Lynn Man Sentenced for $1.4M Bank Fraud Saugus Food Pantry Seeks to Refill Its Coffers
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 New Lynn eld assessor has a taxing job Lynn man By Anne Marie Tobin Weston’s assistant assessor from 2013- “So far it’s been good. I have all my pass- ITEM STAFF 2015 and compared the western suburb words and usernames, so now I just need to Lynn eld with roughly 3,400 proper- to get up to speed on Lynn eld in general sentenced LYNNFIELD — Lexington’s loss is ties in each community. and inventory,” he said. Lynn eld’s gain with new town Asses- “Working in Lexington and Weston is Golden worked in 2013 for the Town of sor Michael Golden’s property assessing very comparable. Lynn eld is like those Stoneham and Patriot Properties, a major for $1.4M experience and private sector appraisal two communities, a blend of old and new,” property inventory rm. skills brought to his new job. Golden said. “A friend of mine Dave Nugent, who Golden’s responsibilities encompass The Reading resident initially applied for played football at BC, brought me in to assessing town property at full and fair the Lynn eld assessing post four years ago. see his bosses at Whittier in Boston. I bank market value under the parameters set “I didn’t get the job I think because wasn’t keen on a commute to Boston, so by Proposition 2½, the state’s property I didn’t have management experience. he recommended I talk with Dave Brown, tax limitation law. Weston has a small of ce so I never man- who had a family business in Stoneham, fraud Five years experience as the Town of aged a staff,” Golden said. and he took me on board (of assessors),” Golden said. Lexington’s assessor saw Golden man- He hit the ground running last month BOSTON — A 37-year-old Lynn age two assistants and assess more than in Town Hall and credits assistant Marie LYNNFIELD, A3 man was sentenced in federal 14,000 properties. He was the Town of Gardner with helping him. court Monday to 51 months in prison for orchestrating an inter- national bank fraud and money laundering scheme, according to Saugus food pantry the U.S. Attorney’s of ce. Chukwuemeka Eze has admit- ted to receiving and laundering approximately $1.4 million be- seeks to re ll its coffers tween May and June 2018, funds that were fraudulently obtained from a Korean company, prosecu- tors said. Eze, who had been in federal custody since his arrest last June, pleaded guilty in November to bank fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. The scheme involved Eze’s use of a victim’s name, date of birth and So- cial Security number to open bank accounts in that person’s name, along with the name of a fake Mas- sachusetts corporation, Levistronix GMD Ltd. Eze had chosen the name based on its similarity to an actual Swiss Company, Levitronix GmbH, prosecutors said. For two months, participants in the scheme billed the Korean com- pany, a customer of Levitronix, $1.4 million worth of fake invoices bearing the Levitronix name. The company was directed to send the funds to Eze’s similarly named Massachusetts bank account, prosecutors said. After receiving the funds, Eze withdrew cash and spent or dis- persed more than $862,000 of the Korean company’s money, which he was ordered to pay back in res- titution during his sentencing. By Elyse Carmosino months are typically when food pantries From left, North His retail purchases, which in- ITEM STAFF see a dip in donations. Shore Bank man- cluded Apple laptops and Zales’ “People are very gracious during Christ- agement staff Katie jewelry, were in excess of tens SAUGUS — The holidays are over, but mas and Thanksgiving, but after the hol- Wlodkowski and of thousands of dollars. The re- the season of giving is at its peak for the idays there’s de nitely a lull when people Julie Garland put mainder was used to purchase Saugus United Parish Food Pantry. don’t donate as much,” he said. non-perishable food $700,000 worth of bank checks, From now through Friday, Feb. 14, He added the post-holiday season is items into the United which he made payable to other North Shore Bank is partnering with when families facing food insecurity are Parish Food Pantry ctitious companies he controlled SUPFP to collect non-perishable food actually at their most vulnerable. bin where they will and were deposited into bank ac- items for Saugus families at all three of “Bills go up in the winter,” Gould said. be collecting until counts bearing those fake names. the bank’s Saugus locations. “The more (people) pay for heat and next Friday. From there, he continued to make Volunteer Dennis Gould said North electricity obviously subtracts from the cash withdrawals, retail purchas- Shore Bank’s efforts are especially wel- amount of money they have for food.” ITEM PHOTO | OLIVIA FALCIGNO es and wire