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Contractor Admits Stiffing Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Nearly $500G For No-Show Work
UPDATE: An electrical supervisor from Bergen County admitted soaking the Hudson Bergen Light Rail for nearly a half-million dollars worth of no-show work, including while he was vacationing in Florida, federal authorities said.
Joseph Ferrara, 56, of North Arlington, "submitted claims for compensation covering hundreds of hours relating to work allegedly performed during regular, overtime and double time hours" that was, in fact, never done, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said.
Ferrara, who worked as an electrical supervisor for a subcontractor hired by the light rail system,…
Former Bucks Hospital Director Pleads Guilty To Stealing $600K From Charitable Account: DA
A one-time director of Doylestown Hospital pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars on Monday, April 15, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.
Norma Galagarza, 68, of Chalfont, was previously accused of siphoning over $600,000 from a corporate account filled with charitable donations, Daily Voice reported.
On Monday, she entered an open guilty plea to felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, forgery, access device fraud, and computer trespass, the DA's Office said.
She was sentenced to five years' pr…
Delco Youth Club Treasurer Purchased Eagles Tickets, Vacationed Lavishly With Stolen $136K: DA
The treasurer of a Delaware County-based youth sports non-profit organization has been arrested on accusations she stole more than $136,000 from it, authorities said.
Kathleen "Kathy" Hammond, 54, of Springfield, has served as the treasurer of the Springfield Youth Club (SYC) since 2018, but was terminated amid the accusations, the county's District Attorney said.
Hammond used the money on an "array of personal expenses," including vacations, concerts, and tickets to Eagles games, DA Jack Stollsteimer said.
Hammond admitted to the thefts when SYC confronted her about missing funds fro…
$70K Scheme: Dix Hills Soccer Club President Embezzles Funds From Organization, DA Says
The president of a Long Island soccer club faces grand larceny charges after allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the organization he led, officials announced.
Suffolk County resident Matthew Dickson, age 44, of Dix Hills, was indicted on grand larceny charges for the embezzlement of over $70,000 from the Dix Hills Soccer Club while he was Vice President and President of the organization, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
According to Tierney's office, between April and November 2022, Dickson was responsibl…
Westfield CFO Once Sued By Firm Accused Of Embezzling $1.5M
A 61-year-old Westfield resident was charged with embezzling more than $1.5 million from the law firm where he worked as chief financial officer, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said.
John Dunlea was the CFO at McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, a national law firm based in Morristown, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.
Between 2017 and 2022, Dunlea misappropriated funds from the firm by paying himself $1.2 million. He also rung up $355,256 in charges on the company credit card, paying for flights, hotels and restaurants for himself and his family, Platki…
Elderly Bergen Couple's Trusted Personal Assistant Stole $2.9M Of Their Money, Feds Charge
An elderly Bergen County couple had $2.9 million stolen by a now-former Ridgewood Public Library tech administrator whom they'd hired to be a part-time assistant at their home, federal authorities said following his arrest.
Charles Gallo, 34, of Hawthorne, was responsible for managing the victims’ monthly bills, handling their banking and helping them with email and other issues involving technology after being hired in 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
The couple trusted Gallo with their personal bank accounts, credit card accounts, online retail accounts and email, the U.S. at…
Feds: Crooked Bookkeeper Admits Embezzling $900G From Restaurants In NJ, NY, PA (Update)
A bookkeeper from New Jersey admitted in federal court that he embezzled more than $900,000 from restaurants he worked for in the Garden State, New York and Pennsylvania, authorities said.
Richard Winter, 53, of Pompton Lakes authorized bank wire transfers from some of them, pocketed vendor payments to others and issued checks payable to cash that he then deposited into his own bank accounts, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said.
Winter serviced the clients' accounts payable through a company he created called Back Office Pro, a complaint on file in federal court in Newark say…
Feds: NJ Woman, 77, Embezzles $1M In Benefits Intended For Aunt Who Died In 1998
For the past 25 years, a South Orange woman has fraudulently collected more than $1 million in federal benefits intended for her dead aunt, authorities charged.
Janis Miller -- who is now 77 years old -- even went as far as trying to impersonate her aunt in a phone conversation with a Social Security worker, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
However, she couldn’t come up with her aunt’s exact birthdate – just an approximation, he said.
