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June 24, 2004 DIVISION
OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - FINANCIAL CRIMES BUREAU Mother
& Son Issued $500,000 In Bad Checks To Purchase Late-Model |
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TRENTON — A former Gloucester County probation officer and her son have been charged by the Division of Criminal Justice - Financial Crimes Bureau with committing a series of crimes including issuing more that $500,000 in bad checks to purchase late-model, luxury automobiles, unemployment insurance fraud and threatening to kill a witness questioned by law enforcement investigators, Attorney General Peter C. Harvey announced. According to Vaughn L. McKoy, Director, Division of Criminal Justice, a State Grand Jury returned two separate indictments charging Rene Bradley-Williams, 45, 676 Cypress Drive, Vineland, Cumberland County, and her son Robert Bradley, III, 20, also of Cypress Drive, with multiple counts of theft by deception (2nd degree), uttering a forged instrument (3rd degree), theft of services (3rd degree), unsworn falsification to authorities (4th degree) and witness tampering (2nd degree). If convicted on all counts, Bradley-Williams faces more than 20 years in state prison and fines exceeding $500,000, while Bradley III faces more than ten years in state prison and fines exceeding $350,000. Additionally, Bradley-Williams could be ordered to repay the Department of Labor more than $2,400 in principal and interest as a result of illegally collecting unemployment insurance benefits. The State
Grand Jury indictment charges that from March through November, 2002,
Bradley-Williams and Bradley, III leased, purchased or attempted to purchase
eight 2003 luxury automobiles using fraudulent checks drawn on an account
in the name of Bradley Associates, Inc. as well as on accounts of real
and fictitious law firms. In fact, an investigation conducted by the Department
of Labor and the Division of Criminal Justice determined that the account
number and bank listed on the various fraudulent checks correspond to
an actual account belonging to the State of New Jersey, Division of Temporary
Disability Insurance. The indictment charges the following: • Oct. 17, 2002 - Bradley-Williams purchases a 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK 500 from Precision Cars of Atlantic City, Atlantic County, using a fraudulent $50,000 check; • Oct. 18, 2002 - Bradley-Williams and Bradley III purchase a 2003 Mercedes Benz SL55AMG from Precision Cars of Atlantic City, Atlantic County, using a fraudulent $180,000 check; • Oct. 19, 2002 - Bradley-Williams purchases a 2003 Jaguar S-Type R from Holman Motorcars in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, using a fraudulent $67,000 check; • Oct. 22, 2002 - Bradley-Williams and Bradley III purchase two 2003 Lincoln Navigators from Seaview Lincoln Mercury in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, using a fraudulent $125,000 check; • Oct. 22, 2002 - Bradley-Williams and Bradley III pa- off the lease of a 2003 Chevrolet Blazer from the Enterprise Leasing Company of Philadelphia, through the Vineland, Cumberland County, office. It is charged that Bradley-Williams paid the $900 lease deposit using a fraudulent check drawn on the Bradley Associates account and signed by Bradley, Jr.; • Oct. 22, 2002 - Bradley-Williams uses a fraudulent $23,000 check as payment to the Veterans Affairs Federal Credit Union to pay off an outstanding loan; • Oct. 25, 2002 - Bradley-Williams attempt to purchase a 2003 Lexus ES-300 from Lexus of Atlantic City using a fraudulent $39,000 check. The investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice - Financial Crimes Bureau determined that on Oct. 14, Bradley-Williams made threatening phone calls to a former roommate who had been questioned by law enforcement authorities. The indictment charges that Bradley-Williams told the witness that if she cooperated with the Division of Criminal Justice she and her son would be killed by Jamaican drug dealers. A second indictment charged Bradley-Williams with receiving more than $1,973 in Unemployment Insurance benefits to which she was not entitled. The indictment alleges that from Sept. 2 to Oct. 7, 2000, Bradley-Williams collected unemployment benefits while employed by the Administrative Office of the Courts as a probation officer assigned to the Gloucester County Superior Court and by Subpoenas Unlimited, a privately-owned company located in Cherry Hill, Camden County. It is charged that Bradley-Williams failed to report the earned income to the Department of Labor. Bradley-Williams was suspended from her probation officer employment on Oct. 31, 2002. The State Grand Jury indictments were handed up to Mercer County Superior Court Judge Maria Marinari Sypek on June 15. The case has been assigned to the Atlantic County Superior Court for trial. A complaint summons will require Bradley-Williams and Bradley III to appear in Atlantic County Superior Court for arraignment and bail. Deputy Attorney
Generals Nancy L. Faust and Mark C. Kurzawa of the Division of Criminal
Justice, Financial Crimes Bureau presented the case to the State Grand
Jury. State Investigator Gary O'Brien of the Financial Crimes Bureau coordinated
the multi-agency investigation. Additional investigative support was provided
by the Department of Labor and the Atlantic, Cumberland and Gloucester
County Prosecutor Offices. Director McKoy noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free "Corruption TipLine" for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities. The statewide "Corruption TipLine" is: 1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division of Criminal Justice Web Page at www.njdcj.org to electronically report suspected wrongdoing. Any information received via the Division of Criminal Justice "Corruption TipLine" or the Division of Taxation "CATCH Hotline" will remain confidential. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law. A copy of the indictment, press release and related information is available by logging on to the Division of Criminal Justice Web Page at www.njdcj.org.
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