INSURANCE FRAUD: Windel Lester, 66, his ex-wife Georgetta Lester, 41, sons James Lester, 47, and Gregory Lester, 40, were involved in a scheme to buy two homes and burn them down to collect insurance money totaling more than $556,000.

(WVVA) -

Federal prosecutors shut down two local businesses, seize the property, and charged the owners with insurance fraud.

According to court documents obtained by WVVA, Windel Lester, 66, his ex-wife Georgetta Lester, 41, sons James Lester, 47, and Gregory Lester, 40, were involved in a scheme to buy two homes and burn them down to collect insurance money totaling more than $556,000.

The Lester family owned Lester Home Center, Inc. and Lester Mobile Home Sales, Inc. out of Ikes Fork, Wyoming County.

In the indictment, U.S. Attorney Carol Casto stated the family purchased a home on Smokeless Road in Matoaka, WV in August 2012 for $38,000 and immediately took out an insurance policy covering “approximately $196,000 for the dwelling and $147,000 for contents, personal property, and replacement costs.” In December of that year, the home burned to the ground. Casto stated that James Lester and another man used unscented candle oil and set fire to the bedroom and kitchen.

According to Casto, in April 2013, a piece of property was purchased in Cabell County for $72,500 and a large amount of insurance coverage was obtained. The property was burned down in May. Casto stated that carboard boxes soaked with unscented candle oil was used to start the fire.

The family faces a slew of charges including insurance fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, arson conspiracy, and money laundering.

Windel Lester, James Lester, and Gregory Lester are being held without bond in Southern Regional Jail.


If convicted, the Lesters face up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, and up to 10 years for money laundering. The fraud charges are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Conspiracy to commit arson carries a penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The use of fire to commit a felony carries a sentence of up to 10 years, or, in Windel Lester and James Lester’s cases, a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for a second offense. --U.S. Attorney Carol A. Casto



=========================



Criminal activity is allegedly a family affair for four Mercer County residents indicted on federal charges this week.

A grand jury indicted a man, his two sons and his ex-wife on Nov. 14 after federal prosecutors alleged they burned down two homes in Mercer and Cabell counties and pocketed more than $550,000 in insurance claims.

Windel Lester, his ex-wife, Georgetta Lester, and his sons Gregory A. Lester and James Edward Lester, were named in a 28-count indictment that included charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy and use of arson to commit mail and wire fraud.

All four of the Lesters were booked at the Western Regional Jail Wednesday, and Georgetta Lester had posted bond and was released from the jail Thursday afternoon.


No bond was set for James Lester, who goes by ‘Punkin’, or Windel Lester, who is the owner of Lester’s Home Center and Lester Mobile Home Sales, Inc., in Ikes Fork in Wyoming County, according to the indictment.

Windel Lester also is on the board of directors of a bank in McDowell County, which isn’t named in the indictment.

Two other men, Dudley Bledsoe and Ricky Gleason, were named in the indictment as helping in the scheme, but they were not facing federal charges as of the time the indictment was filed.

According to the indictment filed by U.S. Attorney Eumi L. Choi, the Lesters received $556,135.68 in the scheme.

The Lesters and the men purchased vacant properties, established insurance policies for them, burned down the properties using candle oil from Lester’s Home Center, and submitted false insurance claims before sharing in the profits, the indictment states.

The insurance claims were supported by receipts forged from Lester’s Home Center, according to the indictment.

After receiving the insurance money, they laundered the money through at least two banks in southern West Virginia, one of which was the bank that included Windel Lester on its board, according to the indictment.

Choi said in the indictment that the fires were started with unscented candle oil from Lester’s Home Center because the defendants believed it would be undetectable.


The Lesters and Bledsoe fraudulently received $290,000 for burning down a property at 101 Smokeless Road, Matoaka, in Mercer County in December 2012, the indictment states.

In June 2013, a fire was set to a property at 3542 Norwood Road, Huntington, and the Lesters and Ricky Gleason claimed $260,000 from fraudulent insurance claims, according to the indictment.

Each person was charged in the indictment as follows:

Windell Lester, 66: Four counts of wire fraud; 14 counts of mail fraud; four counts of unlawful monetary transactions; two counts of arson conspiracy; and one count each of use of fire to commit mail fraud; use of fire to commit mail fraud; and conspiracy to launder monetary transactions.

