Three Charged with Racketeering After Committing Burglaries Against Elderly

Three men with “multiple aliases and dates of birth” were arrested and charged with racketeering Tuesday after authorities say they attempted a burglary in Ridgewood and successfully burglarized homes throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut.

Stanley Mitchell, also known as Stanley Lee, Kevin Parker and Frank James Walters, 41, of Fort Lee; Steven Miller, also known as Steve Coats and Steve John, 41, of Edison; and Sonny Mitchell, also known as Sonny West, Sonny Mano, Steve Mitchell and John Miller, 44, of Rahway, were arrested by Somerset County Burglary Task Force Detectives following a three-month investigation, Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano said Friday.

According to authorities, a lone actor burglarized a home in Somerville on Dec. 17, 2014 after telling the 90-year-old homeowner that he was “with the water company” and needed entry to the home to “check the pipes.” The elderly victim complied as the actor communicated with another person over a two-way radio that “it is clear.”

After the actor advised the victim that the water problem was fixed and left the home, the victim realized that a safe containing jewelry and more than $75,000 had been stolen.

According to Prosecutor Soriano, the Burglary Task Force investigation identified reports of similar distraction-type burglary and thefts committed throughout New Jersey, known as the “Water Company Scam” in which an elderly person is distracted while one or more associates enters the home to steal money and jewelry.

After detectives identified the three suspects, they followed them either “alone or in combination” to Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and Connecticut, during which distraction burglary-thefts were either attempted or completed, according to Prosecutor Soriano.

On Feb. 26, 2015, the defendants allegedly committed a distraction burglary-theft at the Sleepy Hollow, NY home of an 80-year-old woman and took a safe containing jewelry, money, credit cards and identification documents, Prosecutor Soriano said.

Task Force Detectives then pursued the defendants back to a residence on Anderson Avenue in Fort Lee, which was Stanley Mitchell‘s rental home, and to a jewelry store on Route 4 in Paramus where they sold jewelry stolen during the Sleepy Hollow burglary.

Then on March 10, the actors attempted another distraction burglary-theft at the Greenway Lane home of an 80-year-old husband and wife from Ridgewood, though Task Force Detectives determined that nothing had been taken.

The men were then arrested in Lyndhurst, and Task Force Detectives executed a number of search warrants at various locations including the homes of the defendants, and recovered the safe stolen during the Feb. 26 Sleepy Hollow burglary, “various and fictitious forms of identification and financial documents,” the safe stolen during the Dec. 17, 2014 Somerville burglary and two firearms, Prosecutor Soriano said.

Task Force Detectives also seized a large amount of money, as well as ten motor vehicles which were either unregistered, displayed false temporary registrations and license plates, and/or were registered to persons other than the defendants and/or under fictitious names and entities.

The defendants were arraigned on March 11 in the Superior Court in Somerville, and bail for each defendant was set at $100,000 cash only. The Judge also ordered that a Bail Source Hearing be held in the event that any of the defendants or others attempt to post cash bail for the defendants, according to Prosecutor Soriano.

Photo 1: Sonny Mitchell

Photo 2: Steven Miller

Photo 3: Stanley Mitchell