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Two People Tried to Get Bribe From Union Township Business Owner: AG
Two people were charged on Thursday, June 5, with trying to get a bribe from a Union Township business owner, claiming a personal connection with an official in the township, authorities said.
Steven Carr, a 54-year-old Staten Island resident, and Whitney DaSilva, a 38-year-old Kearny resident face charges of bribery and conspiracy, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Carr also faces charges of theft by deception, Platkin said.
Between February and May 2024, the owner of a Union Township business was involved in administrative proceedings with the township related to his estab…
$23.5K Immigration Scam Busted: Harrisburg Woman Accused Of Duping Local Family
A Harrisburg woman pocketed $23,500 from a man trying to bring his family from Vietnam to the U.S.—then vanished, Swatara Township police detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Thursday, June 5.
Gracie Deguia-Reed, 54, is accused of orchestrating an immigration sponsorship scheme that unraveled over five months. The victim told police he made several cash payments—$7,500, two installments of $3,000, and a final $10,000—in hopes of helping six relatives emigrate to the U.S.
Text messages and hand-written receipts provided by the victim show Deguia-Reed claimed she could spons…
Teaneck Volunteer Stole $36K From Non-Profit: Prosecutor
A Teaneck woman is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a Bergen County non-profit using fake checks and a stolen identity, prosecutors said.
Karen A. McEvoy, 57, was arrested on Friday, May 30, and charged with theft by deception, forgery, and impersonation, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
An investigation began in February 2025, when the Teaneck Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit about an alleged theft at a non-profit based in Bergen County.
Investigators learned that McEvoy, who had been volunteering…
Exclusive: NJ Woman Accused Of Scamming SZA Now Charged In $560K Lancaster Hospital Fraud Case
A New Jersey woman who allegedly scammed Grammy-winning singer SZA and launched a suicide fundraiser is now criminally charged with stealing over $560,000 in hospital services by faking sickle cell anemia, authorities announced on Wednesday, May 28.
Taleah Javon McKnight, 30, is facing one felony count each of Theft by Deception and Theft of Services, according to East Hempfield Township police and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
McKnight has previously lived at addresses in Roselle Park and Rahway, Union County, as well as Carteret, Middlesex County, New Jersey, accor…
Kutztown Man Faked Landlord Role To Steal $14K From Opioid Housing Program: Berks DA
A Kutztown man posed as a landlord to steal thousands of dollars meant to help recovering addicts get housing, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams announced on Thursday, May 22.
Kody A. Kirkland, 32, forged documents, faked pay stubs, and filed phony applications to cash in on the State Opioid Response (SOR) Rental Assistance Program, according to county detectives. The taxpayer-funded program, managed by the Treatment Access and Services Center, Inc. (TASC), was created to help people struggling with addiction keep a roof over their heads.
Instead, investigators say Kirkland turne…
$100K Fairfield Scammer Turned Fugitive Busted At Southern Border, Police Say
A 56-year-old Mexican man has pleaded guilty to theft charges in Fairfield months after he fled the country, only to be captured at the southern border, authorities said.
On Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, an employee at Care by Dank's on Route 46 in Fairfield received a phone call from someone pretending to be with FedEx, Fairfield police said. During the conversation, the employee was told to obtain all the money from the business safes and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine, police said.
The caller, later identified as Jose Renteria-Medellin, told the employee this was urgent an…
Pet Owners Scammed Out Of $650K In Cremation Scheme, Thousands Of Pets Dumped In Landfill: AG
A Pittsburgh funeral home owner stole over $650,000 from thousands of grieving pet owners by promising private cremations, but instead dumped the animals in a landfill and returned ashes from unknown sources, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Monday, April 28.
Patrick Vereb, 70, the owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial, is charged with Felony Theft by Deception, Felony Receiving Stolen Property, and Felony Deceptive Business Practices, according to Sunday.
