|
TRENTON WOMAN CHARGED WITH STEALING IDENTITIES AND BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION |
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, 28 October 2008 |
TRENTON – A Trenton woman was indicted today on charges she used a temporary placement in a state job to steal identities and bank account information which she used in schemes to steal thousands of dollars in money and services, Attorney General Anne Milgram announced.
Rhonda Coons, 51, of Trenton, was charged today in a state grand jury indictment with a series of thefts and attempted thefts in which she allegedly used the personal identifying information of two women and the bank account information of three lawyers and one title company.
Coons allegedly stole the information while working in a temporary placement as an administrative assistant for the Department of Community Affairs from April to November 2004. She worked for a temporary employment agency, Joule Staffing Services of Hamilton. Coons worked for DCA’s Coalition on Affordable Housing and handled closing documents for sales of affordable housing units, which included personal information of buyers and sellers, along with bank account information for lawyers and title companies involved in the transactions.
The indictment stems from an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice, Hamilton Police Department, Freehold Township Police Department, Bernardsville Police Department and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has multiple charges pending against Coons in separate cases, including identify theft, theft by deception and insurance fraud.
In connection with the indictment obtained today by the Division of Criminal Justice, Coons allegedly used the personal identifying information of one woman to obtain a credit card over the Internet in October 2006 which she used to make several thousand dollars in charges. She made some partial payments against the account, but left an unpaid balance of approximately $2,782. She also used the woman’s identity to open an account in 2004 with Cingular Wireless, through which she received approximately $373 in telephone services for which payment was not made.
Between November 2006 and April 2007, Coons allegedly used the bank account information for the title company and the three lawyers in an attempt to draw eight separate telephone checks totaling approximately $3,890 from the accounts to pay outstanding balances on the fraudulent credit card. She also allegedly tried to draw two telephone checks totaling approximately $421 from the title company account to make payments on her personal Cablevision account. All of the fraudulent telephone checks were discovered, usually by the account holder, and the payments were reversed by the banks.
Coons allegedly used the personal identifying information of the second woman to open an account in 2004 with Verizon, through which she obtained nearly $1,200 in telephone services for which payment was not made.
The investigation was conducted and coordinated for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau by Detective Robert Stemmer and Deputy Attorneys General David M. Fritch and Robert Czepiel. Fritch and Czepiel presented the case to the grand jury. Attorney General Milgram thanked the Hamilton Police Department, Freehold Township Police Department, Bernardsville Police Department and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office for assisting in the investigation. She also thanked the Department of Community Affairs for its valuable assistance.
The 10-count state grand jury indictment charges Coons with two counts of theft by deception (3rd and 4th degree), making false statements in procuring a credit card (4th degree), fraudulent use of a credit card (3rd degree), four counts of attempted theft by deception (3rd degree), and two counts of identity theft (3rd degree).
Third-degree charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $15,000 fine, while fourth-degree charges carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Gerald J. Council in Mercer County. A copy of the indictment is linked to this release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
Coons is being held in the Mercer County Jail without bail for a violation of her probation stemming from a 2006 theft charge.
|
|
|
Tres Hombres de NJ acusados de presunta distribución de pornografía infantil en Internet |
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, 28 October 2008 |
TRENTON - La Fiscal General Anne Milgram informó un jurado investigador abrió cargos por separado en contra de tres hombres fueron acusados de presunta distribución de pornografia Internet. Los tres acusados son parte de más de tres docenas de personas que fueron arrestadas en octubre del año pasado, como parte de la Operacion “Silent Shield”, que se centró en ofensores que ilegalmente distribuyen imágenes y videos de pornografia infantil a través del Internet.
Thomas Palmer, de 26 años, residente en Waretown, fue acusado de dos cargos de distribución de pornografia infantil en segundo grado y otro cargo por posesión de un video de pornografia infantil en segundo grado. Entre los meses de agosto y octubre de 2007, Palmer, a sabiendas, utilizó el Internet para compartir archivos de software y a su vez crear otros archivos con pornografía infantil fácilmente accesibles para cualquier otro usuario al descargar de una designada "carpeta compartida" en su computadora. El 3 de octubre de 2007, se efectuó una orden de allanamiento en la casa del sospechoso, efectuado por la Policia estatal de New Jersey y presuntamente reveló una docena de “clips” de películas de pornografía infantil en la computadora de Palmer.
Una segunda acusación se abrió en contra de John A. Dziegiel, de 56 años, residente en Holmdel, por dos cargos de distribución de pornografia infantil en segundo grado y uno por posesión de un video de pornografia infantil en cuarto grado.Entre julio y septiembre de 2007, Dziegiel a sabiendas utilizó el Internet para compartir archivos de software y a su vez crear multiples archivos con pornografia infantil facilmente accesible a cualquier otro usuario al descargar de una designada “carpeta compartida” en su computadora.El 27 de septiembre de 2007, los investigadores de la Policia Estatal efectuaron una orden de allanamiento en la casa de Dziegiel y encontraron más de 200 imágenes de pornografia infantil en su computadora.
