Drunk Birthday Hit-And-Run Leaves Woman In Coma: Bethlehem Police
A drunk driving hit-and-run that left a young woman in a coma has ended in a guilty verdict, prosecutors announced on Tuesday, April 28.
Leroy Mendez, 37, of Bethlehem, was found guilty following a non-jury trial on charges including aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, accidents involving death or personal injury, insurance fraud, and DUI-related offenses, according to the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges stem from a crash on the unit block of East 4th Street around 1:32 a.m. on July 19, when 24-year-old Erykah Ramos was standing next to a…
Rockville Centre Man Dodged $600K In Workers’ Comp Premiums: DA
A construction company owner who underreported more than $3.5 million in payroll to dodge workers’ compensation premiums has been sentenced, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Mahendranauth Khargie, 36, and his Queens-based iron and erection company, GC Stud Inc., pleaded guilty on Oct. 21 to Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree, a felony. The company also pleaded guilty to failing to secure required workers’ compensation coverage, prosecutors said.
The pair were sentenced on Tuesday, Dec. 2, to a Conditional Discharge and ordered to pay $625,000 in…
Florida Man Caught Driving Stolen SUV In Palisades Park, Police Say
A Florida man is facing multiple charges after police say they found him driving a stolen SUV in Bergen County.
On Sunday, Aug. 24, at approximately 10:17 p.m., Ptl. Det. Michael McDermott conducted a motor vehicle stop on a white Honda CRV with Florida registration in Palisades Park, according to Police Chief George Beck.
Upon speaking with the driver, identified as Ken Fernandez, 36, of Hollywood, FL, Ptl. Det. McDermott noticed the driver’s door lock cylinder was missing, Beck said. The officer determined that multiple different VINs were on the vehicle, the chief noted.
The car was imp…
Port Jervis Man Collected Over $42K In Worker's Comp Checks Issued To Dead Mother
An Orange County man has admitted to illegally collecting more than $42,000 in workers’ compensation benefits by continuing to cash checks issued to his mother after her death, state officials announced.
Port Jervis resident Randi L. Magpie pleaded guilty on Thursday, July 31, to one count of third-degree grand larceny and one count of petit larceny, the New York State Offices of the Inspector General announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
The fraudulent scheme began after Magpie’s mother, Linda Chaney, passed away on April 1, 2022. At the time of her death, she had been receiving weekly wor…
$1M Cross-Country Title-Washing Ring Used Stolen Porsches, Audis, BMWs In PA: AG
A high-end title-washing ring based in central Pennsylvania profited more than $1 million by selling stolen luxury cars from Florida, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
The fraudulent operation was allegedly led by 44-year-old Anthony E. Troncoso, who, with a network of 12 others, used fake documents to “wash” vehicle titles, then sold over two dozen stolen cars to private buyers, dealers, and auction houses between 2022 and 2023, according to AG Sunday.
The vehicles—many of them Porsches, Audis, BMWs, Land Rovers, and other high-end brands—were stolen in Florida. …
Colonia Doctor Indicted In Sex Assaults Across 3 NJ Counties, Attorney General Says
A Middlesex County doctor accused of sexually assaulting patients at urgent care centers in three New Jersey counties has been indicted, authorities said.
Gurvindra Johal, 57, of Colonia, was charged with two counts of sexual assault, 11 counts of criminal sexual contact, and two counts of falsifying or tampering with medical records, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Thursday, June 19.
The incidents happened in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Essex counties, according to Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice. Investigators say five incidents happened in Middlesex County, three …
Newburgh Mall Inferno Was Alleged Insurance Fraud By Salon Operator With $100K In Debt: DA
A nail salon owner has been charged with arson and insurance fraud after investigators say she intentionally set fire to her nail salon inside an Orange County mall to collect insurance money.
Walden resident Dao Duong, 50, was arrested and charged with five crimes, including third-degree arson, second-degree insurance fraud, and attempted grand larceny, in connection with an August 2022 blaze at the Newburgh Mall, the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, June 17.
According to prosecutors, the case dates back to the morning of August 16, 2022, when…
Great Neck Doctor Pocketed $100K In Disability While Raking In $700K From Medicare, DA Says
A Long Island doctor is accused of collecting $100,000 in disability while secretly billing Medicare for $700,000.
