Crimes Nearby: Craigslist Scam, ATM Skimmer

Rockville Centre Woman Pleads Guilty in Craigslist Identity Theft Scam

A Rockville Centre woman pleaded guilty Wednesday after using phony Craigslist ads for nonexistent jobs and apartments to steal hundreds of identities nationwide and filing hundreds of fraudulent tax returns, according to the Nassau County District Attorney's office.

Susan Pemberton, 43, of Rockville Centre, pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the third degree, scheme to defraud in the first degree, offering a false instrument for filing, and identity theft in the second degree. She faces two to four years in prison at her Jan. 23 sentencing.

According to the Nassau County DA's office, Pemberton, along with Cynthia Sibert, 23, of Roslyn, requested more than $500,000 in state income tax refunds, which raised flags at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. They also used the stolen identities to apply for bank loans and credit cards and stole a total of more than $75,000.

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Bloods Gang Member Arrested for August Old Mill Court Shooting

A Rockville Centre man and known Bloods gang member was arrested last Monday in relation to a shooting that occurred on Aug. 7 near Old Mill Court.

Police said that around 2:15 p.m. on Aug. 7, Michael Harris, 23, allegedly shot a 22-year-old man on the west side of North Centre Avenue midway between Old Mill Court and Maine Avenue. The defendant resides close to Old Mill Court, according to police.

Harris, a member of the Bloods, allegedly fired several shots at the unnamed victim for "unknown reasons," police said. However, at the time of the shooting, Village Administrator Keith Spadaro said that the shooting appeared to be "not random in nature."

The victim suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds and was treated at South Nassau Communities Hospital, police said.

Pair Caught Installing ATM Skimmer at Lynbrook Bank

Two suspects were arrested last Sunday afternoon for allegedly installing an electronic skimming device on an ATM machine at an HSBC bank in Lynbrook.

An investigation by the Lynbrook Police Department and Nassau County Police's Crimes Against Property Squad and Fourth Squad led to the arrests of Dan Florian Rus, 40, and Dorel Nicolae Sabo, 36, in Valley Stream on Oct. 7. The suspects, whose addresses are not known, were apprehended around 1:20 p.m.

According to detectives, Rus and Sabo were observed installing the skimmer on an ATM machine at the HSBC Bank branch located at 15 Atlantic Ave. in Lynbrook. (These small devices scan and steal important data from an ATM card's magnetic strip, which thieves can then transfer onto another card. This allows them to withdraw money from the user's account with a pin number, which some obtain by installing a tiny camera onto the machine as well.)

11 Suspects Arrested During Irish Day

Long Beach police rounded up 11 suspects during last Saturday’s Irish Day festivities in incidents ranging from disorderly conduct to assault, authorities said.   

“The arrests were for a wide range of activities,” said Sgt. Eric Cregeen, a spokesman for the Long Beach Police Department. “It was par for the course.”   

Cregeen said the 11 arrests included five suspects nabbed for disorderly conduct, two on public lewdness charges and one felonious assault. The other charges included municipal code violations and an arrest on a warrant.   

In addition, more than 75 appearance tickets were issued for quality of life violations, including having an open alcoholic beverage in public and urinating in public.   

At least one person was injured in connection with the assault, Cregeen said. 

For police reports, click the following links: Long Beach, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre arrests and incidents, Valley Stream