New Brunswick Couple Charged In Widespread Identity Theft

NEW BRUNSWIC, NJ — The Middlesex County Prosecutor's office announced it has charged a New Brunswick man and woman in a widespread identity theft scheme that stole the personal identifying information of at least 50 victims and resulted in the theft of more than $250,000.

The man, Shemar Rogers, 22 and woman, Tariah Darby, also 22, both of New Brunswick were arrested Tuesday, March 30 after detectives with the prosecutor's office searched their apartment at The Quincy, a new luxury apartment complex on Neilson Street in New Brunswick.

In their apartment, detectives said they found U.S. currency, jewelry, merchandise purchased with the victims’ funds and a 2020 BMW 430i, all with a total value in excess of $250,000.

The BMW, jewelry and cash were seized.

Law enforcement also seized a handgun, 12 rounds of ammunition in the weapon, checks issued in other peoples' names, a New York driver’s license in another name, and a money counter.

The arrests come after a six-week investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s team.

Rogers was charged with first-degree promoting organized street crime, theft by deception, conspiracy to commit theft by deception, money laundering, identity theft and trafficking in personal identity information, all second-degree crimes.

Darby was charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit theft by deception and third-degree money laundering.

Previously, five other people were arrested in connection to the identity theft ring: On February of this year, Saleeya Saldana, 18, and Ronald Wallace, 57, both of New York were arrested and charged with attempted theft by deception and conspiracy.

In addition, on February 25, Isiah Oree, 29 and Daquan Kinloch 25, both of South Carolina and Shemar Rogers were arrested and charged with attempted theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Ryan Tighe of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-4335.

The Middlesex County prosecutor said it had no information on who the victims are. But police in Highland Park, Toms River, New Brunswick, Wall, West Hartford, CT, Salisbury, Maryland, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Edison and Louisiana and Homeland Security also helped with this case.

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