Bernardsville, NJ man gets jail after cheating BMW, Mercedes Benz
A Bernardsville man gets one day shy of a year in Somerset County jail after admitting to writing dozens of bad checks totaling more than $166,000.
The 364-day sentence for 38-year-old Alfred Balak-Labracio was handed down by a Somerset County Superior Court Judge, and announced by state Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
Balak-Labraco had faced more than 50 counts of bad checks — stemming from payments on auto loans and insurance companies.
Between August 2017 and September 2018, he wrote checks to Mercedes Benz Financial Services, BMW Financial Services, General Motors Financial, Progressive and Geico — knowing they would bounce.
“Writing bad checks is a crime with serious consequences,” Platkin said in a written statement. “Let this sentence serve as a clear message to all; New Jersey has no tolerance for swindlers who defraud businesses and others through check fraud scams.”
Erin Vogt is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at erin.vogt@townsquaremedia.com
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