SUMMIT, NJ — Warris Adenuga, 25, of Newark, has been arrested and charged with using fraudulent documents to obtain $135,000 in the form of two large cashier’s checks and cash from a Summit bank, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Summit Police Chief Andrew Bartolotti announced May 18.
Adenuga is charged with one count of second-degree identity theft, one count of second-degree receipt of stolen property, and two counts of third-degree possession of false government documents.
An investigation by the Summit Police Department revealed that the day before visiting Chase Bank on Summit Avenue in mid-May, Adenuga allegedly had $150,000 fraudulently wired to a business account under his control from a bank in Florida, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Spagnoli, who is prosecuting the case. During a pair of transactions at the Summit bank the next day, Adenuga allegedly received cashier’s checks in the amount of $100,000 and $20,000, along with $15,000 in cash.
The investigation revealed that Adenuga used a fraudulent United Kingdom driver’s license and passport during the course of the wire transfer and both bank transactions. He also allegedly opened his business account using the same documents.
Adenuga was arrested shortly after visiting the bank, but by then he was no longer in possession of the larger of the two cashier’s checks.
Anyone with any information about this matter is being asked to contact Summit Police Department Detective Charlie Robertson at 908-277-9392 or Prosecutor’s Office Lt. Sofia Santos at 908-577-4256.
Convictions on charges of this nature can result in sentences of five to 10 years in state prison.
These criminal charges are mere accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty in a court of law.
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