44 Corporations, 47 People Indicted In Multimillion Dollar N.J. Fraud Ring: Authorities

Ninety-one people and corporations operated a large-scale fraud ring that ripped off millions of dollars from a number of New Jersey-area residents, banks and other corporations, according to authorities. (see list below)

Authorities said 47 people and 44 companies were indicted this week by a Middlesex County grand jury that charged them with participating in the international fraud ring.

The 16-page indictment was the result of an ongoing investigation initiated by the Perth Amboy Police Department in what began as a routine traffic stop, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

During the investigation, it was determined that the driver was part of a bank fraud ring operating an "intricate" international financial scam, authorities said.

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The leader, Carlos Alcantara, 26, of South Amboy, and numerous associates created companies for the sole purpose of duping unwitting companies and individuals to wire significant sums of money to newly established, but fraudulent, corporate bank accounts, according to the MCPO.

The investigation showed that companies and individuals were targeted though emails purportedly sent by co-workers in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Florida. "The emails would convey a sense of urgency and cite a previous invoice or on-going project to lend credibility to the scam," according to the MCPO.

The emails urged recipients to act quickly on the transactions without question. Some recipients were duped into losing as much as $450,000, the prosecutor's office said.

Alcantara and his associates fraudulently obtained more than $2 million in U.S. currency and fraudulently wired more than $15 million from victims’ accounts, authorities said.

The defendants were indicted on charges including racketeering, conspiracy, financial facilitation of criminal activity, promoting organized street crime, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, misconduct by a corporate official, falsifying records, failing to file tax returns, filing fraudulent tax returns and serving as a leader of organized crime.

Those indicted included:

• Carlos Alcantara
• Philip Maxwell
• Mohammed Hadgiev
• Glenn Yourstone
• Erick Rodriguez
• Christopher Martinex
• Chaz Uriah Sullivan
• William Wright
• Lina Wright-Cruz
• Joseph Rawlins
• Jamel Lark
• Cynthia Weaver
• Karen, Brimage
• Edgar Lara-Mercedes
• Akini Joseph
• Eddie Perry
• Kim Gormley
• Aaron Jackson
• Steven Tunnell
• Jessica Smith
• Kenneth McCarthy
• Reynold Ramirez
• Darryl Haley-Martin
• Dexter Sullivan
• Leanna DeLorenzo
• John Horn
• Jennifer Romero
• Adrian Placenia
• Brian Salcedo
• Tadia Medina
• Gerardo Garcia
• Kevin Morales
• Jessica Feldman
• Melanie Osorio
• Mohamed Jaafar
• Yousef Jaafar
• Hanan Jaafar
• Souraya Jaafar
• Gerfanny Lara
• Eladio Reyes
• Jose Cuevas-Ramos
• Hector Colon-Reyes
• Rachel Bueno
• Bryan Martinez
• Eddy Lorenzo

The companies included:

• GG Fast Repair Inc.
• GW Enterprise Inc.
• MH Carteret Rates Inc.
• PM Maxwell Rates Inc.
• Triton Metals Consulting
• Zhejiang Orient Group Light Industrial Product
• CDU Sullivan Inc.
• Mark Kucher DM Inc.
• Horn Commercial Contracting
• AA Vitamins and Nutrition
• DS Wholesale Inc.
• JN Equipped Bariatric
• LW Fast Trades Inc.
• C and A Medical Equipment
• RJ Import Trades
• Edison Ventury Rates Inc.
• JS Golden Trades Inc.
• KB Global Rates Inc.
• KB Universal Trades Inc.
• EP International Trades Inc.
• GG Multiplex Commerce Inc.
• KM Smart Trades Inc.
• JF Universal Products Inc.
• MS Top Target Inc.
• Lara Smart Trade Inc.
• Legend Direct Sales Inc.
• Golden Mark Development Inc.
• Rachel Modern Age Inc.
• B and L Universal Rates Inc.
• Universal Products Inc.
• EP International Trades Inc.
• KG Wide Terades Inc.
• Amboy Global Rates Inc.
• ST Best Rates Inc.
• KM Newark Rates Inc.
• Ramires Investment Inc.
• Salcedo Sales Inc.
• Mati Mass Rates Inc.
• Huzhou Fuzing Weaving Dyeing Co.
• Zhejuang Yuhuagroup Jilida Dye Printing
• Ningbo Two Birds Indiustry Co.
• WB Jersey Rates Inc.
• CE Global Trades
• JL Best Rates Inc.
• Tribes Animals and Pet Supplies

The defendants were indicted in New Brunswick on Wednesday following an intensive investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office; the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Newark Division; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force; the New Jersey Division of Taxation; the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department, and municipal police departments in Carteret, Edison, Linden, Perth Amboy, South Amboy, South Plainfield, Spotswood and Woodbridge.

The investigation is active and is continuing.

Anyone with information should call Detective Ryan Tighe, Special investigations Unit of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3300, or Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Brad Greenberg under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence S. Opiola at (973) 776-5500.

Patch file photo