James Edward Lester, 47: Four counts of wire fraud; 14 counts of mail fraud; two counts of arson conspiracy; and one count each of use of fire to commit mail and wire fraud; use of fire to commit mail fraud; conspiracy to launder monetary transactions; and unlawful monetary transactions.

Gregory A. Lester, 40: Five counts of mail fraud; two counts of unlawful monetary transactions; and one count each of arson conspiracy and use of fire to commit mail fraud.

Georgetta Lester, 41: Four counts of wire fraud; 14 counts of mail fraud; and one count each of conspiracy to launder monetary transactions and unlawful monetary transactions.

A 20-year-old worker died Sunday after falling 60 feet at a warehouse construction site in Piscataway Township. The Rockefeller Group broke ground on two new buildings this past summer with an overall project cost between $225 and $250 million.

Man, 20, dies after falling 60 feet at construction site
November 19, 2017



By Sara Jerde


NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A 20-year-old man died Sunday after falling 60 feet at a construction site in Piscataway Township, police said.

Police responded at 8:25 a.m. to the site at 171 River Road, where construction was being done on a warehouse, Piscataway Lt. Robert Garnecki said.

Additional details were not immediately available. The man's name was not released.

The industrial accident is being investigated in conjunction with OSHA, Garnecki said.

The property is a former brownfield site that was fully remediated by Union Carbide after the shutdown of a Bakelite plastics manufacturing plant in 1939. 

The Rockefeller Group broke ground on two new buildings this past summer with an overall project cost between $225 and $250 million.


Since purchasing 171 River Road in 2014, Lincoln Equities Group and Real Capital Solutions worked closely with the township of Piscataway to redevelop this property, which had been vacant since the 1960’s. LEG developed a site plan and secured development rights to construct up to eight buildings ranging from 250,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet, as well as new roads, infrastructure, and landscaping.




Rockefeller Group Building Logistics Center on 228-Acre Piscataway Parcel

“We’re thrilled to move forward with the Rockefeller Group Logistics Center on one of the largest remaining developable sites in New Jersey at a time when demand for well-located and well-designed industrial product in the state is so strong,” says Rockefeller Group's Clark Machemer

 ======================

Lincoln Equities Group and Real Capital Solutions Sell 228-Acre Industrial Site in Piscataway to Rockefeller Group for $57 Million
July 5, 2017


Lincoln Equities Group LLC (LEG) and its partner, Real Capital Solutions, announced that the firm has sold a 228-acre industrial property at 171 River Road in Piscataway to the Rockefeller Group for $57 million. Formerly a brownfield site, the fully remediated property off Interstate 287 is fully entitled to build 2.4 million square feet of space for industrial distribution and light manufacturing development. The Rockefeller Group will break ground on two new buildings later this summer with an overall project cost between $225 and $250 million.

Since purchasing 171 River Road in 2014, Lincoln Equities Group and Real Capital Solutions worked closely with the township of Piscataway to redevelop this property, which had been vacant since the 1960’s. LEG developed a site plan and secured development rights to construct up to eight buildings ranging from 250,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet, as well as new roads, infrastructure, and landscaping.

“This property closes at an important time for the state’s I-287 corridor, which is now seeing significant interest from industrial developers due to its proximity to Newark’s airport, port and rail stations,” says Joel Bergstein, president, Lincoln Equities Group. “We purchased the site at 171 River Road three years ago when most developers were focusing on the I-95 corridor, and we’re fortunate to anticipate where the state’s next wave of development would take place.”

171 River Road is located one mile from Interstate 287 (with direct access off both Exits 8 and 9), close to Port Newark/Elizabeth, and is serviceable by “F Plate” rail cars. The property is a former brownfield site that was fully remediated by Union Carbide after the shutdown of a Bakelite plastics manufacturing plant in 1939.

“The development of 171 River Road is a great example of what happens when government and private business come together with a common goal,” says Brian C. Wahler, Mayor of Piscataway Township. “Thanks to our collaboration with Lincoln Equities Group, this former brownfield site – which sat empty for decades – is now positioned to attract businesses and jobs into our community, adding to our tax base.”

The Township of Piscataway offered a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) as an incentive to businesses and committed to completely reconstructing Baekeland Avenue, which provides access to the site from Exit 8.

