Newark Man Stole Benefits After His Girlfriend Went Missing: Feds

NEWARK, NJ — An Essex County resident has admitted that he stole federal disability payments meant for his girlfriend’s son after she went missing, prosecutors announced this week.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Asmar Earp, 37, of Newark, pleaded guilty on June 26 to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Prosecutors released the following allegations about the case:

“Earp was in a romantic relationship and shared a house in Newark with V.W. Through a program administered by Social Security Administration, V.W. received monthly payments on behalf of her disabled minor son, who was not capable of managing these benefits on his own. On Dec. 24, 2017, V.W. went missing and her whereabouts remain unknown. Six days after V.W.’s disappearance, Earp fraudulently gained control of V.W.’s son’s benefits by changing the PIN code on the debit card used to access those funds. In March and April 2018, Earp also fraudulently used V.W.’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number to receive a replacement debit card to continue accessing and using V.W.’s son’s benefits. From December 2017 through February 2020, Earp and others acting at his direction repeatedly and fraudulently took the money intended to help V.W.’s son and used it on themselves.”

Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain of the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of aggravated identity theft carries a statutory mandatory penalty of two years in prison, which run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain of the defendant, whichever is greatest, prosecutors said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.