18 Defrauded Local Banks Out of Over $107,000 in Burlington County: Proseucutor

A total of 18 people have been charged in connection with a scheme to defraud local banks out of more than $107,000, Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi, Burlington County Sheriff Jean E. Stanfield and Pemberton Township Police Chief David H. Jantas announced.

Police allege that those involved opened bank accounts and deposited checks were drawn off of closed accounts, accounts with insufficient funds, or non-existent accounts in order to artificially inflate the new account balances.

The banks would then make part of the deposited checks available for immediate withdrawal, unaware of the origins of these checks. This resulted in an actual loss of $107,563, but the banks were left open to a potential loss of over $247,000 in the “check kiting” scheme, police said.

• Aryka Thomas, 20, of Eastampton;
• Carol Drayton, 29, of Mount Holly;
• Ciara Buran, 21, of Browns Mills;
• Divine Young, 23, of Wrightstown;
• Donte Boyer II, 27, of Browns Mills;
• Emory Lester, 28, of Maple Shade;
• Issiah Williams, 28, of Mount Holly;
• Jamila Lawrence, 23, of Burlington City;
• Jose Santos, 24, of Browns Mills;
• Leticia Mendoza-Rivera, 23, of Browns Mills;
• Rajik Morphis, 33, of Browns Mills;
• Shameka Scribner, 21, of Browns Mills;
• Shanetta Irvin, 45, of Pemberton;
• Shardai Williams, 25, of Mount Holly;
• Taheem Blakemore, 25, of Burlington City;
• Talya Blakemore, 24, of Burlington City;
• Tyler Porter, 22, of Eastampton; and
• Tyazia Jones, 22, of Burlington City.

Scribner and Porter were also charged with one count of second-degree elements of computer theft and second-degree conspiracy.

Scribner and Mendoza-Rivera were also charged with one count of third-degree theft by deception and one count of fourth-degree criminal attempt theft by deception, and Scribner was charged with one count of third-degree theft by deception.

During Wednesday’s arrests, police also arrested two more people on charges unrelated to the check kiting scheme.

Cajiid Ceruti, 26, of Pemberton, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon (firearm), possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, certain persons not to have weapons, possession of a controlled dangerous substance (heroin) and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A 26-year-old Burlington City man was arrested on municipal court warrants.

Scribner faces the most charges and was the initial target of the investigation, which began in November of 2014 when numerous American Express “Bluebird” checks drawn from an account in her name began circulating in banks and businesses throughout the county, police said.

Bluebird checks, when processed in a valid manner, provide guaranteed payment to the recipient, but all of these checks have since been dishonored.

Further investigation showed that the additional 17 defendants were also depositing each other’s checks, police said. Those checks were also subsequently dishonored.

• Shameka Scribner $100,000 no 10 percent, and bail source requirement
• Leticia Mendoza-Rivera $35,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Jamila Lawrence $35,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Talya Blakemore $40,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Aryka Thomas $35,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Shardai Rabb $45,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Rajik Morphis $35,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Donte Boyer II $35,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Issiah Williams $45,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Jose Santos, Jr. $35,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Emory Lester $35,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Tyler Porter $50,000 with 10 percent permissible
• Taheem Blakemore $35,000 with 10 percent permissible

The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit and the Pemberton Township Police Department. Additional arrests are anticipated.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Prosecutor’s Office at 609-265-5035 and ask to speak to a detective in the Financial Crimes Unit. Agencies that participated in Wednesday’s arrests included:

• The Burlington City Police Department;
• Burlington County Sheriff’s Department Warrant Unit;
• Maple Shade Police Department;
• Mount Holly Police Department;
• Pemberton Borough Police Department;
• Pemberton Township Police Department; and
• The U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force.