The embezzlement scheme came apart after that.
Miller was brought before a federal judge in Newark on Thursday, Dec. 21, and was released on a $100,0…
Trenton Lead Inspectors Admit Inflating Overtime Pay: Feds
Two Trenton lead inspectors admitted that they received nearly $55,000 in illegal overtime pay from the city for hours they did not work, federal authorities said.
Michael Ingram, 71, of Trenton, and William Kreiss, 40, of Yardley, PA, pleaded guilty in Trenton federal court to conspiracy to embezzle, steal, and obtain by fraud from the city of Trenton, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Trenton’s Department of Health and Human Services was required to provide services to identify lead sources in homes in Trenton where children had tested positive for elevated levels of lead in their …
Repeat Embezzler Absconds To Germany With Bergen Realtor’s $600,000
A convicted embezzler who’d apparently made a fresh start fled to Germany with $600,000 of a Bergen County realtor and commercial property manager’s money, authorities said.
Detectives in Closter were closing in on Klaus Brueggemeier, 57, of Demarest, when he absconded to Frankfurt and became a wanted man, Closter Police Capt. Vincent Aiello said on Tuesday, Nov. 21.
Brueggemeier made headlines in 2009, when authorities charged him with embezzling $1.7 million from a high-end porcelain and glass company in Carlstadt.
SEE: Company chief skims $1.7 million to buy himself the good life, autho…
Former Doylestown Hospital Director Embezzled $600K From Charity Account: DA
An ex-Doylestown Hospital director is accused of siphoning over $600,000 from a corporate account filled with charitable donations, according to prosecutors.
Norma Galagarza, 68, of Chalfont, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, forgery, and related counts, said the Bucks District Attorney's Office.
As the hospital's Director of Medical Staff, authorities said Galagarza was responsible for managing the Charitable Fund, an employee benevolent program financed through donations.
Hospital administrators contacted police in January 20…
$874K Scheme: Former Danbury Postmaster Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds
A 50-year-old Massachusetts man who once served as postmaster for a Fairfield County post office has admitted to defrauding the US Postal Service out of over $874,000 as part of a bribery, kickback, and embezzlement scheme that he operated, officials announced.
Former Brookfield resident Ephrem D. Nguyen, age 50, pleaded guilty to a fraud offense related to his scheme on Friday, Oct. 13, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.
According to federal officials, Nguyen, who now lives in Quincy, Massachusetts in Norfolk County, had been employed b…
New Update: President Of Stamford Church Athletic Club Steals $150K, Police Say
The president of a Fairfield County church athletic club turned herself in to the police for allegedly embezzling more than $150,000 from the organization.
Daria Opolski, age 42, of Norwalk, was arrested by the Stamford Police Financial Crimes Unit on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
According to Capt. Thomas Scanlon, of the Stamford Police, an investigation revealed that from July 2021 through Dec. 2022, Opolski misallocated $157,508 from the Holy Name Athletic Club's bank account by authorizing transfers from the account to pay her personal bills.
The money was primarily used to make payments to persona…
James Madison HS Basketball Coach Embezzled Money From Event: Police
A 33-year-old basketball coach employed by the Fairfax County Public Schools has been charged with embezzling district money, authorities said.
Drew Smerdzinski, of Herndon, is believed to have embezzled money from a school event at James Madison High School, county police said.
The coach, who became the center of an investigation in July, was charged by a warrant on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and surrendered on Thursday, Oct. 5, with felony embezzlement, police said.
Smerdzinski was released on an unsecured bond, and has been suspended from his position following the arrest.
Want breaking news i…
Woman Embezzled $1.5M From Holbrook Business: Police
A 36-year-old Norfolk County woman was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 2, and charged with stealing $1.3 million from her former employer, authorities said.
Ashley Sumner, of Weymouth, is charged with larceny over $1,200, two counts of improper use of a credit card over $1,200, four counts of identity fraud, and one count of money laundering, Holbrook police said. She was being held on a $100,000 bond.
Detectives began investigating Sumner in March after her former employer, Allstate Glass, reported her for allegedly stealing $50,000 while handling the business's finances, police said.&nb…
