Passaic Prosecutor: Duo Tried To Bribe Child Sex Assault Victim, Witness With Cash, Car, More Passaic Prosecutor: Duo Tried To Bribe Child Sex Assault Victim, Witness With Cash, Car, More
Passaic Prosecutor: Duo Tried To Bribe Child Sex Assault Victim, Witness With Cash, Car, More A Passaic County man and a companion tried to bribe a child sex assault victim and a witness with cash, tuition assistance – even a car -- to change their stories, authorities said. Sergio Bernal, 33, of Passaic was originally charged with sex assaults on the underage victim at various residences in Passaic from October 2013 to August 2020, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said Thursday. A judge ordered that he remained held in the Passaic County Jail pending trial. Both Bernal and Maricella Gonzalez, 52, of Garfield then tried to get the victim and witness to recant their state…
Three Former NYPD Police Officers Admit To Bribery Scheme Three Former NYPD Police Officers Admit To Bribery Scheme
Three Former Nypd Police Officers Admit To Bribery Scheme Three former NYPD officers from Long Island admitted to their roles in a scheme to sell personal information of victims in exchange for bribes, federal officials announced. In Brooklyn federal court, Robert Hassett, age 36, of Farmingville, a former NYPD officer, pleaded guilty to conspiring to participate in a scheme to sell the personal information of automobile accident victims in exchange for thousands of dollars worth of bribes. Prosecutors also said that Hassett also admitted that he participated in a scheme to steer vehicles damaged in automobile accidents to a tow truck company in c…
Four Ex-Employees Of NY-Based Company Admit To Bribery, Kickback Scheme Four Ex-Employees Of NY-Based Company Admit To Bribery, Kickback Scheme
Four Ex-Employees Of Ny-based Company Admit To Bribery, Kickback Scheme Two former employees of a New York-based utility company admitted to accepting bribes and kickbacks worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Long Island-based contractor. On Monday, Oct. 4, Long Island residents Patrick McCrann, age 57, of Selden, and Richard Zavada, age 65, of Hicksville, pleaded guilty to accepting the illegal payments, according to Jacquelyn Kasulis, acting United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Michael Driscoll, assistant director-in-charge of the FBI New York Field Office. Last week, two other former employees of the same co…
Indictment: Inmate In Burned-Body Case Got Drugs, More Into NJ Prison Through Sister, Guard Indictment: Inmate In Burned-Body Case Got Drugs, More Into NJ Prison Through Sister, Guard
Indictment: Inmate In Burned-Body Case Got Drugs, More Into NJ Prison Through Sister, Guard A New Jersey convict serving time for helping burn a shooting victim's body distributed drugs, mini-cellphones and other contraband to fellow inmates with help from his sister and a crooked correctional officer, authorities charged. James "NuNu" Todd, 30, and his sister, Hassanah Todd, 32, paid the now-former officer to smuggle items that included synthetic cannabinoid -- otherwise known as "K2' -- into Northern State Prison in Newark, Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said Tuesday. Todd had been serving time there following his 2013 conviction for helping another man dispose of the b…
Former NY CEO Sentenced For Bribery Scheme Former NY CEO Sentenced For Bribery Scheme
Former NY CEO Sentenced For Bribery Scheme A New York man who was a CEO for a company in the region will spend time behind bars for his role in a multi-million dollar bribery scheme. Long Island resident Alan Kaufman, age 62, of Jericho, the former CEO of the now-defunct Melrose Credit Union, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison after being convicted in a scheme with Long Island businessman Tony Georgiton. US Attorney Audrey Strauss said that Kaufman accepted free housing and hundreds of thousands of dollars in financing for the purchase of his personal residence, after approving millions of dollars in loans to Georgiton’s comp…
Prosecutor: Alleged Kidnap Victim Of Instagram Influencer Took $100,000 Payoff To Change Story Prosecutor: Alleged Kidnap Victim Of Instagram Influencer Took $100,000 Payoff To Change Story
Prosecutor: Alleged Kidnap Victim Of Instagram Influencer Took $100,000 Payoff To Change Story The twisting tale of a Wayne man allegedly kidnapped by Instagram influencer “Jay Mazini” took another turn when Bergen County authorities charged him with taking a $100,000 bribe to back off his story. Amjad Mashal, 29, was arrested outside his business in Clifton, where detectives also found drugs, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday. The trouble began when “Mazini” – whose real name is Jebara Igbarra -- picked up Mashal at the 7-Eleven on Palisade Avenue in Fort Lee on March 15, authorities said at the time. Igbarra, of Edgewater, had cultivated a reputation for distribu…
