$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…
Taylor Swift's Neighbor, Distinguished PA Educator-Turned-Art Dealer Pleads Guilty In Art Scam
A former Hill School admissions director and neighbor of pop icon Taylor Swift pleaded guilty to selling fake artwork he falsely claimed was created by some of the world’s most legendary artists, federal authorities announced on Tuesday, June 3.
Carter P. Reese, 77, of Reading, admitted in federal court on Thursday, May 29, to wire fraud and mail fraud for a two-year scheme that duped customers into buying forged works he said came from Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Once respect…
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…
Ping Pong-Sized Hail, 70 MPH Winds Threaten North Jersey, Lehigh Valley
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, for parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center said.
Residents in Philadelphia, Trenton, Allentown, Reading, and across North and Central Jersey are impacted, the NWS said.
“Isolated thunderstorms have developed over portions of the region,” the National Weather Service said in a Tuesday afternoon update. “The primary threat will be for hail and damaging winds across eastern PA and northern/central NJ.”
Threats include:
Scattered hail up to ping-pong ball size
Wind gusts …
$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…
