Category Archives: Criminal Law
Feds Using Wire Fraud Charges to Prosecute Theft of Pandemic Unemployment Compensation
The May 2022 arrest of a Camden County man on federal wire fraud charges related to pandemic unemployment assistance illustrates how authorities are cracking down on crimes connected to the government’s COVID-19 relief programs. As federal agencies ramp up their investigations and devote more resources to prosecuting this type of fraud, it is crucial that… Read More »
Authorities in New Jersey Step Up Efforts to Prosecute Fentanyl Distributors
A recent spate of arrests and prosecutions related to distribution of fentanyl illustrates how New Jersey and federal authorities are attempting to gain control over an intensifying opioid crisis. As law enforcement ramps up its investigations and prosecutors seek harsh sentences to try to send a message, it is more important than ever for anyone… Read More »
New Jersey Authorities Cracking Down on Opioid Traffickers
As the opioid epidemic continues to rage across the nation, New Jersey authorities are carrying on a multi-track strategy to address the problem. The state attorney general and other law enforcement agencies are pursuing doctors, pharmacists and other professionals who help drive the crisis by issuing improper prescriptions or by otherwise engaging in the illegal… Read More »
Law Enforcement Anticipates a Post-Pandemic Crime Surge
Police in New Jersey and across the nation are bracing for what they believe could be a serious uptick in crime in the second half of 2021, as lockdowns and social distancing measures fade away and people reemerge into society carrying the burden of pandemic-induced stress. Increased gun violence is particularly concerning for law enforcement…. Read More »
Child Pornography Sweep by NJ Prosecutor Leads to Mass Arrests
A New Jersey county prosecutor’s program targeting online sexual exploitation of children has led to multiple arrests on child pornography and related charges since mid-2020. Operation Safe Quarantine, begun by Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina in the early weeks of the pandemic, resulted in the arrests of 10 people last July on charges of possessing… Read More »
Mass Release of Prisoners Underway in N.J. to Check Spread of Coronavirus
COVID-19 is most likely to be transmitted in enclosed, crowded environments, which puts inmates in highly populated prisons at a high risk of contracting it. As the virus surges nationwide, New Jersey is engaging in a mass release of prisoners in an attempt to slow the spread. The state Department of Corrections has released more… Read More »
Newton Man Faces Money Laundering Charges After Email Scheme Is Uncovered
A Newton small business owner could be facing jail time for laundering more than $75,000 in proceeds from an email scam he allegedly ran in 2017 and 2018. Robert J. Herburger, 60, is charged with having sent fraudulent emails to employees at multiple businesses seeking money for an apparently legitimate reason. Herburger then took the… Read More »
South Jersey Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Money Laundering Charges
A sales executive for a New Jersey pharmaceutical sales company has admitted to charges that he masterminded a years-long prescription drug fraud and money laundering operation that caused health benefits programs and insurers to lose more than $50 million. William Hickman, a Northfield resident, pleaded guilty to two federal criminal counts, which, combined, could trigger… Read More »
What are Considered Essential Businesses Under States’ COVID-19 Rules?
During the coronavirus pandemic, previously bustling locations from malls to urban downtowns have gone eerily quiet. But your local pizza place might still be open, along with restaurants that can survive on takeout and delivery orders and, of course, grocery stores. After all, keeping people fed during an epidemic is critical, and food delivery and… Read More »
How Can Someone Be Punished if They Violate a COVID-19 Stay at Home Order?
Across the country, stay-at-home orders have strained law enforcement and tested how far states and municipalities are willing to go to enforce the orders. These directives have triggered controversy and confusion, as standards sometimes differ from town to town or county to county. In certain instances, people who have violated government edicts designed to reduce… Read More »