Fugitive In $100M NJ Deli Case Arrested At Thailand Hotel: Reports

PAULSBORO, NJ — One of the alleged ringleaders of a stock market manipulation scheme that saw a New Jersey deli's value skyrocket has been arrested in Thailand, multiple reports say.

Thai authorities arrested Peter Coker Jr., 54, at a hotel room in Phuket province on Wednesday, per Forbes. He faces charges including money laundering, wire fraud, and manipulation of securities in what officials call "a large-scale market manipulation scheme" revolving around Your Hometown Deli in Paulsboro.

Coker Jr. was the chairman of the publicly-traded Hometown International, Inc, officials said. Two other men face federal charges in connection with the case, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger's office in New Jersey announced in September.

As Patch previously reported, the small Mantua Avenue deli saw its stock market value increase to $100 million during the coronavirus pandemic under the umbrella company Hometown International, which only had the restaurant as an asset.

Officials said James Patten, Peter Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. "undertook a calculated scheme" to gain control of Hometown International's shares, and manipulated the market to inflate its stock by about 939 percent after bringing it into the market in 2019. Related — $100M Deli Scheme In Gloucester County Leads To Charges For 3 Men

Coker Jr. is a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis, reported the Bangkok Post, who shared a photo of his arrest at the hotel near a beach in Phuket's Thalang district. The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) had issued a "red and black notice" for him, the Post reported.

Patten and Coker Sr. were arrested in September, Sellinger's office said.

"Unbeknownst to the deli owners, almost immediately after Hometown International was formed, Patten and his associates began positioning Hometown International as a vehicle for a reverse merger that would yield substantial profit to them," Sellinger said last fall.

Two Paulsboro High School employees were executives at Hometown International but the firm replaced them in May 2021, the Courier-Post reported at the time. Principal/wrestling coach Paul Morina and teacher Christine Lindenmuth were still responsible for operating Your Hometown Deli, Hometown International said at the time.

Officials said Patten, Coker Jr., and Coker Sr. targeted Hometown International Inc. and E-Waste Corp, artificially inflating the price of both companies' stock " by giving the false impression that there was a genuine market interest in the stock."

Patten lived in Basking Ridge until about Aug. 17, then moved to Winston-Salem, N.C. according to court records. Coker Sr. resided in Chapel Hill, N.C. and Coker Jr. lived in Hong Kong, officials said.

The deli opened for business around Oct. 14, 2015.