Chaim “Charlie” Gottlieb, 43, of 144 Ross Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and David Faria, 43, of 63 Seminole Drive in Lakewood, New Jersey were arrested and arraigned November 5 on a 41-count fraud and money laundering indictment. If convicted, each man now faces 25 years in prison.
Above: David Faria, left, and Chaim Gottlieb, right
Williamsburg-Lakewood Scammers Busted For Fraud – Again
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Two men were arrested earlier this month after they allegedly posed as Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BSVAC) officials in a bid to bilk bank out of more than $1 million, Our Time, a local Brooklyn newspaper reported.
Chaim “Charlie” Gottlieb, 43, of 144 Ross Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and David Faria, 43, of 63 Seminole Drive in Lakewood, New Jersey were arrested and arraigned November 5 on a 41-count fraud and money laundering indictment. If convicted, each man now faces 25 years in prison.
“These defendants allegedly defrauded a bank for $1 million by pretending to finance volunteer ambulance companies like the Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps, which has saved countless lives here in Brooklyn,” Brooklyn DA Kenneth Thompson reportedly said.
While the case is listed on the New York State Court System’s website, no press release or mention of the case could be found Friday afternoon on Thompson’s official DA website.
From December 2011 to November 2012, Gottlieb and Faria allegedly conspired to defraud lenders by using entities that were or appeared to be nonprofit EMT services get loans they were not entitled to. The pair even went to a bank in Oklahoma as part of the scheme.
They pair allegedly used fraudulent documents, including tax forms and invoices, as part of the scheme to defraud.
They also allegedly falsely claimed to represent several nonprofit EMT services, including Aviation Volunteer Fire Department, New York State Search and Rescue, Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Kings County Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and others.
Gottlieb was ordered held on $1 million bond or $300,000 cash bail, which appears not have been posted.
Faria was ordered held on $100,000 bond or $50,000 cash bail.
The next court appearance for both men is scheduled for January 7, 2015.
The pair, who operate Ocean County Search and Rescue in Lakewood, were arrested in 2013 on another alleged scam in Ocean County, New Jersey involving Superstorm Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and a $75,000 loan.
Faria and Gottleib were charged with theft by deception, theft, and falsifying records in that case after they allegedly forged their own approval for a $150,000 grant from FEMA, brought it to loan officers at OceanFirst Bank, and tried to get a loan.
FEMA confirmed the approval letter was forged, and that neither Faria or Gottleib had been awarded any money.
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