Gloucester Township PD Stakeout Results in Arrest of Night Time Serial Car Bandit

Gloucester Township NJ (February 2, 2020)–On January 29, at approximately 1253 AM, Gloucester Township Police patrol officers and detectives were conducting a plainclothes surveillance stakeout operation in reference to series of unsecured vehicle burglaries and motor vehicle thefts. This car thief was preying on Gloucester Township

resident’s unlocked vehicles.

Thanks to multiple vigilant neighbors and the Gloucester Township Police Department’s partnership with Ring Neighbor’s Application, detectives developed a suspect and immediately began conducting

pro-active police operations to deter and capture this thief’s activity.

Plainclothes officers during the stakeout located the thief, identified as Justin Hill of Vineland, breaking in to several unsecured vehicles in the townhome community of Knoll Run Blackwood. During surveillance, Hill entered a silver Ford Focus, reported stolen out of Mays Landing NJ and left the development. Stakeout officers notified nearby marked patrol units and attempted to stop Hill driving the stolen vehicle. Hill fled and eluded police traveling down a one way street at a high rate of speed and completely disregarded a red traffic signal. Police located the stolen vehicle unoccupied on S. Venetia Ave. in Blenheim Gloucester Township. Hill fled on foot into a heavily wooded area and a perimeter was established. New Jersey State Police Air

Unit assisted and Gloucester Township Police K-9 Team was deployed on a track. After several hours,Hill was not located. Justin Hill was arrested by the Gloucester Township Police on 1/30/20 with the assistance of the Vineland Police Department. Hill was charged with several counts of Credit Card Theft (3rd/4th degree),

Receiving Stolen Property (35d degree), Eluding Police (2nd Degree), Burglary (3rd degree), and two (2) counts of Criminal Attempt Burglary (3rd degree). Hill was remanded to the Camden County Correctional

Facility pending a Central First Appearance in accordance with the New Jersey Criminal Reform Act.

Arrest: Justin Hill 25 YOA 700 block of E. Sherman Ave. Vineland NJ 08361

The arrest of this individual is another example of the pro-active law enforcement campaigns targeting these thieves who believe they can prey on the busy lifestyles of our residents. Thieves may think they

can continue this easy criminal activity, but eventually WE will find and ARREST you. The Gloucester Township Police Department will continue to attack criminal activity with new and innovative police

strategies, local police partnerships, and most importantly the partnership

Gloucester Township police are providing tips on how to prevent car burglaries. A vast majority of burglaries happen to unlocked cars, so police remind residents to lock their car doors.

– Don\’t leave valuables in plain sight. Offenders will look into the vehicle first to see if it is worth

breaking into;

– Park in a well-lit area in the evening hours;

– If you park in your garage, make sure you lock your garage

-Call Gloucester Township Police if you see anyone suspicious in the area. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Residents can contact our twenty four (24) hour Community Policing Dispatch Center at 856-228-4500 or simply call 911.

To sign up for the free Neighbors app click on the attached link:

https://shop.ring.com/pages/neighbors

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Why is ICE at the Super Bowl?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has been a constant presence at the Super Bowl for many years, having built and maintained a

successful partnership with the National Football League. This year, HSI personnel in Miami will work with a range of federal, state and local law enforcement partners throughout Super Bowl week to provide essential public safety measures in and around the city to help combat many of the criminal threats the league and host city might face leading up to and throughout the big game February 2, 2020.

Why is HSI involved in preventing the sale of counterfeit products?

The illegal manufacture and sale of counterfeit goods is one of the primary concerns of HSI, as it is for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the HSI-led

National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center)

, which includes many additional federal and international partners. It is criminal activity that endangers public health, harms the economy and restricts the competitiveness of U.S. products in the global market.

As part of those efforts, Operation Team Player, an ongoing effort developed by the IPR Center to crack down on the illegal importation of counterfeit sports apparel and merchandise, has worked through the year to identify warehouses, stores, flea markets, online vendors and street vendors selling counterfeit and game-related sportswear and tickets throughout the country. The IPR Center leads coordinated efforts with many of the United States’ major sporting leagues to target contraband that negatively impacts the economy, enables additional criminality and poses health and safety hazards to the public.

As in years past, effective teamwork will be the key to success on and off the field during Super Bowl LIV. For HSI, the size and scope of the task will again be met with personnel who are prepared to successfully execute the agency’s game plan and safeguard the city and everyone traveling to and from the Super Bowl.

With Super Bowl week winding down, the men and women of HSI remain hard at work, focused on ensuring the safety and security of everyone who has come to Miami for the game itself and all of the surrounding festivities.

As the Chiefs and the 49ers are finalizing their game plans with an eye on bringing home the coveted Lombardi trophy, members of HSI’s elite Special Response Teams are standing by at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, ready to move out at a moment’s notice and join their law enforcement partners throughout the region to provide whatever assistance may be needed.

