Massapequa, NY
News
Fifth Man Pleads Guilty On Long Island To $2M Scheme Impersonating Federal Employees Fifth Man Pleads Guilty On Long Island To $2M Scheme Impersonating Federal Employees
Fifth Man Pleads Guilty On Long Island To $2M Scheme Impersonating Federal Employees An Indian national became the fifth person to plead guilty in federal court on Long Island to federal charges for his role in running a multi-million dollar transnational fraud scheme. Ajay Sharma, a citizen of India who served as the director and owner of APS Technology, a telemarketing call center located in New Delhi, pleaded guilty this week in Central Islip federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent scheme targeting thousands of Americans. Four of Sharma’s co-conspirators - Bellrose resident Ankur Sharma, Queens Village resident Harpreet Singh, Hu…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield, CT
News
Employee At CT Used Car Dealership Admits To Role In Loan Fraud Scheme Employee At CT Used Car Dealership Admits To Role In Loan Fraud Scheme
Employee At CT Used Car Dealership Admits To Role In Loan Fraud Scheme An employee of an area car dealership has pleaded guilty to write fraud as part of an auto loan scheme. Justin Williams, 42, of Rocky Hill, pleaded guilty on Friday, Nov. 20, to taking part in the scheme at Car Nation in Middletown, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams worked as a salesman and de facto general manager at Car Nation, sometimes known as Middletown Motorcars, which was owned and operated by George Hajati.  In connection with automobile loan applications for multiple borrowe…

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by Kathy Reakes
North Hunterdon, NJ
News
NJ COVID-19 Scammer Pocketed $1.8M In Taxpayer-Funded Rescue Loans, Feds Charge NJ COVID-19 Scammer Pocketed $1.8M In Taxpayer-Funded Rescue Loans, Feds Charge
NJ Covid-19 Scammer Pocketed $1.8M In Taxpayer-Funded Rescue Loans, Feds Charge A North Jersey businessman fraudulently secured nearly $2 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic loans he wasn't entitled to, then diverted the money into accounts held by family members, including his young children, federal authorities charged. Rocco A. Malanga, 48, of Hackettstown, “used a variety of false statements to fraudulently obtain approximately $1.8 million in federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds meant for distressed small businesses,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said Thursday. He then diverted the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) money to “accounts under the control of his …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Cliffside Park-Edgewater, NJ
Police & Fire
Feds Pursue Bank Accounts, Mansion Bought By Bergen Lawyer With $9M In COVID Relief Funds Feds Pursue Bank Accounts, Mansion Bought By Bergen Lawyer With $9M In COVID Relief Funds
Feds Pursue Bank Accounts, Mansion Bought By Bergen Lawyer With $9M In COVID Relief Funds Federal authorities have moved to seize 11 bank accounts, an investment account and a million-dollar Cresskill home bought by a Cliffside Park lawyer accused of scamming lenders out of $9M intended for small businesses crippled by COVID-19. Jae H. Choi, 48, got the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds from three lenders on behalf of non-existent businesses that he claimed provided educational services, an indictment returned by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Newark alleges. Choi fabricated the existence of hundreds of employees, manipulated bank and tax records, and falsified a d…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Darien, CT
News
Darien Resident Loses $900 After Being Directed To ATM In Bitcoin Scam Darien Resident Loses $900 After Being Directed To ATM In Bitcoin Scam
Darien Resident Loses $900 After Being Directed To ATM In Bitcoin Scam A man posing as a member of the Social Security Administration bilked a Fairfield County resident out of nearly $1,000. A Darien resident reported to police that on Thursday, Aug. 6, she received a phone call from a man stating he was a member of the U.S. Social Security Administration. Police said the caller told the woman that she would not be receiving her next social security check because she was being investigated for alleged drug trafficking. The caller then stated that unless the woman sent him money, sheriffs would be coming to arrest and take her into custody. The woman said that…

