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NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE
OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Office of Public Affairs (609) 882-2000
Capt. Stephen Jones - ext. 6513
Lt. Brian Polite - ext. 6514
SFC Gregory Williams - ext. 6515
Tpr. I Jeff Flynn - ext. 6516
Tpr. Alina Spies - ext. 6531

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 09, 2014

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Five Members of Bergen County Theft Ring Arrested For $100,000 In Fraudulent Credit Card Purchases

Englewood, N.J. - On Thursday, May 1, 2014, the New Jersey State Police and partnering agencies arrested five members of a theft ring that used stolen credit cards to purchase more than $100,000 in merchandise from websites and electronics stores in northern New Jersey.

According to detectives, Lewis Agyeman, the suspected ring leader, purchased merchandise online using stolen credit card information, and directed associates to pick up packages at various locations. Detectives seized computers, tablets, mobile phones, televisions, audio equipment, cookware, jewelry, clothing, credit cards, a Mercedes Benz, $10,000 in U.S. currency, and froze one bank account worth $12,500.

The six month investigation dubbed Operation Parcel Post consisted of members from the New Jersey State Police Cyber Crimes Unit, Missing Persons Unit, Digital Technology Investigations Unit, T.E.A.M.S. Unit, Canine Unit, Troop B Tactical Patrol Unit, FBI, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and Englewood Township Police Department.

All of the individuals arrested were charged with Conspiracy, Theft by Deception, Receiving Stolen Property, Fencing, Shoplifting, and Credit Card Theft. Agyeman was additionally charged with Trafficking in Personal Identifying Information.

The investigation revealed additional criminal activity by Agyeman when detectives discovered that he had created a fictitious dating profile that he used to fraudulently obtain money from women victims. For his online profile, Agyeman used a fake name and described himself as a six-foot-tall Latino man. He established online relationships with women and then fabricated emergency situations in an attempt to get them to send him money. Detectives learned that he received money from several victims that totaled approximately $10,000. For this activity he was charged with Theft by Deception and Impersonation.

Operation Parcel Post led to the arrest of:

      Bail Charges
Lewis Agyeman
Lewis Agyeman
29 Englewood $95k Trafficking in Personal Identifying Information
Conspiracy
Theft by Deception
Receiving Stolen Property
Fencing Shoplifting
Credit Card Theft
Impersonation
Money Laundering
Theft by Deception (For Dating Scam)
Impersonation (For Dating Scam)
Lodged in Ocean County Jail in default of $95,000 bail full cash
Alexis Owusu
Alexis Owusu
32 Englewood $75k Conspiracy
Theft by Deception
Receiving Stolen Property
Fencing
Shoplifting
Credit Card Theft
Impersonation
Lodged in Ocean County Jail in default of $75,000 bail full cash
Philliana Rivers
Philliana Rivers
21 Englewood $75k Conspiracy
Theft by Deception
Receiving Stolen Property
Fencing
Shoplifting Credit Card Theft
Impersonation
Lodged in Ocean County Jail in default of $75,000 bail full cash
Kimberly Findlay
Kimberly Findlay
21 Englewood $75k Conspiracy
Theft by Deception
Receiving Stolen Property
Fencing
Shoplifting
Credit Card Theft
Impersonation
Lodged in Ocean County Jail in default of $75,000 bail full cash
James Owusu
James Owusu
31 Englewood $75k Conspiracy
Theft by Deception
Receiving Stolen Property
Fencing
Shoplifting
Credit Card Theft
Impersonation
Lodged in Ocean County Jail in default of $75,000 bail full cash

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