Baldwin, NY
News
Exclusive
: $1M Theft At Kolstein's In Baldwin Is More Revenge From Ex-Boss, Owner Says
A Long Island music store owner whose father is accused of stealing more than $1 million in rare instruments says the criminal case against him is part of a long-running battle over control of the historic shop. Manuel Alvarez, 61, of East Rockaway, was arrested after Nassau County police say he removed over $1 million in musical instruments and items from Kolstein Music in Baldwin, and transported them to an undisclosed location in Florida, Nassau County Police said. But his son, Manny Alvarez, who has been the owner of the music shop for nearly seven years, tells a different story. “Barr…
Centereach-Selden, NY
News
Selden Bookkeeper Who Embezzled Over $1M From LI Businesses Sentenced To Prison
A former bookkeeper who embezzled more than $1 million from two Long Island construction companies could spend years behind bars. Mary Spora, 59, of Selden, was sentenced to between one and four years in prison in Nassau County Court on Wednesday, May 28. It followed her guilty pleas to grand larceny and falsifying business records in August 2024. An investigation found that Spora abused her position as a bookkeeper to steal from Coastal Materials and Big Apple Concrete Supply, Inc., which share the same owner, the Nassau County DA’s office said. She altered payroll software records to mak…
Saratoga Springs, NY
News
FBI Issues Warning About 'Malicious' AI Scam: What To Know
Scammers are using fraudulent text messages and AI-generated voice messages, according to a new warning from the FBI. Since April 2025, malicious actors have been impersonating senior US officials to target individuals, particularly current and former federal and state government officials and their contacts. Details The fraudsters are using text messages and AI-generated voice messages, known as smishing and vishing, to establish a false sense of rapport before attempting to access personal accounts. One common tactic involves sending a malicious link disguised as a request to tran…
Yonkers, NY
News
$477K Scheme: Doorman From Yonkers Steals From Retired NYC Teacher, Husband, DA Says
A Westchester County man has admitted to stealing nearly $478,000 from a retired New York City schoolteacher and her husband while working as their building’s doorman, prosecutors announced. Alfredo Mateo, 38, of Yonkers, pleaded guilty in Manhattan Supreme Court to grand larceny and identity theft charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Wednesday, May 21. According to Bragg, Mateo launched a calculated financial scheme against the couple after the husband died on September 1, 2022, and the wife, a retired schoolteacher, was living in a nursing home under co…
Kutztown, PA
Police & Fire
Kutztown Man Faked Landlord Role To Steal $14K From Opioid Housing Program: Berks DA
A Kutztown man posed as a landlord to steal thousands of dollars meant to help recovering addicts get housing, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams announced on Thursday, May 22. Kody A. Kirkland, 32, forged documents, faked pay stubs, and filed phony applications to cash in on the State Opioid Response (SOR) Rental Assistance Program, according to county detectives. The taxpayer-funded program, managed by the Treatment Access and Services Center, Inc. (TASC), was created to help people struggling with addiction keep a roof over their heads. Instead, investigators say Kirkland turne…
Stamford, CT
Police & Fire
Stamford DoorDash Scammer Was Murdered Before Trial, Now Feds Scramble To Return Stolen Money
Federal officials have recovered more than $736,000 linked to a Connecticut-based scam targeting DoorDash drivers. But the man behind the scheme was murdered just two days before a court appearance, and now prosecutors must figure out how to return the stolen cash. Police began investigating David Smith in January 2023 when Stamford police responded to a domestic violence call at a local apartment, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut said. Inside, officers found a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine and multiple safes stuffed with $736,040 in cash, along with 118 credit and debit cards, most…
Nassau, NY
News
$20K RV, Ticket Scam Orchestrated By Nassau Man, Police Say
A 63-year-old man is behind bars after allegedly conning multiple people out of thousands of dollars in a months-long fraud scheme, police said. Rensselaer County resident Patrick Walsh, of Nassau, was arrested following a New York State Police investigation Monday, May 5. Troopers determined that Walsh targeted victims while in Schodack, collecting payments for high-value items like RVs and concert tickets he never provided, police said. In total, he is accused of stealing over $20,000 through the alleged scam. Walsh is charged with four counts of grand larceny and one count of scheme to…
Pasadena-Lake Shore, MD
News
Unholy Hustle: Pasadena Pastor Stole $347K From Church, Dodged Taxes, Officials Say
There was no miracle here. Just an elaborate fraud scheme involving a purported man of God in Maryland. A former Anne Arundel County pastor who stole nearly $350,000 from his church and failed to report it on his taxes will avoid prison time after being sentenced to probation, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced on Tuesday, May 13. Jerome Isaac Hurley, 44, of Pasadena, was sentenced in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court after being convicted of willfully filing a false Maryland tax return, officials said. Hurley served as pastor of Miracle Temple Church in Lothian from 2017 to…
Chatham-Ghent, NY
News
$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 $…
Hackensack, NJ
News
Hackensack NJ Transit Employee Made $700K Selling Stolen Phones: OAG
A 37-year-old NJ Transit employee and Hackensack resident, was arrested and charged in a scheme to sell phones purchased with public funds for a personal profit of more than $700,000, authorities said. Peejay Manila, who had been employed with NJ Transit since December 2019, sold NJ Transit-owned iPhones to cellphone buy-back companies after purchasing them using NJ Transit funds authorized only for official purposes, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. From November 2020 through September 2024, Manila sold 850 phones and other electronic devices to a cellphone trade-in c…
White Plains, NY
News
Luigi Mangione Musical Is Real, And It's Sold Out
A new musical rooted in true crime and real-world headlines is making waves for its surreal premise — and stranger backstory. The creators of Luigi The Musical, which centers on controversial figure Luigi Mangione, say it will offer a unique blend of comedy and social critique, distancing itself from any glorification of violence. It will premiere on Friday, June 13, in San Francisco, at the Taylor Street Theater. Tickets for all five of its initial performances are sold out, with new dates expected to be announced, according to the show’s website. Mangione, a 27-year-old Maryland native, …
Hackensack, NJ
Police & Fire
Machine Gun Glock, Forged Checks, Fake IDs Found In BMW In Rochelle Park: Police
Four people were arrested in a routine traffic stop in Bergen County that led to a major bust involving a Glock modified into a machine gun, fraudulent checks, stolen identities, and pounds of drugs, police said. On Friday, May 2, Rochelle Park Officer Chris Kiszka pulled over a 5 Series BMW on Rochelle Avenue for having a suspended New York registration, according to a release from the Rochelle Park Police Department, issued by Capt. James DePreta. Inside the car were four people — all not wearing seatbelts, DePreta said. They were identified as Brandon Myers, 18, of Garfield (driver)…
Archive