Special agents and investigators with HSI’s IPR unit will also be busy until the opening kickoff, protecting fans by looking out for and arresting counterfeit ticket sellers and continuing to confiscate phony, sub-standard team merchandise in the parking lots and other areas around the stadium.

As the pre-game festivities wrap up Sunday afternoon, all that’s left are the words of country music legend Hank Williams, Jr. hanging in the air – “are you ready for some football?!”

PA Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell Guilty of Spending Charity Donations on Vacations/Luxury Items

By Kim Jarrett |

The Center Square

Harrisburg PA (January 2020)–A former Democratic state representative who officials say took money from her nonprofit and spent it on vacations and luxury items was sentenced to three months behind bars.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell (center) will resign from the Legislature and plead guilty to corruption charges, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Photo courtesy of Rep. Johnson-Harrell\’s website

Former Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell also was sentenced to 8½ months of house arrest, 11½ months on parole, and then two years of probation following her guilty plea to felony charges of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, perjury, and misdemeanor charges of tampering with public records, according to a statement from Attorney General Josh Shapiro. She pleaded no contest Thursday to two misdemeanor charges of reporting by political candidates and committees, statement of financial interests in a Philadelphia courtroom.

Johnson-Harrell was the founder of the Philadelphia-based Motivation, Education and Consultation Associates (MECA). The nonprofit operated personal care homes starting in 2013 for people who could not support themselves for a variety of reasons.

After officials found residents in unlivable conditions, the homes were abruptly shut down by MECA, “kicking residents to the curb, leaving them to find new living arrangements or enter into actual treatment,” Shapiro said when announcing the charges against Johnson-Harrell in December. “But Johnson-Harrell continued to collect monthly rent payments from MECA funds for these properties despite the fact that the organization was no longer using them.”

Johnson-Harrell diverted an estimated $500,000 to her personal and campaign accounts, according to Shapiro’s office.

“This Philadelphia community would have been in a better place had this former public official invested MECA’s money into the people who needed the care she promised,” Shapiro said. “Instead, the community received no help as Johnson-Harrell spent MECA money on fur coats, Porsche car payments and expensive vacations for herself.

Johnson-Harrell stepped down in December after Shapiro announced the charges, and she disputed some of the allegations against her but said she intended “to accept responsibility for any actions that were inappropriate.”

The legislative seat was formerly held by Democrat Vanessa Lowery Brown, who resigned after she was convicted in December of 2018 on bribery charges. Johnson-Harrell took office in March 2019 after winning a special election.

“Corruption erodes the trust that is built between government entities and citizens,” Shapiro said. “Philadelphia is entitled to honest services and, hopefully, the good people here will begin to receive them now that justice has been served.”

A special election to fill Johnson-Harrell’s seat will be held Feb. 25.

published here with permission of The Center Square

NJ Religious Leaders Guilty of Conspiracy To Evade Paying Millions in Taxes

NEWARK, N.J. – The leader and the main treasurer of the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ were sentenced to federal prison today for their respective roles in a scheme in which both men caused the church to pay millions of dollars in personal expenses for the leader that the leader then omitted from his personal tax returns, U.S Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jermaine Grant, 44, of Burlington Township, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Lincoln Warrington, 49, of Bergen County, New Jersey, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. Both men previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martini to Count One of the indictment against them, charging them with conspiring to defraud the United States. Judge Martini imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

Grant and Warrington used their leadership positions in the church to divert to Grant millions of dollars belonging to the church and its members for Grant’s personal use and benefit. The defendants used a variety of methods to carry out the scheme. For example, Grant and Warrington created a purported entertainment company that portrayed Grant as an industry mogul whose wealth was derived from his success in the industry, thereby concealing from church members that his lifestyle was supported entirely by the church and donations from its members. Grant and Warrington also used the church’s money to pay Grant’s other personal expenses, including payments for rental real estate properties, vacations, high-end luxury items, and private school tuition for Grant’s minor children. Grant, with Warrington’s assistance, then omitted these benefits from his individual income tax returns, resulting in the evasion of a substantial amount of tax due and owing to the United States. In total, Grant and Warrington concealed millions of dollars in income from the IRS, and failed to pay at least $250,000 in taxes.

The plea agreements in this matter include a requirement that the church will develop and present to the United States a plan designed to ensure the church’s compliance with applicable federal income tax laws going forward. Before the United States returns to the church certain cash and property seized during execution of the search warrants in this case, the compliance plan must address the disposition of that cash and property and ensure that they are returned for the benefit of the church rather than for the personal benefit of Jermaine Grant or any other individual.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Grant and Warrington to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, and IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret A. Mahoney, Senior Trial Counsel for the National Security Unit in Newark, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig.

