosecutors
The Maryland scammer believed to be a part of an international organized crime ring targeting elderly residents will face decades in prison, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office. Ravinklejeet Mathon pleaded guilty this week and will face 40 years behind bars after scheming to steal three one-kilo gold bars with an estimated value of nearly $230,000 from an elderly man in Silver Spring. "The scam is believed to be part of an international organized crime ring," prosecutors said. "Similar Gold Bar Scams have been reported here in Montgomery County and across the United…
Hyattsville, MD
News
Hyattsville Trio Charged For Leading International Theft Ring Targeting Major Retailers: Feds
A trio in Maryland who helped organize and run an international organized theft ring are facing charges for their roles in a large-scale operation targeting retailers, federal authorities announced. Sindy Apola Hernandez, 38, Johnsie Steven Reina Hernandez, 20, and Edwin Gonzalez Rodriguez, 30, all of Hyattsville, have been charged for having underlings rob stores, which in turn, they shipped to Honduras and other countries. According to the affidavit that resulted in the criminal complaint, conspirators stole cosmetic and other products from various retail establishments and provided …
Cranbury, NJ
Police & Fire
Serial Seafood, Meat, Alcohol Thieves Caught At NJ Turnpike Rest Stop In Cranbury: Troopers
Four Philadelphia men were accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of food and alcohol over several years, authorities said. In a news release on Monday, Sept. 16, New Jersey State Police announced the arrests of 23-year-old Shaun Coleman, 37-year-old Salahudin Reddy, 31-year-old Hanif Tucker, and 26-year-old Rashan Clark-Reddy. They were charged after a two-month investigation into nine burglaries at New Jersey Turnpike service areas that troopers called "Operation Beef Bandit". Investigators said an organized criminal crew broke into parked and often occupie…
Aston-Brookhaven, PA
News
9-County Retail Theft Ring Busted: PA Attorney General
Five people involved in a major organized retail theft operation have been charged with targeting stores across nine counties, authorities said. Marlin Polanco, Malik McDonald, Cartier Hardy, Homario Oldacre, and Lorenzo Walters were charged in Dauphin County with corrupt organizations, organized retail theft, and related crimes, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said on Monday, Aug. 26. The total value of stolen goods is estimated to be worth more than $71,000, Henry said. Between February 28 and May 30, the group allegedly stole over-the-counter medications and other health an…
Hamilton Township, NJ
Traffic
State Agency Director ID'd As Driver, 55, Killed By Motorist Running Red Light On Route 130
The driver killed in an early-morning crash Wednesday, July 10 on Route 130 in Hamilton has been identified as the director of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation (SCI). The agency identified its executive director Chadd W. Lackey as the 55-year-old Voorhees driver who died in the Hamilton crash. Police in their initial report said the crash was caused by a 51-year-old Bordentown woman who allegedly ran a red light at Klockner Road and struck a 2020 Ford Edge SUV heading east around 6 a.m. Lackey's 44-year-old passenger from Hamilton was left critical. “We are deva…
White Plains, NY
News
Westchester Honors Retiring 'Cyber Dog,' Detective Who Worked To Sniff Out Electronics
County officials are honoring the careers of a retiring Westchester detective and his K9 partner who worked to find hidden electronic devices containing evidence in criminal investigations. The retirement of Westchester County Police Detective Brett Hochron and his partner, Harley the Cyber Dog, was announced on Monday, July 1. According to County Executive George Latimer, the duo spent much of their careers sniffing out hidden digital devices in search of evidence for investigations, including SIM cards, thumb drives, hard drives, cell phones, tablets, laptop computers, an…
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Reality bit the ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member Dina Manzo when he was convicted Tuesday of getting a mob soldier to throw her new beau a beating. Restaurateur Thomas Manzo, 59, who lives in the affluent Bergen County suburb of Franklin Lakes, rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors and took his chances with a jury. That didn’t go so good. Jurors in U.S. District Court in Newark convicted Manzo on June 4 of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, along with conspiracy and falsifying documents during a grand jury investigation. Althou…
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Chilean Ring Used NJ Digs To Stash Loot From Home Burglaries In NY, MD, Elsewhere: Feds
Six Chilean nationals who burglarized homes in multiple states were recorded on video stashing a huge safe and other items stolen in the break-ins in a Jersey City apartment building, authorities said. The crew took pearl necklaces, diamond earrings, a distinctive high school “state champions” ring, and other jewelry during the burglary of a Westchester County, NY, residence in late March, an FBI complaint says. The same burglars struck again in Baltimore County, MD, in mid-April, taking luxury timepieces, distinctive cufflinks, and a safe that contained a collection of rare coins, the comp…
Fairfax, VA
Police & Fire
Underwear Thieves Stole $24K Worth Of Merchandise During Virginia Crime Spree, Police Say
Women's underwear was the main target of a retail theft crew in Fairfax County that was broken up this week, police say. New Jersey natives Feliz Perez, 57, Amauri Roman Sanabia Balbuena, 44, and Jonathan Peralta Cabrera, 38, of New York, are all facing multiple charges for a string of reported robberies, according to officials. On Wednesday, detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department's Tysons Urban Team were alerted to a reported theft incident in the 1900 block of Chain Bridge Road in Tysons, where they located three men who were wanted for alleged larcenies in neighboring…
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