$3M In Gold Bars Stolen By Man, $18K Used To Buy Porn, Lehigh County DA Says
A Pennsylvania man is accused of scamming an elderly woman into believing $18,000 from her bank account was used to purchase pornography, then stealing more than $3 million in gold bars, authorities announced on Monday, July 28.
Dharmikkumar Sutariya, 25, of Scranton, is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly posing as a “courier” to defraud a 68-year-old Upper Milford Township woman, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said in a release.
Sutariya has been charged with two counts of Felony Theft by Unlawful Taking – Movable Property, Felony Receiving Stolen Property, Fe…
Florida Man Used Fake Utility Worker Ruse To Rob Elderly PA Homeowners With Son: AG
A Florida man who posed as a utility worker to rob elderly Pennsylvanians alongside his son has been sentenced to state prison, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Wednesday, July 16.
Steve Nichols, 57, of Fort Lauderdale, will serve 2½ to 20 years in state prison for leading a father-son burglary ring that hit homes in Butler, Erie, Indiana, Lackawanna, and Westmoreland counties, state investigators say.
Nichols and his son, Archie Marino, allegedly pulled off a string of distraction-style break-ins, targeting elderly residents—some in their 80s—who were home alone during the crimes, co…
$10M Lie: Sweet-Talking Scammer Conned Chatham Victim Out Of Thousands, Police Say
A fraudster convinced an elderly Capital Region man he had won millions in a sweepstakes, then walked away with tens of thousands in cash, police said.
Lance Norman, 36, of Queens, was arrested on Monday, May 12, in connection with an elaborate Publishers Clearing House scam that targeted a victim in Columbia County, according to New York State Police.
A Chatham man told troopers he received a phone call claiming he had won $10 million and a new Mercedes-Benz. The caller instructed him that in order to claim the prize, he needed to pay taxes up front.
The victim handed over approximately $…
$9,800 'Grandparent Scam' Stopped In Westbury: Police
An 84-year-old woman outsmarted a scammer who tried to trick her into handing over nearly $10,000 in Westbury, Nassau County police announced.
Etienne Jackson, 39, of Menands, New York, was arrested after he allegedly attempted to steal $9,800 from the elderly woman in a common "grandparent scam," detectives said.
Jackson called the victim on Saturday, March 1, claiming her grandson had been arrested and needed bail money, police said. But instead of handing over the cash, the woman contacted the Nassau County Police Department’s Third Squad for help.
When Jackson showed up at her resi…
Elderly Woman Dies In Winslow Township House Fire: Police
An elderly woman was killed in a house fire in Winslow Township, authorities announced Friday, Dec. 20.
The Winslow Police Department, Fire Department, and EMS responded to reports of a dwelling fire at 47 Winding Brook Drive in Atco, New Jersey, at approximately 11:24 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, according to police.
Upon arrival, responders discovered the home engulfed in flames and later determined that a 71-year-old woman had perished in the fire, police said.
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime and Crime Scene units, along with county and state fire marshals, are investi…
Whew: Phony $18M 'Prize' Nearly Convinces Wyckoff Woman, 82, To Give Scammer $10,000
An 82-year-old woman from Wyckoff came within a whisker of losing $10,000 to a scammer who managed to con her out of $500 by claiming that she’d won $18 million and a new luxury vehicle, authorities said.
The caller from an unknown number told the woman that she'd won a Publishers Clearing House grand prize, Police Lt. Joseph Soto said.
However, the caller said she’d have to buy $10,000 worth of gift cards – and then provide the numbers on them – to collect her prizes, Soto said.
The woman bought a $500 card and gave the information to redeem it to the caller, the lieutenant said.
He then…
Mass Contractor Who Stole $78K From Customers Indicted On Felony Charges
A paving contractor who allegedly stole over $78,000 from customers, including the disabled and elderly, has been indicted for a laundry list of criminal charges, according to court documents.
William Pusateri, owner of Priority 1 Paving in Dedham, was arraigned on 23 charges including larceny from disabled persons over 60 years old on Tuesday, Jan. 3, according to Middlesex Superior Court documents.
Pusateri, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, scammed customers from 2020 to May 2022 by taking deposits or payments in full for services that he never completed or only completed basi…
