HILLSDALE, N.J.—Police Chief Robert Francaviglia announced charges against Richard C. Okorie, 42, of Missouri City, Texas and Barbara Lynn Alexander, 79, of Graham N.C.
The arrests are the result of an investigation conducted by Hillsdale Police Department and members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Financial Crimes Unit.
In March the Hillsdale Police Department received information from a victim of identity theft that his company-sponsored retirement account was compromised and $400,000 was stolen.
Hillsdale detectives and BCPO personnel continued the investigation, which revealed that the money was transferred through a money-laundering network including Alexander in North Carolina. Money then moved to Okorie in Texas.
Persons involved in this network assumed fictitious identities and opened up numerous bank accounts by creating shell companies. Some of the stolen money has been recovered.
In announcing the accusations in a July 3 press release, Francaviglia said the two are charged with theft by deception, impersonating the representative of another to defraud, engaging in a transactions of money derived from criminal activity, and conspiring with others to commit crimes.
Court dates will be set for each defendant upon return to New Jersey from outside the state. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges and arrests may be forthcoming.
Francaviglia thanked the following agencies for their assistance with this investigation: Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, United States Homeland Security Investigations, United States Customs and Border Patrol, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. He added that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.