TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that a Paterson man was indicted today on
charges that he acted as a leader of a stolen
car trafficking network and committed various
weapons offenses.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Jose Torres, 35, of Paterson, was
charged with being a leader of an auto-trafficking
network, receiving stolen property, fencing,
possession of a handgun for an unlawful
purpose, and two counts of possession of
a weapon by a convicted person, all in the
second-degree. Torres was also charged with
third-degree conspiracy, two counts of third-degree
unlawful possession of a handgun, fourth-degree
possession of hollow nose bullets, and two
counts of fourth-degree unlawful disposition
of a weapon.
The
Morris County grand jury indictment alleges
that between Nov. 15 and Dec. 6, 2006, Torres
acted as an organizer, supervisor, financier,
and manager of a network engaged in buying
and selling stolen automobiles. The indictment
charges that Torres knowingly took possession
of 8 stolen vehicles: a 2002 BMW 540i, a
2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, a 2006 Toyota
Camry, a 2005 Toyota Sequoia, a 2006 Toyota
Corolla LE, a 2004 Toyota Corolla CE, a
2006 Toyota Highlander, and a 2004 Toyota
Sienna. Several of the cars were allegedly
stolen from Crestmont Toyota in Pompton
Plains.
The
indictment further alleges that Torres conspired
with others to possess handguns without
a permit, or without having first been licensed
to possess handguns, and to sell handguns
to others. The indictment also alleges that
he possessed a handgun for an unlawful purpose.
It is alleged that Torres unlawfully possessed
or controlled an Iver Johnson .38 Special
and a Davis Industries Model P380, .38-caliber
handgun, and sold the weapons to an undercover
detective from the Division of Criminal
Justice. Torres is a convicted felon and
therefore is prohibited from possessing
any firearm in the State of New Jersey.
State
Investigator Vincent Gaeta and Deputy Attorney
General John J. Higgins were assigned to
the investigation. Higgins presented the
case to the Morris County grand jury.
“Frequently
insurance fraud investigations lead to evidence
of stolen automobiles,” said Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden Brown. “These
particular thefts were uncovered as part
of an insurance fraud investigation of stolen
vehicles, and the resulting insurance claims.”
The
indictment is merely an accusation, and
the defendant is presumed innocent until
proven guilty.
Second-degree
crimes carry a maximum punishment of 10
years in state prison and a criminal fine
of $150,000, while third-degree crimes carry
a maximum punishment of five years in prison
and a fine of $15,000. Fourth-degree crimes
carry a maximum punishment of 18 months
in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Additionally,
a defendant convicted for possession of
a weapon by a convicted person faces a mandatory
parole ineligibility period of five years.
Prosecutor
Brown noted that some important cases have
started with anonymous tips. People who
are concerned about insurance cheating and
have information about a fraud can report
it anonymously by calling the toll-free
hotline 1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting the Web
site www.njinsurancefraud.org.
State regulations permit an award to be
paid to an eligible person who provides
information that leads to an arrest, prosecution
and conviction for insurance fraud.
The
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor was
established by the Automobile Insurance
Cost Reduction Act of 1998. The office is
the centralized state agency that investigates
and prosecutes both civil and criminal insurance
fraud, as well as Medicaid fraud.
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