Crime & Safety

Two Charged For Attempting To Steal $72K from New Providence Business

Pair made unauthorized transfer from business to personal account, tried to withdraw money, planned to flee country. Investigation is on-going, other charges may be filed.

On Sept. 5, Detective Stephen Drown charged Melanie Walsh, 23, of Randolph and Richard Ricciardi Jr., 40, of Newark with 2nd degree computer theft, 2nd degree trafficking of personal identifying information, 3rd degree theft by deception, 3rd degree wrongful impersonation and 4th degree credit card theft. Mr. Ricciardi Jr. was also charged with possessing hypodermic needles and other paraphernalia items utilized for injecting a controlled dangerous substance. 

The charges stem from a report from Aug. 25 of suspicious banking activity from a credit union located in the Borough.

The credit union reported Melanie Walsh was attempting to withdraw money from her account after she had transferred $72,000 from a business where she was employed as an office manager. 

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The unauthorized transfer was made via a laptop computer five minutes prior to her arrival at the credit union at a public WiFi connection in the Borough. 

Items located during an on-scene consent search included spread sheets and hand written notes with personal information of more than 70 individuals, credit card numbers and checks from several victims, maps of other financial institutions and directions to flee the country to Mexico. 

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Mr. Ricciardi Jr. fled the scene during patrols' initial investigation. A warrant was issued for Mr. Ricciardi's arrest and he was later captured in Newark by the Morris County Sheriffs Department. 

Mr. Ricciardi Jr. is currently logged in the Morris County Jail. 

After a search warrant was issued to search the vehicle operated by Melanie Walsh and Richard Ricciardi Jr., detectives recovered several items that were reported stolen from a residential burglary in Rockaway Borough earlier in the month. 

The investigation is still on-going and further charges may be filed against the pair.


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