The following is a release by the Gloucester Township Police Department:
The Gloucester Township Police Department recently joined in a multi-agency Federal Investigation which resulted in multiple arrests. The GTPD regularly joins many Federal, State, County, and Local Law Enforcement partners to keep our community safe.
Ten people from South Jersey and Philadelphia have been charged with participating in a scheme to defraud individuals, companies, and financial institutions by misappropriating the victims’ bank account information and using that information to withdraw over $1.5 million in funds to which they were not entitled, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Kayla Massa, 22, of Gloucester City; Leire Massa, 19, of Laurel Springs; William Logan, 22, of Gloucester City; Jordan Herrin, 22, of Berlin; Erasmo Feliciano, 19, Laurel Springs; Kevin McDaniels, 18, of Sicklerville; Jabreel Martin, 20, of Philadelphia; Dezhon McCrae, 20, of Penns Grove; Andrew Johnson, 21, of Gloucester City; and Alex Haines 27, of Woodbury; are charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court on Feb. 13.
Postal inspectors connected stolen postal money orders to a series of fraudulent bank account activities at various area banks. They discovered a network of individuals in the Sicklerville, Clementon, and Gloucester City areas who posted advertisements on Instagram and Snapchat, offering people the ability to make “quick cash” if they banked at certain institutions.
Some members of the conspiracy then acquired individuals’ banking information using a ruse, while others printed counterfeit checks that they deposited into the accounts. Members of the conspiracy also used victims’ debit cards to withdraw cash and make large purchases, including purchases of money orders.
The group financed purchases of luxury items, including jewelry, watches, other luxury goods and apparel, vehicles, with the stolen funds. In most cases, the victims of this scheme suffered financial losses and credit problems as a result. The estimated loss at this time exceeds $1.5 million.
