Tag: Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal

September 25,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced the following arrests:

ANTHONY PEGUERO (D.O.B. 2/07/1994; single; and employed as a mover) of 272 S 8th Street, Newark, New Jersey; charged with Trafficking in Stolen Identities, Check Fraud and Theft by Deception;

DALESKA DILLERVA (D.O.B. 2/21/1995; single; and unemployed) of 272 S 8th Street, Newark, New Jersey; charged with Trafficking in Stolen Identities, Check Fraud and Theft by Deception;

LEZLIE MERCEDES (D.O.B. 10/07/1997; single; and employed as a concierge) of 27 Newman Street, Hackensack, New Jersey; charged with Check Fraud and Theft by Deception;

GUILLERMO LOPEZ (D.O.B. 8/04/1987; single; and unemployed) of 92 Summit Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey; charged with Check Fraud and Theft by Deception;

ALYSHA VIERA (D.O.B. 12/04/1997; single; and employed as store clerk) of 313 2nd Street, Carlstadt, New Jersey; charged with Check Fraud and Theft by Deception;

FRANCISCO TROCHE (D.O.B. 10/27/1991; single; employed as a cook) of 20 Hiram Place, Harrison, New Jersey; charged with Check Fraud and Theft by Deception;

CLAUDIO RODRIGUES (D.O.B. 9/14/1991; single; and employed as an automotive service manager) of 117 Rutherford Place, Kearny, New Jersey; Check Fraud and Theft by Deception.

The arrests are the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Prosecutors Office Financial Crimes Unit under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti.

In August of 2017, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office received a complaint from County of Bergen financial officers regarding the fraudulent production and deposit of checks which were made to appear as if they were issued from a Bergen County payroll account.  Along with the checks, it was determined that illicit wire activity had also occurred which brought the total theft amount to over $50,000.

The investigation revealed that DILLERVA and PEGUERO organized the illicit activities of a group of individuals who were responsible for forging and negotiating business checks. The checks were deposited in co-conspirators’ accounts and then the illicitly obtained funds were withdrawn before the forgeries and deception were uncovered. MERCEDES, LOPEZ, VIERA, TROCHE, and RODRIGUEZ acted in concert along with DILLERVA and PEGUERO to access and use the illicit bank accounts in which the forged checks were deposited.  As a result of the still ongoing investigation, other suspected victim business accounts have been identified.

As a result of the investigation:

Alysha VIERA was arrested on Friday, September 8, 2017 in Paramus, New Jersey and charged with one count of Issuing or Passing Bad Checks, with a value greater than $1,000 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5, a 3rd degree crime; and, one count of Theft by Deception, with a benefit greater than $500 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4a, a 3rd degree crime. The complaint was issued as a summons and VIERA is scheduled to appear in Central Judicial Processing Court at 8:30 a.m. on September 20, 2017.

Guillermo LOPEZ was arrested on Monday, September 11, 2017 in Jersey City, New Jersey and charged with one count of Issuing or Passing Bad Checks, with a value greater than $1,000 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5, a 3rd degree crime; and one count of Theft by Deception, with a benefit greater than $500 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4a, a 3rd degree crime. The complaint was issued as a summons and LOPEZ is scheduled to appear in Central Judicial Processing Court at 8:30 a.m. on September 27, 2017.

Anthony PEGUERO was arrested on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey and charged with one count of Fraudulent Use, Distribution, Manufacture, and/or Possession of Items Containing the Personal Identification Information of Another (Trafficking in Stolen Identities), ten of more items pertaining to five or more persons, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:17.3, a 2nd degree crime, one count of Issuing or Passing Bad Checks, with a value greater than $1,000 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5, a 3rd degree crime; and one count of Theft by Deception, with a benefit greater than $500 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4a, a 3rd degree crime. The complaint was issued as a warrant and PEGUERO was detained pending a detention hearing.

Daleska DILLERVA was arrested on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey and charged with one count of Fraudulent Use, Distribution, Manufacture, and/or Possession of Items Containing the Personal Identification Information of Another (Trafficking in Stolen Identities), ten of more items pertaining to five or more persons, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:17.3, a 2nd degree crime, one count of Issuing or Passing Bad Checks, with a value greater than $1,000 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5, a 3rd degree crime; and, one count of Theft by Deception, with a benefit greater than $500 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4a, a 3rd degree crime. The complaint was issued as a summons and DILLERVA is scheduled to appear in Central Judicial Processing Court at 8:30 a.m. on October 4, 2017.

Francisco TROCHE was arrested on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 in Paramus, New Jersey and charged with one count of Issuing or Passing Bad Checks, with a value greater than $200 but less than $1,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5, a 4th degree crime; and, one count of Theft by Deception, with a benefit greater than $500 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4a, a 3rd degree crime. The complaint was issued as a summons and TROCHE is scheduled to appear in Central Judicial Processing Court at 8:30 a.m. on October 4, 2017.

Claudio RODRIGUES was arrested on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 in Paramus, New Jersey and charged with one count of Issuing or Passing Bad Checks, with a value greater than $1,000 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5, a 3rd degree crime; and, one count of Theft by Deception, with a benefit greater than $500 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4a, a 3rd degree crime. The complaint was issued as a summons and RODRIGUES is scheduled to appear in Central Judicial Processing Court at 8:30 a.m. on October 4, 2017.

Lezlie MERCEDES was arrested on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 in Paramus, New Jersey and charged with one count of Issuing or Passing Bad Checks, with a value greater than $1,000 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5, a 3rd degree crime; and, one count of Theft by Deception, with a benefit greater than $500 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4a, a 3rd degree crime. The complaint was issued as a summons and MERCEDES is scheduled to appear in Central Judicial Processing Court at 8:30 a.m. on October 4, 2017.