Police blotter
The following items are based on information from police, unless otherwise noted:
TRENTON
Weapons and Drug Arrest: Rashaan Harris, 27, of Trenton, was arrested Friday night on weapons and drug offenses after police found him in alleged possession of a loaded pistol and marijuana. Trenton Police Street Crime Unit detectives conducted a motor vehicle stop about 11 p.m. Friday in the 1000 block of Stuyvesant Avenue and smelled a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The officers removed the driver from the vehicle and found him in alleged possession of a loaded handgun and marijuana. The driver, identified as Harris, was charged unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of marijuana.
Drug Arrest: Calvin Dodson, 29, of Hamilton, was arrested Friday morning for being in alleged possession of drugs. Trenton Police conducted a motor vehicle stop in the area of Walnut and Olden avenues about 8 a.m. Friday for a vehicle violation. The driver, later identified as Dodson, was found to have multiple active warrants and to be in alleged possession of heroin and marijuana. He was charged with multiple drug-related offenses.
MANSFIELD TOWNSHIP
Corrupt Businessman Busted: Ronald Graban, 58, of the Columbus section of Mansfield in Burlington County, was sentenced Friday to 12 months in federal prison for buying counterfeit computer components from a factory in China and reselling those parts in the United States as if they were genuine, top-brand products. Graban previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to an information charging him with mail fraud and money laundering. In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman in Camden federal court also sentenced Graban to one year of supervised release, fined him $60,000 and ordered him to pay restitution of $927,193. Beginning in 2000, Graban was in the business of buying and reselling computer parts. He operated his business using various entities that he had set up, including, RPR International LLC, Graham Enterprises International, Innovative Technology Group, MT Loveland Corp., Golden Eagle Property Management, Andy Lee Inc. and Andy Lee Electronics. Graban would buy computer parts from a China-based company known as GigaLight/ Eflow, and he would resell those parts to an internet retailer, marketing those items as genuine Cisco and Nortel parts when they were actually counterfeit imitations. In early 2006, Graban became aware that GigaLight/Eflow was selling counterfeit computer parts to his companies after U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized several shipments of computer parts from GigaLight/Eflow and notified the companies of the seizures and of the fact that the parts seized were counterfeit. Despite being on notice that the computer parts he had been buying were counterfeit, Graban continued to buy those parts and resell them to the internet retailer. In February 2006, Graban caused the internet retailer to mail him a check, payable to one of Graban’s companies, for $163,000 in payment for counterfeit parts he sold to the retailer. He deposited that check into the bank account of another one of his companies. Federal authorities soon learned of his corrupt business practices. In August 2007, approximately $890,000 was seized from various bank accounts that Graban maintained in the name of his companies. Two properties that Graban bought in Florida through his criminal proceeds were seized but later went into foreclosure. Graban agreed to forfeit the funds seized and the proceeds from the two foreclosure sales, about $40,000. Graban pleaded guilty back in August 2012. A press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey did not say why it took five years for Graban to be sentenced.
PLAINSBORO
False ID Arrest: Jose Luis Rodas De Leon, 36, of Hamilton, was arrested Tuesday on allegations he provided police with false ID subsequent to a motor vehicle stop. About 9:50 p.m. Tuesday on Route 1 South, a Plainsboro patrol officer stopped a black 2005 Toyota RAV4 for maintenance of lamps and unclear license plates. The driver, identified as Rodas De Leon, was allegedly driving without a license and provided a false New Jersey identification card. Rodas De Leon was arrested, cited with several tickets for alleged motor vehicle violations and released from custody pending mandatory court dates.