the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Cresskill NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of NWAOKOMA H. NWAKANMA (DOB: 10/01/1990; single; health aid) of 7395 Woodview Street, Westland, MI on a charge of theft by deception. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love; the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Anthony Cureton; the Cresskill Police Department under the direction of Chief Edward Wrixon; the Westland, MI Police Department under the direction of Chief Jeff Jedrusik; and the Wayne County, MI Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Raphael Washington.
On Wednesday, June 3, 2020, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit received information from the Cresskill Police Department regarding allegations of personal protection equipment (PPE) fraud. The subsequent investigation revealed that NWAOKOMA H. NWAKANMA received $90,000 from a fraudulent transaction relating to the purchase of approximately 1 million latex gloves that were to be used for PPE. The purported seller of the PPE, Bioneutral Chem Group, based in Newark, NJ, was determined to be a non-existent company portraying itself to be a legitimate business.
On Friday, June 4, 2021, an arrest warrant was issue for NWAOKOMA H. NWAKANMA charging him with one count of second-degree theft by deception, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4(a). On Thursday, July 7, 2021, NWAKANMA was arrested by the Westland Police Department, waived extradition, and was subsequently transported to the Bergen County Jail. He was released following his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court.
The investigation is on-going and anyone who conducted business with Bioneutral Chem Group for the purchase of PPE is encouraged to call the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Tipline at 201-226-5532.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and he would like to thank the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office; the Cresskill Police Department; the Westland, MI Police Department; and the Wayne County, MI Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.
