‘Government Agents’ Were Actually Rutherford Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say
Two New Jersey brothers are accused of running a scam that stole nearly $400,000 from elderly victims in New York and Connecticut, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Monday, Aug. 25.
Abhishek Barvalia, 31, and Tushar Barvalia, 32, of Rutherfo, were indicted on charges of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, and fourth-degree conspiracy, Gonzalez said. They were released without bail after being arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court and are due back Oct. 22.
Prosecutors say the scam ran from June 2023 to January 2024, targeting women ages 76, 78, 83, and 90 i…
$200K Scheme: Ex-Finance Manager Stole From Construction Firm In White Plains, DA Says
A former construction company finance manager is accused of orchestrating a months-long scheme to steal more than $200,000 from her Westchester-based employer, prosecutors said.
Michele Rinaldo, 52, of The Bronx, was arraigned Wednesday, Aug. 13, in Westchester County Court on a sweeping set of charges connected to her alleged theft from a White Plains-based construction firm, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, Aug. 22.
According to a felony complaint filed in the case, Rinaldo handled payroll and accounting for the firm, which the DA's Office did not nam…
$1.6K Identity Theft: Man Used Credit Card Left At Sloatsburg Service Area, Police Say
A 28-year-old man was arrested after allegedly using a customer’s forgotten credit card to rack up more than $1,600 in charges in Rockland County, police said.
The incident happened on Monday, Aug. 11, around 8:21 p.m. at the Sloatsburg Service Area, New York State Police said on Monday, Aug. 18.
According to investigators, 28-year-old Raufoliana O. Louis Jean of Spring Valley, who worked at the service area, took a credit card that had been left behind and made purchases without the owner’s permission.
Police said Louis Jean then used the card at several businesses in Spring V…
Rotterdam Mom Accused In Disabled Daughter's Death Dies Before Trial Begins
A New York woman accused of causing her disabled daughter’s death has died just days before she was set to face trial.
Amber Geier, 46, of Rotterdam, died from acute septic shock stemming from a bowel perforation, the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Thursday, Aug. 14.
Geier was charged last year in connection with the death of her 24-year-old daughter, Skylar Pettit, who had Down syndrome and diabetes and relied on her for care, as Daily Voice reported.
Prosecutors alleged that in February 2022, Geier, a nurse practitioner, stopped giving her daughter the insulin s…
Pair Steals $80K From Saratoga County Senior In Computer Scam, Police Say
Two downstate residents are accused of scamming a Saratoga County senior out of more than $80,000 in cash and gift cards, then returning to collect another $30,000 before being arrested.
Chuncheng Lin, 26, of Brooklyn, and Hui Lin, 40, of Flushing, were arrested Thursday, July 31, following a joint investigation by New York State Police and the US Department of Homeland Security.
The case began Monday, June 30, when an elderly Saratoga County resident reported being targeted in a computer scam, according to New York State Police.
The victim told troopers they were first two weeks earlier v…
Former Employee Linked To 2 Burglaries At Dessert Shop In Mamaroneck, Police Say
A 23-year-old man has been arrested and accused of stealing cash from a Westchester dessert shop he used to work at, police said.
The incidents happened at Ralph’s Italian Ices at 407 Mamaroneck Ave. in the Village of Mamaroneck, the village's police department announced on Friday, Aug. 8.
The investigation began on Wednesday, July 23, after the business owner reported that someone had entered the store on Friday, July 18, and stolen about $1,000 in cash.
Security footage showed a masked person using a key retrieved from an external lock box, according to the depart…