Two New Jersey men have been indicted on conspiracy and "theft by deception" charges for allegedly pocketing $50,000 worth of donations intended for relatives of police and firefighters who died on 9/11. Using a pickup truck painted with the Twin Towers and the names of police and firefighters who died at Ground Zero, prosecutors say Mark Niemczyk, 66, and Thomas Scalgione, 41, enriched themselves on the well-meaning contributions from good Samaritans.
The two are accused of selling t-shirts with NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority Police Department logos at various 9/11 events since last year, claiming they were raising money for charity. Not only did they not have permission to use the logos, they accepted cash with a collections jug. This past May, an ex-NYPD cop filed a complaint when she saw the truck at a NJ 9/11 event in Barnegat: "After doing some research, she had concerns about whether Niemczyk and Scalgione were operating a legitimate charitable organization."
“We allege that these defendants told a barrage of lies to further their scheme, with Niemczyk claiming he was a Navy SEAL who served three tours of duty in Vietnam, and both men telling donors they were father-and-son firefighters who were working at a firehouse near the World Trade Center on 9/11,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Their conduct was outrageous, and we urge any victims who donated money or bought T-shirts from these con artists to contact us.” (The number to call is 1-866-TIPS-4CJ.)
Prosecutors allege that Niemczyk and Scalgione sold the T-shirts out of the truck for $20 apiece at various 9/11 events. As we noticed in July, the scam was so effective it even suckered Governor Chris Christie, who posed for a "grip and grin" with one of the men. “The conduct of these two men wasn’t just despicable, it was criminal, and we are bringing them to justice," Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said today.
