March 17, 2008: Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi, Esq., United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Wofford and Rockaway Township Chief of Police Walter A. Kimble announce the investigation and arrest in connection with a Nigerian Check Scam involving the manufacturing and distribution of fraudulent United States Postal Money Orders and Wal-Mart Money Orders valued in excess of $585,325.00.

In October of 2007 a representative of Federal Express Security referred an investigation to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office regarding fraudulent money orders being shipped from Federal Express drop boxes located in Rockaway Township and addressed to various locations throughout the United States.

In September 2007, a Federal Express driver noticed a high volume of Federal Express envelopes being dropped off at a Federal Express drop box located in Rockaway Township. These envelopes were addressed to numerous individuals throughout the United States. A subsequent investigation which was conducted in partnership with Federal Express Security, Rockaway Township Police Department, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office revealed that the envelopes contained numerous fraudulent and counterfeit Wal-Mart money orders and United States Postal Money Orders. It was also discovered that the sender's Federal Express account number was fraudulent as well.

In October 2007, a Federal Express representative turned over to Detective Stephen Ortiz of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office a box containing 106 Federal Express envelopes which were retrieved from a Federal Express drop box in Rockaway, New Jersey between September 12, 2007 and October 08, 2007. Thirty-six (36) envelopes were examined and found to contain two hundred and forty-eight (248) fraudulent money orders with an aggregate total of $124,025.00.

In October 2007, a surveillance operation and subsequent search warrant execution, revealed that on October 29, 2007, Albert P. Lahndt, Jr. dropped fifty-seven (57) Federal Express envelopes into three different Federal Express drop boxes located in Rockaway Township. An examination of these (57) envelopes revealed one hundred and sixty nine (169) bogus Wal-Mart money orders addressed to multiple individuals throughout the United States with an aggregate value of $90,000.00.

In November 2007, Detective Ortiz collected fifty-three (53) Federal Express envelopes from Federal Express Security who retrieved these fifty-three (53) Federal Express envelopes from Federal Express drop boxes located in Rockaway Township, New Jersey between late October 2007 and early November 2007. The envelopes were addressed to numerous individuals throughout the United States. These (53) envelopes contained one-hundred and ninety-one (191) fraudulent money orders with an aggregate value of $108,100.00.

In March 2008, Investigators seized twenty-six (26) envelopes which were previously collected by a Federal Express delivery driver in Rockaway Township, New Jersey on January 30, 2008. An examination of the packages contained seventy-eight (78) fraudulent United States Postal Money Orders worth an aggregate value of $66,300.00.

On March 6, 2008, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement notified Detective Stephen Ortiz that a Federal Express package originating from Nigeria and addressed to Albert P. Lahndt, 1329 Hamilton Drive, Rockaway Township, New Jersey, was seized by Inspectors at Newark's Liberty International Airport on March 4, 2008. The package was opened and inspected by the Customs and Border Inspectors on March 4, 2008. This package contained ninety-six (96) bogus US Postal money orders, seventy-one (71) bogus Money Gram money orders, and one-hundred and ninety-one (191) bogus Wal-Mart money orders. The total value of the three hundred and fifty-eight (358) money orders is $196,900.00.

On March 11, 2008, Special Agent Felix Cruz with ICE turned over the package containing the bogus money orders to Detective Ortiz. Detective Ortiz examined the money orders and discovered that they were similar in appearance to the ones dropped off into the Federal Express drop boxes by Albert P. Lahndt and seized as part of this investigation. As a result of the joint investigation the following individual was charged:

Albert P. Lahndt Jr.
DOB 4-9-38
1329 Hamilton Drive
Rockaway Township, New Jersey

Charges:
One Count of Bad Checks (2nd Degree)
One Count of Conspiracy to Commit Theft by Deception (2nd Degree)
Three Counts of Uttering Forged Documents (3rd Degree)
Three Counts of Attempted Theft by Deception (2nd Degree)
Three Counts of Attempted Theft of Services (3rd Degree)

The defendant was transported to the Rockaway Township Police Department where he was processed and remanded to the Morris County Correctional Facility. The defendant was remanded in lieu of $75,000 with 10% option which was set by Superior Court Judge John J. Harper, JSC.

Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi stated, "This was an extensive investigation that had an economic impact throughout the United States. Detective Stephen Ortiz in partnership with the Federal Express Security, Rockaway Township Police Department and our Federal Partners at the United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should be commended for their cooperative and extensive efforts."

This investigation is still on-going.

Chief Walter A. Kimble stated, "We are grateful for the partnership with all of the involved agencies as well as Federal Express."

If anyone has any further information, they are encouraged to contact the Morris County Prosecutor's Office at 973-285-6200, the Rockaway Township Police Department at 973-625-4000 or the Morris County Sheriff's Office CrimeStoppers Program at 973-COP-CALL (973-267-2255).

Despite these pending charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt following a jury trial at which the defendant has all of his rights guaranteed by the U.S. and New Jersey Constitutions and relevant state law.

Media Contact: Captain Jeffrey S. Paul