Mount Laurel Man Swindled Girlfriend Out Of $77K: Prosecutor

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — A Mount Laurel man has been indicted for swindling a Philadelphia woman out of nearly $80,000 after the two reconnected at a high school reunion, authorities announced.

Jeffrey B. Jasner, 59, began dating the woman, who was not identified by authorities, shortly after they reconnected in 2018, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. While they were dating, Jasner lied to the woman by telling her he had created a business that taught inner city students how to overcome barriers, authorities said.

He told her his “Cities of a Million Lights” charity helped students overcome socio-economic barriers, as well as gender and sexual inequality, authorities said. On his personal Facebook page, he lists himself as the founder of “Cities of a Million Lights,” and the company has its own page, which is blank.

He also told the woman that the mayors of Camden and Philadelphia supported the charity, and that a kickoff event was scheduled for Philadelphia’s Made in America Festival, according to authorities.

He told her that during the event, lanterns would be released into the air on both sides of the Delaware River. He persuaded her to give him $77,000, and that her return on investment would come from the money provide by companies who were sponsoring the event, authorities said.

Jasner also convinced the woman to invest in a fictitious travel company that conducted business under the names of Love Traveling and Club Card, according to authorities.

Finally, he told her that if the business ventures failed, he would repay her investment with interest, according to authorities. However, things fell apart for Jasner in the fall of 2018 when he wasn’t able to begin paying the woman back, authorities said.

The Mount Laurel Police Department lead an investigation that resulted in Jasner being caught. He was subsequently indicted by a grand jury on one count of second-degree theft by deception.

Jasner was previously arrested by Mount Laurel police as a wanted person in a shoplifting at Wegman's in 2014.

The fraud case was presented to the grand jury by Assistant Prosecutor Margaux Loures. The indictment was returned on Jan. 9 and signed by Coffina. An arraignment will be scheduled soon in Superior Court.