Indict 26 for alleged roles in Jersey City-based counterfeit checks ring

Thursday, January 14, 2010

A grand jury has indicted 26 people for their alleged roles in a large-scale counterfeit check cashing ring.

All are charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit theft by deception and second-degree theft by deception, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Simpson said.

The grand jury handed up the indictment Tuesday.

County and federal authorities dismantled the Jersey City-based counterfeit check ring and arrested more than 45 people in May 2009.

Simpson said the total number of people charged is now 76. She said 49 of those individuals have pleaded guilty.

One of the men charged, Ronald Graham, died, Simpson said.

Simpson said about 240 fake checks totaling $226,000 were cashed and other people could be charged in the future.

Four of the individuals indicted Tuesday - Quadel Roberson, Rashawn Ford, Cory Lee and Khalid Muhammad, all of Jersey City - are considered supervisors and recruiters in the group.

Ringleaders paid employees working for the victimized companies to allow them to scan images of their paychecks. They would then produce fake checks that would be cashed by runners, prosecutors said.

The counterfeiters convinced runners they were unlikely to draw the attention of banks or law enforcement if they cashed only a limited number of checks every day and used their own names on the checks and their authentic identification, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said handlers drove runners to the targeted banks to cash the checks and paid the runners a percentage of the proceeds.

The ringleader, Ronald Peterson, of Jersey City, has already pleaded guilty to second-degree theft by deception.

Simpson said several "runners" were also indicted Tuesday.

Simpson said many turned themselves in or have been arrested. Included in that group are: Alfreda Offer, Dominique Pigford, Rashawn Kind, Seth Hoffman, Carmen Sanchez, Celeste Paige, who also goes by Bertha Spencer, and Sicoya Brown and Andrew Stevens, all of Jersey City; and Gregory Maxwell, whose last address was in Newark.

Warrants have been issued for Kenneth Allen Jr., Sharif Smith, Joanne Cordero, Deidra Highsmith, Varshone Farley, Talisha Vasquez, Elias Montero Abrue, Josue Concepcion, Tiffany M. Johnson, and Cherron Wade, all of Jersey City; Barbara Porter of Irvington, Mark White of Newark, and Vanessa Oriz of Guttenberg.

MELISSA HAYES

The first article had Petersen incarcerated in Virginia and the second has him in Mississippi. Not that I care where he is, just sayin'.

Fake check mastermind will do 7 years in prison Bogus check ring leader draws 7 years in prison

Saturday, November 07, 2009
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The leader of a large-scale counterfeit check ring based in Jersey City was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison.

Ronald Peterson, of Jersey City, whose age couldn't be determined last night, had pleaded guilty to second-degree theft by deception through an organization officials say stole more than $140,000.

"The state is happy that he took responsibility for his actions," said Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Simpson.

More than 45 people were charged in May in busts that cops say dismantled a ring that operated in both New Jersey and New York.

Prosecutors are about to issue warrants for more than 25 additional suspects, Simpson said.

Leaders in the organization paid employees of victimized companies to allow them to scan their paychecks and would then produce fake checks that would be cashed by runners, officials said. Handlers drove runners to targeted banks to cash the checks and paid the runners a percentage of the proceeds.

Bank officials brought the scam to the police's attention.

About 30 runners have already pleaded guilty to third-degree theft by deception, a charge that carries a possible sentence of three to five years in prison, Simpson said.

Peterson was incarcerated in Mississippi on unrelated federal charges when the warrant for his arrest was issued in Hudson County, Simpson said. Now that he has been sentenced, Peterson will finish his federal prison term; in March he will return to New Jersey to serve his time here, Simpson said.

wow glad they caught them.

FAKE CHECK RING
Dozens accused of ripping off local businesses

Monday, May 18, 2009
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

County and federal authorities have dismantled a large-scale counterfeit check ring based in Jersey City and arrested more than 45 people believed to have stolen over $140,000 in northern New Jersey and New York, officials said.

The alleged leader of the group, Ronald Peterson of Jersey City, has been charged with conspiracy, theft by deception, and as a leader of organized crime, said Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio, whose office worked with the U.S. Secret Service in the probe.

Peterson is currently incarcerated in Virginia on unrelated charges, DeFazio said last week.

Supervisors and recruiters in the group, including Quadel Roberson, Rashawn Ford, Cory Lee, and Samuel Daniel, Jr., all of Jersey City, are charged with theft by deception, and conspiracy, DeFazio said.

Ringleaders paid employees working for the victimized companies to allow them to scan images of their paychecks and would then produce fake checks that would be cashed by runners, DeFazio said.

The counterfeiters convinced runners they were unlikely to draw the attention of banks or law enforcement if they cashed only a limited number of checks every day and used their own names on the checks and their authentic identification, DeFazio said.

Handlers drove runners to the targeted banks to cash the checks and paid the runners a percentage of the proceeds, DeFazio said, adding that each group of runners could cash 15 to 20 checks per day, ranging in value from $500 to several thousand dollars.

The investigation was triggered in July when several area banks approached law enforcement regarding the counterfeit checks, DeFazio said.

Officials at Valley National Bank, Bank of America, Commerce, TD Banknorth, Provident Bank, Capital One, Hudson City Savings, and Wachovia identified suspect transactions and provided corresponding bank video, DeFazio said.

Detectives and agents used the video to confirm the identities of those cashing the checks, DeFazio said.

Charged as runners are: Miriam Jones, Kevin McDonald, Mark White, Bryant Agurto, Tyonia Stone, Bertha Spencer, Josue Concepcion, Elias Montero Abrue, Talisha Vasquez, Barbara Porter, Cherron Wade, Miguel Agurto, Travis Lewis, Stephen Reeves, Shahibe Paula, Jayson Santiago, Darius Ford, Gabriel Ramos and Tiona Dawkins, DeFazio said.

Additional runners charged include: Tiffany Johnson, Ashley Gibson, Jamilah Jenkins, Stanley Berry, Ibn S. Aziz, Markell Spivey, Kiara Loreca, Tyquana Scott, Tynaira Armstrong, Denaya Jamison, Evelyn Amparo, Eric A. King, Elijah Cayetano, Bianca Consuegra, Jamila R. Brown, Britiney M. Vance, Priscilla R. Alvarez, Hasson A. Tate, Kimneisha Battle, Joseph Daniel, Shanik D. Bowens, Ashley Wiltshire and Tyrus B. Dailey.

Investigators say more than $140,000 in counterfeit checks were cashed but as the investigation continues that sum is expected to rise and more arrests are likely.

Additional information about those charged was not available.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Investigations Unit (201) 795-6400