14 owners and employees of grocery stores in Newark, Camden, East Orange and Irvington have been indicted for conspiring to use fake vouchers to steal more than $1 million from the federally funded Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.
The state Division of Criminal Justice obtained a seven-count state grand jury indictment, charging the 12 grocery store owners and two employees, with conspiracy, two counts of money laundering, official misconduct, pattern of official misconduct, theft by deception, and receiving stolen property. The indictment was made public Wednesday after authorities made arrests.
Under indictment are:
Martin Martinez, 51, of Newark, former owner of Duran Stop 1 on Bergen Street, Newark;John Cepeda, 35, of Elizabeth, employee/manager of Los Tiburones on Bergen Street, Newark; Francisco Torres, 46, of Jersey City, former owner of Sobrino’s Supermarket on North Munn Street, East Orange; Hector Lozada, 51, owner of La Bella Campesina on West 6th Street, Newark; Denis Jaquez, 32, of Camden, former manager of B&B Grocery on North 7th Street, Camden; Ignacio Perez, 41, of Camden, owner of Perez Grocery on North 4th Street, Camden; Rafael Lopez, 42, of Newark, owner of New Queens Supermarket on Bergen Street, Newark; Julio Rozon, 43, owner of J-Roz Mini Mart on Orange Street, Newark; Victor Estevez, owner of Estevez Stop 1 on South Orange Avenue, Newark; Andres Rodrigues, 61, of Wesley Chapel, Fla., owner of Union Associated Supermarket on River Road, Camden; Jesus M. Martinez, 51, of Pennsauken, owner of Fernandito’s Supermarket on Yorkship Square, Camden; Ramon G. Checo of Bloomfield, owner of Dawe Supermarket on Springfield Avenue, Irvington; Ashvin C. Patel of Edison, owner of OM Groceries on Broadway, Newark; and Angel Fernandez, 40, of Newark, former owner of Eddy’s Supermarket on Clinton Avenue, Newark.
An investigation by the state Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau revealed that between July 2004 and April 2007, three former clerks employed by the Newark WIC Program conspired to issue more than $1 million in fake vouchers. The clerks – a man and two women – have pleaded guilty in the investigation and face prison sentences. A supermarket owner pleaded guilty to purchasing the fake vouchers from the clerks and reselling them by the stack to other grocery store owners.
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