Joseph Golyan, 64, a former gastroenterologist from Great Neck, was arraigned on multiple grand larceny charges in Nassau County Court on Monday, June 9, with prosecutors alleging he maintained a thriving medical practice while falsely claiming to be too injured to work.
The alleged scheme began in 2021, when Golyan first applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), followed by early retirement benefits in 2022. He received monthly payments ranging from $2,900 to o…
Police Officer From Accokeek Filed Fake Reports, Vandalized Cars For Insurance Payouts: Feds
Two former police officers in Maryland used their badges to file fake theft reports, vandalize cars, and collect payouts—with one even taking a $1,000 Cash App bribe, prosecutors said.
Now, they face justice.
Michael Anthony Owen Jr., 36, of Accokeek, and Jaron Earl Taylor, 31, of Fort Washington, pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a wide-ranging insurance fraud scheme, according to the US Attorney’s Office on Tuesday, June 3.
Owen admitted to falsifying records, while Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Both were working as officers—Owen with…
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…
$129K Scam: Contractor Tried Bilking Elderly Franklin Square Couple, DA Says
The president of a construction company tried scamming an elderly Long Island couple out of nearly $130,000 in a home repair scheme, prosecutors alleged.
Clifford Whitaker, 43, was arraigned on insurance fraud and related charges in Nassau County Court on Thursday, April 3.
An investigation found that Whitaker, president of the Jefferson-based New Dawn Construction, targeted an 80-year-old man and his 71-year-old wife at their Franklin Square home, claiming he noticed damage to their roof, prosecutors said.
He allegedly offered to fix the issue for $2,500—then returned over the next severa…
Milford Man, His 'Mules' Scammed $50K Worth Of iPhones Through Insurance Scheme: Police
A Connecticut man accused of running an elaborate $50,000 iPhone insurance scam was arrested this week after a months-long investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies, authorities said.
Esmaylin Delacruz, 37, of Milford, was taken into custody Thursday, Jan. 30, and charged with conspiracy to commit larceny, first-degree larceny, and insurance fraud, Connecticut State Police said.
Investigators say Delacruz used a network of "mules" to open accounts with multiple wireless carriers and file fraudulent claims to obtain new Apple iPhones. Those devices, police said, were later fu…
Former State College Psychologist Groomed, Sexually Assaulted Girl For Years: AG
A former State College-area psychologist groomed and sexually assaulted a young girl over an eight-year period, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced on Thursday, Dec. 19.
Richard Lenhart, 63, of Bellefonte, used his position of trust to target the victim, sexually abusing her between 2005 and 2013 in the State College area, according to the Attorney General's office.
The victim testified during the trial that Lenhart began grooming her at a young age before subjecting her to repeated acts of sexual assault, including rape and indecent assault, the release states.
Lenhart …
$1.3M Insurance Fraud Scheme: Yonkers Man Accused Of Plotting His Own House Fire, DA Says
A Westchester man is facing charges for allegedly orchestrating an arson scheme to burn down his home and claim over $1.3 million in insurance money, officials announced.
Yonkers resident Majid Haddad, also known as Peter Haddad, age 59, was arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 17, by Yonkers Police and arraigned Wednesday, Dec. 18, on a six-count indictment, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah said.
According to Rocah, Haddad allegedly conspired with a man to set fire to his single-family home on Odell Avenue in Yonkers between Feb. 20 and Feb. 28, 2021. Investigators said Haddad …
Two Philadelphia Men Convicted In Arson That Killed Firefighter Lt. Sean Williamson
Two Philadelphia men have been convicted for their roles in a 2022 arson fire that killed Lt. Sean Williamson, a 27-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
Al-Ashraf Khalil, 31, and Isaam Jaghama, 31, were found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit malicious damage by fire and malicious damage by fire of a building used in interstate commerce, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. Khalil was also convicted of wire fraud and using fire in furtherance of wire fraud.
The fire, set in the early hours of J…
Fake Urine Tests By Married PA Doctors Lead To Millions In Restitution: Usdoj
A husband and wife team of Pennsylvania doctors have been sentenced for a urine drug test fraud, the US Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Physician with specialized training in anesthesiology, John H. Johnson and his physician wife, Paula Z. Johnson, both age 62, of Hollidaysburg, were sentenced for committing fraud by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner on Tuesday, Sept. 17, as detailed in the USDOJ release.
Dr. John Johnson received a sentence of 97 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. D…
