Local restaurant owner reports $28,000 in fraudulent transactions
On December 5, Officer Landon Zagacki met with the victim of fraud / theft in the HTPD lobby. The victim, owner of a local restaurant, reported fraudulent transactions against his business account. Numerous fraudulent checks were cashed against the account over an extended period totaling approximately $28,000. Further details were provided by the victim and the investigation is active and ongoing.
Victim reports scam calls from fake ‘Verizon IT Services
On November 28, Officer Michael Crincoli met with the victim of fraud in the Hopewell Township Police Department (HTPD) lobby. The victim reported multiple fraudulent checks cashed against her PNC Bank account totaling $309.43. The victim relayed that she has been receiving calls from a “Verizon IT Services” representative which she believes is also fraudulent. The victim reported that the incidents may be related. The fraudulent checks were made payable to “Blue IT Solutions” and “Bhalli LLC”, both of which the victim is unfamiliar. The incident is under investigation.
Suspected Heroin Distribution at Hopewell Hospital Leads to Arrest
On November 28, Officer Ryan Ludwig responded to Capital Health – Hopewell Campus on a report from hospital staff that a subject was in possession of a large sum of wax folds (suspected heroin) and a large amount of cash on hospital grounds. Contact was made with the subject. The Controlled Dangerous Substance was seized on the scene. After further investigation, the individual was charged with Distributing / Dispensing CDS, as well as possession of CDS. The matter will be heard in Superior Court.
Package contents stolen
On December 1, Officer Crincoli met with the victim of theft in the HTPD lobby. The victim explained that he had two packages delivered to his residence (one on November 24 and another on November 27). In both instances, the item ordered was missing from inside the box. The boxes appeared to be opened and resealed. The total loss on the purchases was estimated at $403.00. The investigation is ongoing.
Fraudulent checks
On December 2, Officer Crincoli met with the victim of theft / fraud in the HTPD lobby. The victim reported that a fraudulent check was passed against her account at Bank of America on November 19. The check was for $955.77. The funds were ultimately reimbursed by the bank, however, the suspect was not identified by the bank. The investigation is ongoing and the victim was advised to monitor their credit report and bank accounts actively going forward.
Jewelry reported stolen from residence
On December 4, Officer Maria Gavdanovich met with the victim of a reported theft in the HTPD lobby. The victim reported that a diamond ring and white gold earrings were stolen from inside her residence. The items were valued at $11,800 in total and were kept in the home and not worn. A timeframe for the theft could not be provided. The investigation is ongoing.
Thief speeds off with nearly $300 in energy drinks
On December 7, Officer Robert Voorhees responded to the ShopRite of Pennington for a reported shoplifting. Officer Voorhees made contact with loss prevention who provided surveillance footage of the incident showing an unknown actor taking $296.24 with of energy drinks without payment. The incident is under investigation.
Merrill Lynch Bank accounts opened fraudulently
On December 9, Officer Gavdanovich met with the victim of fraud in the HTPD lobby. The victim reported two Merrill Lynch bank accounts were opened using her identity. The unknown suspect opened the accounts and deposited funds into the accounts and then immediately withdrew the funds. The victim suffered no monetary loss. The investigation is ongoing.
Dunkin Donuts employees suspected of theft
On December 11, Officer Ludwig met with a manager from Dunkin Donuts in Pennington regarding theft. The manager reported items and money had been stolen over the previous six months by employees of the business. The total amount reported as stolen was listed as $875.10. The investigation is active and ongoing.
This information was provided by the Hopewell Township Police Department, which serves Hopewell Township and Hopewell Borough.
