Alleged 'Black Money' Scammers Top Weird Crime News

Each week, Patch combs through the more shocking, surprising and often absurd alleged criminal acts and police-related incidents that unfold around the region. Here’s what went on last week for “OMG PD.”

PROTIP—that's now how dye works: Two alleged scammers tried to pull a classic, according to authorities, telling who they thought was a Cherry Hill resident they had a few hundred thousand dollars in cash that had been dyed black—all they needed was $75,000 to strip out the dye. The bad news for them was their intended victim was actually part of a victim, and now Nyondah L. Blay, 38, and Carl Jenkins, 36, face theft and conspiracy charges.

What, was "Operation Hooch" already taken? A Gloucester Township restaurant is in hot water, one of 29 statewide that was allegedly serving low-end spirits as high-end drinks. State officials cited Villari's Lakeside in "Operation Swill," which mostly targeted bars and restaurants in central and northern New Jersey—including 13 TGI Friday's.

The Russian judge scored him a 9.7: A Lindenwold man went acrobatic after allegdly burglarizing a home in Gloucester Township, leaping off a garage roof to try to escape, police said. Though Thomas Kemble, 36, stuck the dismount, he was arrested in the driveway.

Maybe they were going after loose electrons: Someone cut a three-foot by three-foot hole in the fence at a massive solar farm in West Deptford, but didn't actually taken any panels, equipment or anything else once inside, police said. There wasn't any vandalism at the site, either, which is owned by NextEra.