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by Zak Failla
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Feds: Crew In NJ, NY, Michigan Conned Banks, Merchant Processors Out Of $3.5 Million Feds: Crew In NJ, NY, Michigan Conned Banks, Merchant Processors Out Of $3.5 Million
Feds: Crew In NJ, NY, Michigan Conned Banks, Merchant Processors Out Of $3.5 Million Federal agents arrested five people from New Jersey, New York and Michigan and were searching for two others Monday in connection with a $3.5 million bank fraud. Working together, the defendants defrauded several major banks and electronic merchant processors by creating shell companies that issued checks to one another, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. They also conducted “fraudulent credit card and debit card transactions between shell companies to fraudulently credit payee accounts and fraudulently overdraw payor accounts,” Carpenito said. The shell companies also issued temporary re…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Massapequa, NY
News
NY Green Light Law Allowing Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants Takes Effect NY Green Light Law Allowing Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants Takes Effect
NY Green Light Law Allowing Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants Takes Effect Thousands of undocumented immigrants living in New York will soon be able to obtain a valid driver’s license now that a new law has taken effect. The Green Light Law, which was signed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year, went into effect as of Monday, Dec. 16, allowing upwards of 80,000 people statewide to receive legal New York State driver’s licenses. "The Green Light law is legal and enforceable," New York Attorney General Letitia James said. "We expect all public officials to comply with the law. As the state's chief law enforcement officer, I’ll continue to vigorously …

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by Zak Failla
Hackensack, NJ
Police & Fire
ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam
ALERT: Bergen Sheriff Warns Citizens Not To Fall For Arrest-Threat Phone Scam Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton warned citizens again Tuesday about a phone scam by thieves impersonating department officers. The scammers are “spoofing” his office's general number, then posing as sheriff's officers threatening unsuspecting victims with arrest for what they say are outstanding summonses for failing to appear in court, he said. One scammer previously claimed to be with a "Division of Warrants and Citations" -- not an official title under the sheriff's command. “The Bergen County Sheriff's Office, IRS, Social Security, or any other legitimate business or governm…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Massapequa, NY
News
Ex-NYPD Member From Queens Stole More Than $130K In Benefits Intended For His Kids, Feds Say Ex-NYPD Member From Queens Stole More Than $130K In Benefits Intended For His Kids, Feds Say
Ex-nypd Member From Queens Stole More Than $130K In Benefits Intended For His Kids, Feds Say A former member of the NYPD is facing charges or allegedly stealing more than $130,000 in benefits over nearly a decade that were intended for his children. Queens resident Michael Conway, 60, was arrested early on Wednesday, Aug. 28, U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue announced. He is scheduled to appear later in the day in Brooklyn federal court for his initial appearance. It is alleged that Conway began receiving retirement, survivors and disabilities benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) in May 2009 for a work-related injury he suffered while employed by the NYPD. Donoghue…

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by Zak Failla
Massapequa, NY
News
Long Island Brothers, Queens Man Led $2M International Fraud Ring, Feds Say Long Island Brothers, Queens Man Led $2M International Fraud Ring, Feds Say
Long Island Brothers, Queens Man Led $2M International Fraud Ring, Feds Say Two brothers from Long Island and a man in Queens are facing charges for allegedly running a multi-million-dollar scheme by impersonating federal employees. Huntington residents Kamil Zafar, 51, Jamal Zafar, 48, and College Point resident Armughanul Asar, 68, were charged in Central Islip federal court with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money in furtherance of their fraudulent scheme directed at thousands of individuals in the United States. United States Attorney Richard Donoghue said that the three were arrested on Monday, Aug. 26 and are scheduled to be arraig…

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by Zak Failla
Stony Point, NY
News
Ex-NYPD Officer From Area Sentenced For Fraud, Tax Evasion Ex-NYPD Officer From Area Sentenced For Fraud, Tax Evasion
Ex-nypd Officer From Area Sentenced For Fraud, Tax Evasion A former NYPD officer from the area will spend time behind bars for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability benefits over two decades while continuing to work security at a strip club. Gerard Scparta, 54, of Campbell Hall in Orange County, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for obtaining approximately $630,000 in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and underreporting income on his taxes by approximately $268,000. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman noted that while Scparta was obtaining his disability benefits, he earned $1.6 million working as a sec…

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by Zak Failla
Middletown-Wallkill, NY
Police & Fire
Scammers Spoofing Phone Numbers Of State Agencies To Get Personal Info Scammers Spoofing Phone Numbers Of State Agencies To Get Personal Info
Scammers Spoofing Phone Numbers Of State Agencies To Get Personal Info State agencies in New York are cautioning residents to be wary of the latest scam to hit the area, this one involving opportunistic fraudsters posing as state officials. There has been a rash of reports of scammers spoofing official state phone numbers that will show up on caller IDs. The fraudsters then attempt to ascertain personal information. There have been reports of scammers posing as the New York State Inspector General’s Office, New York State Police, and the Social Security Administration in recent weeks. Several individuals have received phone calls from what appears to be a pri…

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by Zak Failla