Defense counsel:

Grant: Gerald Lefcourt Esq., New York

Warrington: Richard Levitt Esq., New York

Two-Year-Old and A Man Shot in Woodlynne

Camden, N.J. – The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Woodlynne Police Department are investigating the Thursday night shooting of a man and two-year-old child, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill Mayer and Woodlynne Public Safety Director Ed

Figueroa.

Police were called around 7:30 p.m. after the two victims showed up at an area hospital Jan. 30.

Detectives said the

man was shot in the upper body and the child was shot in the foot.

The man told detectives he was in his vehicle with the two-year-old and another man in the back seat at the intersection of 4

and Chestnut Streets when three men reportedly approached the car. After allegedly demanding money, one of the men fired multiple shots at the car, hitting the driver and the child.

Camden County Police received a ShotSpotter activation and assisted detectives at the hospital.

“Anyone who can open fire on a vehicle with a child inside is an extremely dangerous individual,” said Acting Prosecutor Mayer. “Our Major Crimes Unit is working hard with Woodlynne Police to find those responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Allison Dube-Smith at 856-225-7105 or Woodlynne Police Detective Edgar Feliciano at 856-535-6780.

Information may also be emailed to

ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org

All persons charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

Suspect Driving Under the Influence of Heroin Strikes 2 Vehicles on S. Broadway; 1 Injured

by CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (January 31, 2020)—Gloucester City Police responded to a traffic accident Thursday, January 30, around 10:20 AM after a car, driven by Jerry

Yelverton, crashed into two vehicles

waiting in traffic at the intersection

of South Broadway and

George Street. Several police vehicles along with the Gloucester City Fire Department responded to the scene according to a person who was passing by and saw the commotion.

Yelverton, according to Gloucester City Police Chief Brian Morrell was charged with possession of two bags of heroin. \”The 42-year-old male, who lives in the 200 unit block of Powell Street, admitted to police that he snorted a bag of heroin before the accident occurred,\” Morrell said.

Yelverton, along with one of the victims were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Morrell said at first it was thought the victim\’s injuries were not that serious. “But, doctors at the hospital said the victim had suffered head trauma and his injuries may be more serious than first thought.”

published Gloucestercitynews.net

Carlos Perez, of Pennsauken, Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. – A member of a Camden drug-trafficking organization pleaded guilty today to distributing significant amounts of illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Gloucestercitynews.net graphic

Carlos Perez, 46, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, admitted his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that was based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden; he pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, fentanyl and powder cocaine.

Twelve other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, Naeem Sadler, Jasmin Velez, Jameel Byng, Kaliel Johnson, and David Velez – previously have pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against six other defendants remain pending.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Members of the drug-trafficking organization sold heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and fentanyl – in and around Camden. An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the Camden drug-trafficking organization.

The count to which Perez pleaded guilty carries a mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of a life in prison, and a $10 million fine. His sentencing is scheduled for May 4, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster in Philadelphia; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.

This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

For the six defendants whose charges remain pending, the charges and allegations are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defense counsel: Teri Lodge Esq., Marlton, New Jersey

FBI News: Fraud Ring Leader Sentenced

A leader of an international criminal network that stole millions of dollars from two American businesses while pretending to be a legitimate vendor is now in prison.

Evaldas Rimasauskas was one of the orchestrators of the Lithuania-based business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Beginning in 2013, his employees regularly called the victim companies’ customer service numbers to glean as much information as they could about the companies. They asked for details like names of key employees and their contact information.

They also sent phishing emails that gave them access to the companies’ email systems—giving the fraudsters an even bigger trove of information about the victim companies.

“It was a big, sophisticated research effort,” said Special Agent Jonathan Polonitza, who investigated this case out of the FBI’s New York Field Office.

Armed with these details and two years of research, one of the fraudsters simply called the companies pretending to be a vendor. The caller told each company to change their bank account information for an upcoming payment.

The two companies wired several payments to the fraudulent accounts, adding up to more than $120 million.

And this is where Rimasauskas came in: He was in charge of setting up the fraudulent accounts and then immediately laundering the funds all over the world.

“Unfortunately, this is happening to a lot of companies because it’s a crime that can be committed from the other side of the world.”

Jonathan Polonitza, FBI New York

Luckily, the companies notified the FBI of the email intrusions. Investigators froze some of the funds before Rimasauskas and his associates could move the money. Rimasaukas had created a vast paper trail, including contracts, invoices, and other documents to try to make the transactions look legitimate.

But the FBI worked closely with partner agencies around the world to investigate Rimasaukas’ operation and bring him to the United States for prosecution. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges and was sentenced last December to five years in prison.

“Unfortunately, this is happening to a lot of companies because it’s a crime that can be committed from the other side of the world,” Polonitza said. “They also work very hard to remain anonymous.”

BEC is a growing crime—with a staggering price tag. Between 2013 and 2019, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received complaints of more than

$10 billion in losses

from the crime.