“We were glad to be able to partner with Lincoln Equities, the team there is a great partner that has the local operating expertise we value,” says Marcel Arsenault, CEO of Real Capital Solutions. “We are creative entrepreneurial money with a fortress balance sheet, which allows us to work with partners like Lincoln Equities to maximize results and be a one-stop-shop for debt and equity.”

David Bernhaut of Cushman and Wakefield represented the sellers.

Lincoln Equities Group and Real Capital Solutions are actively seeking new partnerships for future redevelopment and value-add projects.
====================



Rockefeller Group acquired the site in a transaction brokered by the Cushman & Wakefield team, along with David Bernhaut, Andy Merin, Gary Gabriel and Kyle Schmidt of Cushman & Wakefield’s Capital Markets Investment team.
Rockefeller Group’s plans for the development are propelled by the vigorous demand for modern, top-quality warehouse space in New Jersey, specifically within the I-287 industrial corridor. The Rockefeller Group Logistics Center will feature properties ranging in size from 200,000 to more than 800,000 square feet, accommodating users with a wide variety of size and infrastructure requirements. Flexible transaction options will allow for future users to lease or own industrial space.
Additional notable features and amenities of the Logistics Center will include excess trailer parking for each individual building, on-site rail service, two means of ingress and egress to the site, and an in-place 30-year “payment in lieu of taxes,” or PILOT, agreement.
“The opportunity that Rockefeller Group is creating through its project in Piscataway is truly exceptional, and is especially ideal for users involved in e-commerce, third-party logistics, food and beverage, retail or other consumer products,” Nissim said. “Beyond the park’s excellent infrastructure, its location provides immediate access to major transportation routes, offers rail service – a unique feature in New Jersey – and provides great access to the surrounding region’s robust labor pool.”
Since purchasing the property at 171 River Road in 2014, Lincoln Equities Group and Real Capital Solutions worked closely with the Township of Piscataway to redevelop the site, which had been vacant since the 1960’s. LEG developed a site plan and secured development rights to construct up to eight buildings ranging from 250,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet, as well as new roads, infrastructure, and landscaping.
“This property closes at an important time for the state’s I-287 corridor, which is now seeing significant interest from industrial developers due to its proximity to Newark’s airport, port and rail stations,” says Joel Bergstein, president, Lincoln Equities Group.  “We purchased the site at 171 River Road three years ago when most developers were focusing on the I-95 corridor, and we’re fortunate to anticipate where the state’s next wave of development would take place.”
171 River Road is located one mile from Interstate 287 (with direct access off both Exits 8 and 9), close to Port Newark/Elizabeth, and is accessible by “F Plate” rail cars. The former brownfield site was fully remediated by Union Carbide after the shutdown of a Bakelite plastics manufacturing plant in 1939.
“The markets moved considerably and improved and our capital partner and ourselves decided it was an opportune time to exit,” Joel Bergstein, president, Lincoln Equities Group, tells GlobeSt.com.
“The development of 171 River Road is a great example of what happens when government and private business come together with a common goal,” says Brian C. Wahler, mayor of Piscataway Township. “Thanks to our collaboration with Lincoln Equities Group, this former brownfield site – which sat empty for decades – is now positioned to attract businesses and jobs into our community, adding to our tax base.”
The Township of Piscataway offered a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) as an incentive to businesses and committed to completely reconstructing Baekeland Avenue, which provides access to the site from Exit 8.
“We were glad to be able to partner with Lincoln Equities, the team there is a great partner that has the local operating expertise we value,” says Marcel Arsenault, CEO of Real Capital Solutions. “We are creative entrepreneurial money with a fortress balance sheet, which allows us to work with partners like Lincoln Equities to maximize results and be a one-stop-shop for debt and equity.”
David Bernhaut of Cushman & Wakefield represented the sellers.

THE DRUNKS OF CALIFORNIA KILL AND GET KILLED: It was a deadly night on Southern California freeways, as four people were killed in two wrong-way crashes in Baldwin Park and in Porter Ranch.

Brooklyn Rae Acker, still fighting for her life

Two died after a wrong-way driver drove at high speeds down the 118 Freeway and slammed into another car.

It was a deadly night on Southern California freeways, as four people were killed in two wrong-way crashes in Baldwin Park and in Porter Ranch.


