Man Stole $28K From Resident In Car-Selling Scheme, Wayne Police Say

WAYNE, NJ — Police arrested a Totowa man after they say he accepted close to $28,000 for selling a vehicle to Wayne Township resident, but never delivered it.

There may be more victims of the scam in the area, police added.

Officials said the resident gave 38-year-old Anthony Antoniello a payment of $27,900, in exchange for a vehicle Antoniello was offering for sale. After the payment, police said Antoniello "gave repeated excuses as to why he could not yet deliver the vehicle."

The purchaser tried to contact him several other times and Antoniello reportedly ignored him, said police.

"At that point, it was clear to the buyer that Mr. Antoniello was neither going to produce the vehicle, nor return the funds," officials said.

During an investigation, Wayne PD Detective Michael Polifrone learned that Antoniello had been charged by other North Jersey officials for similar incidents, said police.

Polifrone contacted Antoniello about the Wayne incident, and he said he would return the buyer's funds "but repeatedly stalled."

The detective told Antoniello he had been charged with theft by deception and asked him to turn himself in. Wayne officials ended up taking him into custody after he failed to report to police.

Police said Antoniello did eventually give the Wayne buyer a check for $27,900, which bounced. He has also been charged with issuing bad checks.

Officials ask any Wayne resident who may have been a victim of a similar fraud involving Antoniello to call Detective Michael Polifrone at 973-633-3537. Residents in other towns should call the law enforcement agency where they live or where the incident took place, police added.