Man Found Guilty Of Engaging In Bribery, Kickback Scheme With School Employee In Westchester Man Found Guilty Of Engaging In Bribery, Kickback Scheme With School Employee In Westchester
Man Found Guilty Of Engaging In Bribery, Kickback Scheme With School Employee In Westchester A Westchester man who paid a school district employee thousands in bribes and kickbacks has been found guilty following a two-week trial, authorities announced. Ricardo Jimenez, age 57, was found guilty of bribery and rewarding official misconduct, both felonies, after allegedly paying a Chappaqua Central School District maintenance employee over $5,000 to ensure district-related maintenance projects were awarded to a company he owned. Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah said that Jimenez and his company, RJ Summit Services, Inc. had invoices for work approved by the school empl…
LI Correction Officer Nabbed For Smuggling Contraband Into Jail, DA Says LI Correction Officer Nabbed For Smuggling Contraband Into Jail, DA Says
LI Correction Officer Nabbed For Smuggling Contraband Into Jail, DA Says A Long Island corrections officer has been arrested for allegedly smuggling contraband, including cigarettes and lighters, into an area correction center in exchange for bribes. Harris Ferro, age 35, who faces up to seven years in prison, was arrested on Friday, Aug. 20, on a 22-count indictment, said acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce Smith.  “Officers who accept bribes and compromise the integrity of their position for personal financial gain threaten the safety of their fellow officers and undermine the County’s correction system,” said Smith.  According to the indic…
Nassau County Restaurant Owner Sentenced For Role In Extortion Scheme Nassau County Restaurant Owner Sentenced For Role In Extortion Scheme
Nassau County Restaurant Owner Sentenced For Role In Extortion Scheme A Long Island restaurant and bar owner has been sentenced for his involvement in soliciting more than $150,000 bribes from local restaurant owners.  William Mendez, age 50, of Elmont, was sentenced on Monday, Aug. 9 to one-and-a-third to four years in prison, according to Acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce Smith. Smith said Mendez pleaded guilty on March 15 to the following charges: Two counts of second-degree bribe receiving Two counts of second-degree grand larceny by means of extortion Fourth-degree conspiracy Two counts of second-degree tampering with public records&nbs…
COVID-19: Feds Charge Rockland Doctor, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme COVID-19: Feds Charge Rockland Doctor, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme
Covid-19: Feds Charge Rockland Doctor, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme COVID-19 hardly fazed a Rockland doctor who, with his wife, continued to collect bribes and kickbacks in exchange for ordering millions of dollars in genetic tests from his offices in Pennsylvania, a federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey charged. Yitzchok “Barry” Kurtzer, age 61, and Robin Kurtzer, age 60, both of Monsey, collected monthly cash kickbacks and bribes ranging in exchange for “collecting DNA samples from Medicare patients and sending them for genetic tests to clinical laboratories in New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” beginning in 2018, Acting US Attorney for New Jersey Rachael Ho…
Feds In NJ Charge Rockland Doc, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme Feds In NJ Charge Rockland Doc, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme
Feds In NJ Charge Rockland Doc, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme COVID-19 hardly fazed a Rockland doctor who, with his wife, continued to collect bribes and kickbacks in exchange for ordering millions of dollars in genetic tests from his offices in Pennsylvania, a federal grand jury in Newark charged. Yitzchok “Barry” Kurtzer, 61,and Robin Kurtzer, 60, both of Monsey, collected monthly cash kickbacks and bribes ranging in exchange for “collecting DNA samples from Medicare patients and sending them for genetic tests to clinical laboratories in New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael Honig said. The payoffs ranged up $5,00…
Wife Of Instagram Celeb Jailed In Plot To Kidnap, Terrorize NJ Man Who Trashed Him Online Wife Of Instagram Celeb Jailed In Plot To Kidnap, Terrorize NJ Man Who Trashed Him Online
Wife Of Instagram Celeb Jailed In Plot To Kidnap, Terrorize NJ Man Who Trashed Him Online The wife of Bergen County-based Instagram influencer "Jay Mazini” was in on a plot to kidnap, threaten and terrorize a Fort Lee man who’d posted negative comments about him on social media, authorities said Friday. Joumana Danoun, 21, of Paterson also then tried to get the victim to drop the charges, they said. Danoun joined her husband in the Bergen County Jail following her arrest Thursday. "Mazini" of Edgewater, whose real name is Jebara J. Igbara, 26, has been held in the county lockup since authorities arrested him on kidnapping charges in March. An FBI detainer prevents a local judg…