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TRENTON
- Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal
Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced
that an Essex County man has pleaded guilty
to acting as a leader of a multi-county
automobile and motorcycle theft ring.
According
to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Riza
Dagli, Demond Conley, 36, of Irvington pleaded
guilty yesterday (June 30) to second-degree
charges of leading an auto theft network
and eluding police before Superior Court
Judge Michael A. Petrolle in Essex County.
The charges were contained in an April 15
state grand jury indictment.
The state will recommend that Conley be
sentenced to eight years in state prison,
including three years of parole ineligibility.
Judge Petrolle scheduled sentencing for
Aug. 30. Deputy Attorney General John J.
Higgins took the guilty plea for the Office
of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
In
pleading guilty, Conley admitted that between
Aug. 11 and Nov. 10, 2009, he was an organizer
of a scheme to unlawfully distribute or
transport stolen high-end automobiles and
motorcycles in New Jersey. Conley trafficked
in a number of stolen motorcycles and automobiles
on various dates over this time period.
On Nov. 10, 2009, he was arrested in Irvington
as he completed sales of a stolen 2008 BMW
750, valued at approximately $85,000, and
a stolen 2009 Nissan 370Z, valued at approximately
$35,000.
Conley
also admitted that at the time of his arrest,
when law enforcement officers of the Essex/Union
Auto Theft Task Force tried to stop him,
he fled the scene and attempted to cause
serious bodily injury to the officers by
ramming police vehicles.
Also
charged in the indictment were:
-
Terrence Simonson, 29,
of Newark. Simonson was charged with second-degree
conspiracy; second-degree fencing; second-degree
eluding; second-degree aggravated assault;
and second-degree hindering apprehension.
-
Demetrius Ross, 34, of
Newark. Ross was charged with two counts
of second-degree theft by unlawful taking;
two counts of second-degree receipt of
stolen property; third-degree theft by
unlawful taking; third-degree receipt
of stolen property; and second-degree
fencing.
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Josef T. Allen, 23, of
Irvington. Allen was charged with third-degree
conspiracy and third-degree fencing.
-
Kelli Coleman, 40, of
Newark. Coleman was charged with third-degree
conspiracy and second-degree insurance
fraud.
- "John
Doe" (also known as "J.P."),
age and address unknown, was charged with
third-degree fencing.
Simonson and Ross were also arrested on
Nov. 10, 2009 at the scene of the sale of
the stolen BMW 750 and Nissan 370Z by detectives
from the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
and officers from the Essex/Union Auto Theft
Task Force.
The cases against the remaining defendants
are pending. The indictment is merely an
accusation and they are presumed innocent
until proven guilty.
Detective Jarek Pyrzanowski and Deputy Attorney
General Higgins were assigned to the investigation
into this case. They were assisted by Detectives
Wendy Berg and Amy Carson. Deputy Attorney
General Higgins presented the case to the
state grand jury. Acting Prosecutor Dagli
thanked the DCJ Gangs & Organized Crime
Bureau Central Squad, Essex/Union Auto Theft
Task Force, the Port Authority of New York
& New Jersey Police, and Keystone Insurance/Midlantic
AAA Insurance Company for their assistance
in the investigation.
Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Dagli
noted that important cases have started
with anonymous tips. People who are concerned
about insurance cheating and have information
about 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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