Sunday, November 19, 2017 12:35PM
SAN FERNANDO, Calif. (KABC) -- It was a deadly night on Southern California freeways, as four people were killed in two wrong-way crashes in Baldwin Park and in Porter Ranch.

Two died after a wrong-way driver drove at high speeds down the 118 Freeway and slammed into another car.

A suspect was spotted just after midnight Sunday, driving a Toyota Camry the wrong way down the 5 Freeway in San Fernando. The driver made it all the way to the 118 Freeway in Porter Ranch, where that Camry smashed into a silver Lexus near De Soto Avenue.

The wrong-way driver and a victim, later identified as 38-year-old Christian Glenn, of Simi Valley, died at the scene, police said.

Another passenger inside the Lexus was rushed to the hospital in unknown condition. She's identified as 25-year-old Brooklyn Acker, of Simi Valley.

Here is what Kimberly Acker, the mother of Brooklyn Rae Acker, wrote  in her Facebook pages:

Carlos Huerta- you pulled my daughter from the car accident on the 118. I would like to tell you thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you can, please private message me. Thank you 🙏🏽

There was also deadly crash in Baldwin Park, where two people were killed after a different wrong-way driver collided with another car on the 605 Freeway.

The crash, which involved a Dodge Challenger and a Honda Odyssey, happened just after 12:30 a.m. near Ramona Boulevard.

When California Highway Patrol officials arrived, they found two people dead at the scene, authorities said. Those deceased were described only as a 35-year-old woman and 25-year-old man. Both were the drivers in each vehicle.

One passenger in the Challenger, identified as 23-year-old Leticia Lopez, suffered a fractured foot and collapsed lung.

Authorities were investigating whether drugs or alcohol were involved in either crash.



Most of the drunk- or drug-related crashes occur in the early a.m. hours, like these two crashes. These criminal drunks took innocent lives. At leats they also died and they will not hurt another person.




=================





Four people were killed in two separate wrong-way crashes early Sunday in Irwindale and Chatsworth, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The first accident occurred about 12:25 a.m. when CHP officers responded to a report of a collision on the 118 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, authorities said.

After responding to the scene, CHP officers learned that a 30-year-old man driving a 2014 Toyota Camry was heading east in the westbound carpool lane of the freeway when it collided with a 2003 Lexus sedan, just east of the De Soto Avenue freeway off-ramp, according to a CHP statement.


In its report, NBC showed video footage of the driver heading the wrong way before the collision.


The station reported that Carlos Huerta, who was driving home at the time of the accident, pulled over to render aid.

"The first thing I saw was a car seat, so I made sure there was no baby in the car," Huerta said. "I ended up pulling the passenger door with another person who left, and the lady took what I assume to be her last breath. They have her in the ambulance right now and I'm not sure where they went from there."

Fire paramedics declared the driver of the Lexus sedan dead at the scene. He was identified by the CHP as Christian Glenn, 38, of Simi Valley. His passenger, Brooklyn Acker, 25, also of Simi Valley, suffered major injuries and was transported by ambulance to Holy Cross Medical Center. Her condition was not known.  Facebook postings indicate that she is fighting for her life.  To the extent it helps, we pray for her and her family (are you listening God?).

The Toyota Camry driver was not identified as of Sunday afternoon.

The crash forced the closure of the carpool and three other westbound lanes of the 118 Freeway until the traffic investigation was completed around 5 a.m.

Meanwhile, a similar fatal collision occurred a short time later about 12:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the 605 Freeway in Irwindale.

CHP officers at the scene determined that a 35-year-old woman driving a 2002 Honda Odyssey entered the freeway from the Ramona Boulevard offramp and drove north until her vehicle collided head-on with a 2013 Dodge Challenger. The woman died at the scene, according to a CHP press statement.

The driver of the Dodge Challenger, a 25-year-old man, was declared dead at the scene. He has not been identified. His passenger, a 23-year-old woman from Los Angeles, identified by the CHP as Leticia Lopez, was taken to the L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Her condition is unknown.

A preliminary investigation found that alcohol or drugs is suspected to be a factor in the collision, according to CHP.

Both crashes remain under investigation.

Winds with gusts of up to 50 mph tore through much of the tri-state Sunday, knocking down trees and sending scaffold on buildings swinging.

TEANECK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Strong winds sent a tree crashing down onto a man in Teaneck, New Jersey Sunday.