transfers in an effort come this time of year because, despite to conceal the fraud scheme, pros- a notable rise in need, the mid-winter SAUGUS, A3 ecutors said. A PLACE TO SIT AND REST Lynn to install gazebo at Marshview Park Lynn has By Gayla Cawley happening this summer with the bike received a ITEM STAFF path,” said Marsh. “It’s really the begin- grant to in- ning of the Lynn spur of the bike path and stall a gazebo LYNN — The city of Lynn and town of it affords people (the opportunity) to uti- this summer Saugus have been awarded state funding lize the (park) as a place to sit, rest, eat or early fall to replace a damaged gazebo at Marsh- and check out the view.” at Marshview view Park near the town border. The Boston Street park upgrade will Park along The new structure, which will be in- align with construction slated to begin this with construc- stalled by early next fall, will replace a summer, which will extend a regional bike tion to the gazebo that had been damaged by a re path from Saugus into Lynn. bike path this in the West Lynn park, located along the The funds, announced by the Baker-Poli- spring. Saugus River, according to James Marsh, to administration, were awarded through the city’s community development director. ITEM PHOTO | “We think it dovetails nicely with what’s GAZEBO, A3 OLIVIA FALCIGNO Money Trump boasts of economic Social Security for minor Peabody wasting no time children, part 1. A2 gains in State of the Union Opinion on Welch School work Carrying out a vision By Jonathan Lemire for reelection after being im- in Swampscott. A4 By Thor Jourgensen an electronic mail request to ASSOCIATED PRESS peached, Trump received a rau- ITEM STAFF [email protected]. cous but divided response from LOOK! Peabody secured Massachu- WASHINGTON — Standing Congress with Republicans in Duggan takes over as PEABODY — The city is wast- setts School Building Authority before a Congress and nation the House of Representatives head of HR at LCHC. A8 ing no time seeking a project (MSBA) approval last October sharply divided by impeach- chanting “Four More Years” manager to oversee additions to begin planning to renovate or ment, President Donald Trump while Democrats stood mute. Local artists invited to and renovations to Welch Ele- replace the Welch. used his State of the Union ad- “America’s enemies are on the “Canvas the City.” A8 mentary School. The 50-year-old school needs dress Tuesday to extol a “Great run, America’s fortunes are on Advertisements seeking proj- its heating system and windows American Comeback” on his the rise and the America’s fu- English JROTC brings ect manager services are post- replaced and other upgrade watch, three years after he took ture is blazing bright,” Trump home more victories. A8 ed and requesting applicants to work designed to make the of ce decrying a land of “Amer- declared. “In just three short respond to the city Of ce of the school compatible with 21st cen- ican carnage” under his prede- years, we have shattered the Sports Purchasing Agent by Feb. 13, 4 tury academics. cessor. English, Saugus split p.m. Details on the school proj- The rst president to run TRUMP, A3 games on the court. B1 ect can be obtained by sending PEABODY, A3 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 ENTERTAINMENT .......................A7 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B4-5 HIGH 39° VOL. 142, ISSUE 48 OPINION ...................................A4 LOOK! .......................................A8 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 LOW 31° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 FOOD ........................................B8 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 OBITUARIES MONEY Valeska Lau, 94 1925-2020 Social Security for SWAMPSCOTT — Valeska (Koehn) Lau, 94 years old, died minor children, part 1 peacefully in Swampscott, MA on Saturday, February 1, 2020. Valeska was born in 1925 If you have children at home, Social Security bene ts may be available the daughter of the late Al- bert and Katherine (Saal- to them. Know these rules and get maximum bene ts for your family. beck) Koehn in the Bronx, NY with her identical twin It is not so unusual today for a mandatory withholding of bene ts. sister, Annamarie. She was person eligible for Social Security re- DOLLARS Furthermore, any child-in-care ben- raised and educated in New tirement bene ts to have young chil- e ts paid to the spouse may be with- York City, graduated from dren. Once the parent les for ben- AND SENSE held if the spouse works. Not much Julia Richman High School e ts, a minor child may also qualify Mark Singer, CFP can be done about this: If the spouse and worked primarily for Col- for Social Security dependent bene- is under full retirement age and gate-Palmolive in the Patent ts.