An identity thief who circumvented security protocols to steal $50,000 from a bank account registered with the City of Hoboken was arrested on Friday, police said.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Cameron Gaskins, 30, of Jersey City, was charged with computer criminal activity, theft of identity, theft by deception, forgery and credit card theft, according to city spokesman Juan Melli.
On August 11, the Hoboken Police Department Detective Bureau was advised that there were questionable withdrawals being made out of a City of Hoboken municipal account and the City’s Finance Department contacted police when they noticed the irregularities, officials said.
Through an audit, it was determined that over $50,000 had been improperly removed from the account over a short period of time, police said, noting that the money has since been recovered.
The investigation, conducted by Hoboken Police Detective Andrew Perez, uncovered that access was gained into the account by Gaskins, who circumvented security protocols, authorities said.
Gaskins was arrested in a joint effort between the Jersey City and Hoboken Police Departments on Friday at 8 p.m., being apprehended at an address on Stegman Parkway in Jersey City, Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante told Hudson County View.
“Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the United States – any person, business, or government can be victimized on any given day,” he added via a prepared statement.
“These crimes are very difficult to solve, yet Detective Andrew Perez showed commitment to our city and our department in executing an outstanding investigation that put a three-time convicted felon behind bars within 8 days of the start of the investigation. I am proud of his work as a new detective.”
Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, as well as Hoboken Police Captain Charles Campbell, also commended the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation.
Furthermore, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office will be working with the Hoboken PD for an ongoing probe of the compromised bank account and bank officials have been contacted regarding security concerns.