NY Man Sentenced On Burlington County Fraud Charges, Prosecutor Says

MOUNT HOLLY, NJ — A New York man who bought what an official called a historic Riverside Township commercial building to develop luxury apartments has transferred ownership of the property and paid nearly $670,000 to clear liens and cover taxes, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced.

The transfer and payment were in tandem with a judge’s decision on Wednesday to give Raphael S. Weiss, 61, of Brooklyn, a 5-year suspended sentence on charges of computer-related activity in the second degree and forgery in the third degree in connection with a proposed redevelopment of the former Keystone Watch Case building, according to a press release.

Weiss, who pleaded guilty in January, admitted to using the credentials of a potential subcontractor to fraudulently gain approval for electrical permits from the township's construction office, the press release said.

“We are pleased that the defendant has accepted responsibility for his crimes and more importantly, that Riverside soon will be able to move forward with this project with a responsible developer,” Coffina said in the press release.

“We know how important the Keystone Watch Case [Company] is to Riverside’s past, present and future and look forward to seeing this beautiful building brought back to life and the positive impact it will have on this community,” Coffina continued.

Authorities began investigating Weiss after an electrical contractor involved in negotiations with Weiss claimed some electrical work had already started even though he had no formal agreement with Weiss and that the contractor had not applied for any permits, according to the press release.

The subsequent investigation indicated the electrical contractor’s signature had been forged on three dozen permits and on which a “counterfeit version” of the contractor’s state-issued embossing seal was used, the press release continued.

“Not only was the action illegal, but it also jeopardized the safety of the project, as demonstrated by the fact that the electrical work completed after the fraudulent permits were obtained failed to pass inspection,” the press release stated.

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