Mahwah Pair Accused Of Fraudulently Soliciting Money For Fair Lawn Charity

FAIR LAWN, NJ - A man and a woman from Mahwah were charged with theft for allegedly pretending to be part of a Fair Lawn organization that helps veterans and soliciting money from people outside a Wayne grocery store last month, police said.

Detective Dave Collins received a complaint Jan. 25 that the pair were fraudulent soliciting for the Adopt-A-Soldier Platoon, a Fair Lawn-based non-profit that provides assistance to wounded servicemen and women as they transition into civilian life, said Detective Capt. Laurence Martin.

Steven and Jan Toms of Mahwah set up a table outside the Shop & Shop in the Preakness Shopping Center and collected donations from shoppers, Martin said.

The president of the non-profit told Collins that the pair allegedly presented false documents to Shop & Shop in order to appear that they were members of the organization, Martin said.

Collins gathered video evidence and identified Steven and Jan Toms as the people who allegedly committed the fraud, Martin said. They were arrested at Wayne Police Headquarters Friday, Martin said.

Police said the pair may have conducted the scheme in surrounding municipalities as well.

Steven and Jan Toms, 59 and 58, respectively, were each charged with theft by deception, wrongful impersonation, and tampering with public records, Martin said. They were released on summons complaints pending future court dates.

Jan and Steven Toms of Mahwah/Wayne Police Department