En una tercera acusación, Keith Conroy, de 43 años, residente en Abesecon,enfrenta dos cargos por distribucion de pornogragfia infantil en segundo grado y otro por posesión de video de pornografia infantil en segundo grado. Entre julio y octubre de 2007, Conroy a sabiendas utilizó el Internet para compartir archivos de software y a su vez crear múltiples archivos con pornografia infantil facilmente accesible a cualquier otro usuario al descargar de una designada “carpeta compartida” en su computadora. El 4 de octubre de 2007, los investigadores de la Policia Estatal efectuaron una orden de allanamiento en la casa de Conroy y encontraron tres videos de pornografia infantil en su computadora.
|
|
|
Thirteen Arrested In Underage Drinking Sting |
|
|
|
|
Sunday, 26 October 2008 |
TRENTON - Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Director Jerry Fischer announced that 13 people - two bartenders and eleven patrons - were arrested last night (Oct. 23) as a result of the Division’s College Initiative underage drinking enforcement program.
According to Director Fischer, undercover detectives assigned to ABC entered Buda Bar and Grill, located at 234 Somerset Street, New Brunswick, at about 10:30 p.m. ABC investigators arrested two bartenders for selling alcohol to underage patrons. Sara J. Walker, 20, Egg Harbor, was arrested for selling alcohol to underage patrons as well as consuming it herself; and Jessica M. Laffey, 21, of North Brunswick, was arrested for selling alcohol to underage patrons. Buda Bar and Grill is located near the Rutgers University Campus.
The following patrons were also arrested at the same bar for underage drinking: Christine Kaminski, 19, of Middletown; Dana Cutillo, 18, of Pompton Plains; Michael Putchok, 18, of Staten Island; Danielle Guenther, 20, of Edison; Caitlin Saranczak, 19, of Edison; and Susan Maco, 20, Nicholas LaForgia, 19, Christine Shamy, 20, and Kiwana Semambya, 19, all of Piscataway.
Director Fischer noted that Buda Bar and Grill’s liquor license will be reviewed by ABC for possible administrative charges. Those charges could result in the suspension of the bar’s alcoholic beverage license. Charges for selling alcohol to underage patrons are disorderly person’s offenses, and penalties include fines of at least $500. Charges of underage drinking are disorderly person’s offenses, and penalties include fines as well as suspensions of drivers’ licenses.
Also last night, ABC detectives arrested a 23-year-old patron at Chili’s Grill and Bar, located at 363 Route 18 in East Brunswick, for buying a drink for an underage patron. Michael Leibold, 23, of Somerville, was arrested for buying an alcoholic beverage and providing it to Rachel Ellner, 19, of East Brunswick. Ellner was arrested for consuming the alcohol.
Members of the New Brunswick Police Departments assisted ABC in the arrests.
In announcing the arrests, Director Fischer noted that the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control has established a toll-free hotline for citizens to report illegal activity to ABC’s Investigative Unit. Anyone with information on illegal activity is encouraged to call 1-866-713-8392. All information received via the ABC hotline will remain confidential.
|
|
|
BURLINGTON COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO STATE PRISON ON FIRST-DEGREE COCAINE CHARGE |
|
|
|
|
Sunday, 26 October 2008 |
TRENTON – A Burlington County man was sentenced to state prison today for possessing more than 5 ounces of cocaine that he intended to distribute, Attorney General Anne Milgram announced.
James Ellis, 47, of Mt. Holly, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in state prison, including five years and three months of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge Patricia R. LeBon in Burlington County. Ellis pleaded guilty on June 20 to a charge of first-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Ellis also must forfeit $7,500 seized at the time of his arrest.
Deputy Attorney General Andrew M. Butchko prosecuted the case and handled today’s sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau.
The charge was contained in a state grand jury indictment obtained on April 9 as a result of an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Organized Crime Control Bureau - Street Gang Central Unit, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Division of Criminal Justice.
As a result of the investigation, members of the State Police and the ATF Violent Gang Task Force arrested Ellis at his Mill Street home in Mount Holly on Oct. 15, 2007. Detectives searched Ellis and his residence and recovered more than 5 ounces of cocaine.
Ellis was also sentenced today in a separate case on a charge filed by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office of third-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Judge LeBon sentenced Ellis to four years in state prison with two years of parole ineligibility on that charge, with the sentence to run concurrently with the sentence on the first-degree charge.
|
|
|
HUDSON COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OVER INTERNET |
|
|
|
|
Sunday, 26 October 2008 |
TRENTON - Attorney General Anne Milgram announced that a Hudson County man pleaded guilty today to distributing child pornography on the Internet. The defendant was among more than three dozen people arrested in October 2007 as part of “Operation Silent Shield,” an investigation that targeted offenders who distributed known images and videos of child pornography via the Internet.
At the guilty plea hearing, Luis Torres, 23, of Bayonne, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Paul M. DePascale in Hudson County to second-degree distribution of child pornography. In pleading guilty, Torres admitted that between Aug. 10 and Sept. 25, 2007, he knowingly used Internet file sharing software to make multiple files containing child pornography readily available for any other user to download from a designated “shared folder” on his computer. A search warrant executed by the New Jersey State Police on Sept. 25, 2007 revealed evidence of child pornography on Torres’s computer.
The Digital Technology Investigation Unit of the New Jersey State Police coordinated the investigation. Deputy Attorney General Lee D. Schwartz represented the Division of Criminal Justice at the guilty plea hearing.
Torres is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12.
|
|
|
Press Releases
