TRENTON
- Division of Criminal Justice Director
Vaughn L. McKoy announced that an Essex
County man has been sentenced to state
prison after pleading guilty to receiving
stolen automobiles worth more than $75,000.
According to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Greta Gooden Brown, Anthony C. Josephs,
27, of Norwood Street, Newark, was ordered
by Essex County Superior Court Judge Joseph
V. Isabella to serve five years in state
prison. The sentence is pursuant to Josephs’
April 20 guilty plea to a criminal Accusation
filed by the Division of Criminal Justice
- Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
The Accusation charged Josephs with receiving
stolen property (2nd degree).
At the guilty plea before Essex County
Superior Court Judge Paul J. Vichness,
Josephs admitted that between December
2002 and January 2004, he received stolen
cars including a 2004 Cadillac Escalade
and a 2000 Porsche Boxter. The combine
value of the stolen cars was more than
$75,000. An investigation by the Division
of Criminal Justice - Office of Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor determined that Josephs
and others would appear at dealerships,
test drive expensive cars, and switch
the real ignition key to the cars with
a fake key. Later, they would return to
the dealership and use the real ignition
key to steal the cars. Included among
the victims in this case is Gold Cadillac
in Oakhurst, Monmouth County.
State Investigators Jarek Pyrzanowski
and Jeffrey Lorman, and Deputy Attorney
General Marysol Rosero were assigned to
the investigation. DAG Rosero represented
the Division of Criminal Justice - Office
of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor at the Oct.
17 sentencing. Members of the Livingston
and Summit Police Departments assisted
in the investigation. The case was referred
to the Division of Criminal Justice -
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor by
the Summit Police Department.