But there are things you can do to protect yourself and your business. And if you are victimized, it’s critical to notify law enforcement as soon as possible. In some cases, money can be recovered.

“It’s very important to be careful in opening any email attachments,” Polonitza said. “If something is suspicious, alert your company’s security. If you are a victim in a case like this, the sooner we know, the sooner we can help.”

If you or your company is affected by business email compromise, contact law enforcement immediately and file a complaint online with the IC3 at

bec.ic3.gov

Protect Yourself from BEC

The

Internet Crime Complaint Center

offers the following tips for both companies and individuals to stay safe from hackers looking to steal your money:

Use two-factor authentication to verify any changes to account information or wire instructions.

Check the full email address on any message and check the hyperlinks for spelling.

Never give login credentials or personal information in response to a text or email.

Monitor all financial accounts.

Keep all software and systems up to date.

Resources

Lithuanian Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Theft of Over $120 Million in Fraudulent Business Email Compromise Scheme

New Jersey Doctor Admit Roles in Health Care Fraud Scheme

TRENTON, N.J. – A doctor with offices in Washington, Hackettstown, and Succasunna, New Jersey, and his co-defendant today admitted their roles in a health care conspiracy to bill Medicare and private health insurance companies for medical services fraudulently claimed to have been provided by a licensed medical doctor, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Parminderjeet S. Sandhu, 66, of Long Valley, New Jersey, and Paramjit Singh, 62, of Ohio, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to informations charging them with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

“Dr. Sandhu defrauded Medicare and private insurers – and, worse, put his patients at risk – by allowing those patients to be treated by Singh, a man who had lost his medical license,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “Our office continues to work tirelessly to protect the integrity of federal healthcare programs and to make sure that patients do not suffer unnecessary harm from unscrupulous healthcare providers like these two defendants.”

“It\’s frightening to think that your doctor could be putting your health in the hands of someone who is practicing without a license,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. “Dr. Sandhu put his patients at risk while defrauding them as well as their insurers. The FBI remains committed to investing its resources to combat these types of schemes because patients have every right to expect that the care they are receiving is from a qualified medical professional who is acting in the patient\’s best interest. We urge anyone who is aware of healthcare fraud to contact us.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From August 2014 through October 2017, Sandhu and Singh caused $2,211,975 to be billed to Medicare and private health insurance companies for medical services claimed to have been provided by Sandhu at Sandhu’s medical practice, Medical Care Associates Urgent Care Inc. In reality, those services were actually performed by Singh, whom Sandhu had hired to treat patients, despite knowing that Singh had lost his license to practice medicine anywhere in the United States. Sandhu issued prescriptions – including prescriptions for opioids – in Sandhu’s name for patients seen by Singh, even though Sandhu never met with the patients himself. As a result of the conspiracy, Sandhu’s medical practice was paid $1,162,253 for treatment fraudulently provided by Singh.

Under terms of the plea agreement, if the court accepts the plea, each defendant will be sentenced to 18 months in prison. In addition, Sandhu and Singh have each agreed to pay $1,162,253 in restitution. Sandhu has agreed to forfeiture of $829,561 and Singh has agreed to forfeiture of $332,692. Sentencing is scheduled for April 28, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ehrie; the Warren County Prosecutor\’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and the Hackettstown, Roxbury and Washington Township police departments with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph N. Minish of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit.

Michael Hughes of Philadelphia Found Guilty of Two Robberies and Shootings

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Michael Hughes, 31, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted today at trial of two counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce, and two counts of using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence arising from two armed robbery and shooting incidents in August 2016.

In November 2017, Hughes and his co-defendant, Nashadeem Henderson, were charged in a five-count Indictment. The charges stem from Henderson’s and Hughes’s participation in an armed robbery and shooting of a marijuana dealer in the area of 2600 Allegheny Avenue in Philadelphia; and an armed robbery and shooting of a pizza deliveryman employed by Mimmo’s Pizza in the area of 3000 North Taney Street in Philadelphia. Henderson pleaded guilty prior to the trial.

“The defendants in this case had no regard for the lives of their victims – shooting at them indiscriminately, which could have easily killed them,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Philadelphia is in the midst of a public safety crisis, with alarming rates of homicides and shootings. This crisis will not be solved by pretending that it does not exist or by coddling violent criminals. It will be solved through accountability for violent acts, and my Office is doing everything it can to investigate and aggressively prosecute violent crimes like those here.”

“Two armed robberies and two victims shot, in just five days,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “And had Hughes and his accomplice not been stopped, it’s no stretch to imagine what further mayhem they might’ve caused. It’s incredibly fortunate no one was killed by these two, so willing to use violence as a means to their criminal end. The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who consider armed robbery a reasonable way to make themselves some money.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Reinitz and Roberta Benjamin.