Investigators say Vereb took payments for private cremations, burials, and ash returns between 202…
Glenside Agent Faked 332 Life Insurance Policies, Laundered $600K In Commissions: PA AG
A Montgomery County life insurance agent forged hundreds of policies using unsuspecting people’s identities to steal more than $600,000 in commissions, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Tuesday, April 15.
Dennis Wright, 42, of Glenside, is accused of creating 332 fake life insurance policies between June 2020 and February 2022, forging personal details and signatures — without the victims’ knowledge or consent — to earn sales commissions from National Guardian Life Insurance (NGL), investigators said.
Wright then funneled the $603,000 he received through multiple fake b…
Ex-NJ State Worker, East Orange Woman Among 10 Accused Of COVID Relief Theft: AG
Ten people, including a former state employee, were indicted last month for illegally collecting unemployment benefits and other crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said.
Vanessa Allen, an East Orange resident, Jeffson Cues, a Newark resident, Nerlande Etienne, an Irvington resident and Rose Allen, an East Orange resident, collected unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled, Platkin said.
Allen was hired to work as a clerk for the Department of Labor during the pandemic, at the same time she was collecting unemployment benefits, Platkin said. She is charg…
$750K Stolen From Family, Friends In Financial Scam: Berks DA
A Berks County man is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from family and friends over the course of more than a decade, authorities announced on Monday, April 7.
Santiago J. Torres, 41, of Sinking Spring, has been charged with 17 counts of Felony Theft by Deception, 11 counts of Felony Identity Theft, 11 counts of Felony Forgery, and seven counts of Felony Access Device Used to Obtain or Attempt to Obtain Property, according to Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams.
Detectives launched an investigation in August 2024 after multiple victims came forward with concer…
Garfield Travel Agent Stole $896K From 82 Clients, 3 Friends She Impersonated: Prosecutor
A Bergen County woman is facing a laundry list of charges after allegedly stealing nearly $900,000 through identity theft and bogus travel bookings, authorities said.
Bhavna Anand, 39, of Garfield, was arrested on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Saddle Brook following a months-long investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck, according to Prosecutor Mark Musella.
It began in May 2024, when the Lodi Police Department flagged an alleged theft scheme involving Anand.
Investigators say that between January 2017 and Dece…
Carousel Con: Former Pottstown Board Member Stole $300K To Settle Debt, DA Says
A former board member of the Carousel at Pottstown foundation stole $300,000 from the nonprofit to pay off a personal civil judgment, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, March 21.
Adam Sager, 56, of Sarasota, Florida, has been charged with multiple felonies including theft by deception, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, forgery, and dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activity, according to DA Kevin Steele.
Sager, a licensed Pennsylvania attorney, formerly practiced law in Pottstown. According to his law firm bio, he attended Ursinus C…
Exclusive: SZA Allegedly Scammed By NJ Woman Wanted For $600K+ Lancaster County Hospital Fraud
A New Jersey woman accused of defrauding Pennsylvania hospitals out of more than $600,000 while raising money for assisted suicide has also been accused of scamming Grammy-winning singer SZA.
Taleah McKnight, 30, also known as Abygail Brooks, Chemory Brooks, Taleah Brooks, Leah Osei, and Leah Javon has an active arrest warrant for theft by deception and theft of services, East Hempfield Township Police in Lancaster County announced and Daily Voice previously reported.
McKnight has lived at addresses in Roselle Park and Rahway in Union County as well as Carteret, Middlesex County, New…
Exclusive: NJ Woman Wanted For $600K PA Hospital Fraud Launches Suicide Fundraiser
A New Jersey woman— with ties to multiple other states — is wanted for allegedly defrauding Pennsylvania hospitals of more than $600,000 by faking a sickle cell diagnosis and has been raising money online for assisted suicide in Switzerland, Pennsylvania State Police announced and GoFundMe confirmed to Daily Voice on Tuesday, March 18.
Taleah McKnight, 30, also known as Abygail Brooks, Chemory Brooks, Taleah Brooks, and Leah Osei, has an active arrest warrant for theft by deception and theft of services, East Hempfield Township Police in Lancaster County said on Thursday, March 14.
McK…
Cinnaminson Firefighter Stole $10K From Union, Spent It On Food: Prosecutor
A 38-year-old New Jersey firefighter was arrested and charged on Monday, March 10, with stealing $10,000 from a labor union representing first responders, authorities said.
Tull,a Williamstown resident and a firefighter in Cinnaminson, was treasurer of a union that represented firefighters and EMTs throughout Burlington County, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said.
An investigation revealed Tull used the union's debit card to withdraw $6,300 from ATMs, which he then put into his personal account, Bradshaw said. Tull illegally utilized the union’s debit card to spend $3,384…
Mafia Hoax: Fake Kidnapping Photos By Lancaster Man Prompts Friends To Call London Police, FBI
A Lancaster County man faked his own Mafia abduction—complete with staged beatings, a gun to his head, and ransom demands—scamming victims out of more than $126,000 before law enforcement unraveled his elaborate scheme, authorities said.
Joshua B. Fernando, 27, of Salisbury Township, was sentenced to six to 23 months in prison followed by two years of probation after pleading guilty to felony theft by deception, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Fernando convinced his victims that he had traveled to Europe on business in May 2024 but soon call…
Counterfeit Cash Chase Shuts Down Route 4 In Paramus, Two Arrested: Police
A police chase that spilled onto Route 4 in Paramus brought traffic to a halt Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 25 as officers pursued a suspect tied to a counterfeit cash scheme, authorities said.
The incident unfolded around 4:30 p.m. when Paramus and River Edge police began pursuing men later identified as Corey Jones, 29, of Roosevelt, NY, and Isaiah Corbin, 46, of Queens, NY, in connection with fake U.S. currency being used at the Bergen Town Center, Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said.
The River Edge Police Department had alerted Paramus officers to a 2019 white Chrysler Pacifica suspecte…
Beachwood Code Enforcement Officer Admits To Using Job For Own Benefit, Prosecutors Say
A 58-year-old former code enforcement officer for the Borough of Beachwood admitted on Tuesday, Feb. 18 to using his job to line his own pockets, authorities said.
Michael Ruvo, a Toms River resident, pleaded guilty to theft by deception and tampering with public records and is expected to be sentenced to 364 days in jail, Prosecutor Bradley Billhmer said.
In June 2022, Ruvo, while working for Beachwood, issued a code enforcement violation to a property owner on Tiller Avenue, Billhimer said. The property owner contacted Ruvo advising she had received an estimate to bring the property up to…
Hanover Daughter, Son-In-Law Trap Mom Behind Dog Gate During Vacation: PA AG
In a horrifying case of betrayal and neglect, Ashlee and Brian Brady, both 32, of Hanover, are charged with locking Ashlee’s elderly mother in a basement behind a dog gate with only hot dogs and water, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
The woman, found soiled and confined in February 2024, was rescued by Emergency Medical Services after a relative’s desperate call. Investigators say the Bradys abandoned her during an overnight family getaway and spent over $10,000 of her money on vacations, alcohol, and personal luxuries.
Ashlee Brady, entrusted with power of att…
$77K+ Stolen From Family Member By Ephrata Man: Police
An Ephrata man is accused of forging more than 50 checks from a family member’s account, stealing nearly $78,000, Fairview Township police announced on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Michael Edward Lamarque, 33, of Charles Street, was arrested following an investigation into fraudulent checks reported in September 2024, authorities said.
Investigators determined Lamarque forged and passed 53 checks totaling $77,950 from a relative’s personal bank account, police said. The thefts occurred at a residence on Terrace Place in New Cumberland.
Lamarque was taken into custody on Feb. 3 and charged with fe…