As CBS2’s Hazel Sanchez reported, the huge limbs came crashing down onto the pickup truck belong to Robert Battle, 60, and the impact rattled the neighborhood.

“Like an explosion; like a car accident actually,” said neighbor Rashaad Rice.


Most stunned was Battle. His truck was parked outside his mother’s home on Voorhees Street off Teaneck Road.

He had just finished an early Thanksgiving celebration with his family and was getting into his truck to head home, when his sister-in-law said sensed something was headed his way.

“He heard a creaking noise, and when he turned around, the tree was coming down,” said the victim’s sister-in-law, Ruth Battle. “He managed to get the upper part of his body out of the way. The tree crushed the front of the car and it would have crushed him if he didn’t get himself out of the way. Some of the limbs came down on his legs.”

Crews spent all day chopping apart the tree. Some large limbs landed on Battle’s lap, trapping him for at least 50 minutes until emergency crews could safely pry him out.

Battle was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

His family said he surprisingly did not break any bones.

The tree also cut power for 90 customers when it fell, according to PSE&G. Power was expected to be restored late Sunday.

“I always wondered when it’s going to fall and if it’s going to hurt anyone, so if finally happened,” said neighbor Eustace Jarrett.

Jarrett said for a long time, people on the street worried that the aging tree was rotting. He said they asked township leaders to remove it, but the full job was never done.

“They came and repaired some of the branches, but that tree was always a menace – always a menace,” Jarrett said, “and I’m not surprised that it fell.”

Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin said he was unaware about any public concerns about the tree. But he said the township will be looking into it.

Battle’s family was thankful he was OK, and also that no one else was hurt.

The strong winds also brought down a large tree in West Nyack, Rockland County. Power lines came down with the tree.


Strong winds brought down a tree in West Nyack on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017. (Credit: RocklandFires)

Crews had to shut down South Greenbush Road, and the homeowner suffered minor injuries. ===================
TEANECK, New Jersey (WABC) --

The wind proved powerful and frightening in New Jersey on Sunday.

A man was rushed to the hospital after a huge tree landed on top of a pickup truck on Voorhees St. in Teaneck. Firefighters responded to flames triggered by the downed wires.

The tree fell around 1:30 Sunday afternoon. Workers are now chopping away at the mammoth trunk so they can clear the road and pull out the pickup truck.

Neighbors believe the truck belongs to the son of one of the residents in the neighborhood. The man was not believed to be in the truck at the time. Eyewitness News is told he was in the process of loading things into his pickup when the tree collapsed. The extent of his injuries is not known, but he is expected to survive.

The tree also took down live power lines, which then set some shrubs on fire. Firefighters responded quickly and were able to keep the flames from spreading to nearby homes and trees.



================


Dangerous Winds Topple Trees, Toss Scaffolds in Tri-State





Winds with gusts of up to 50 mph tore through much of the tri-state Sunday, knocking down trees and sending scaffold on buildings swinging.

There were reports of the wind knocking trees down across the tri-state, including one in the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx that smashed into parked cars. No one was injured.

A tree fell onto cars in the Soundview section of the Bronx.



In Teaneck, New Jersey, a tree fell on a man who was loading his truck, police said. The man had a possible broken femur but was expected to survive. The tree brought down power lines and power had to be cut to the area as the debris was cleared.

In SoHo, scaffolding fell into a street, injuring five people. It's unclear if winds were to blame, but over in Tribeca, a scaffold on a building swung violently in the wind.

The wind also caused delays at all three of the area's major airports. Inbound delays of 2 hours were reported at Newark Sunday night.

Strong winds cause collapse of ill-secured scaffolding in Manhattan, NYC, injuring at least 5 people

Five injured after scaffolding collapses, trapping pedestrians in SoHo



BY Byron Smith Laura Dimon
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Sunday, November 19, 2017, 3:10 PM

Five people were trapped under a pile of scaffolding in SoHo on Sunday when heavy winds collapsed a sidewalk shed, witnesses and officials said.

Emergency workers pulled the pedestrians from the giant pile of metal rods and wood panels at Broadway and Prince St. at about 11:40 a.m., according to photos posted on social media.

“Scaffolding fell down at Broadway and Prince,” posted Twitter user @antinomia. “FDNY rescuing people from underneath. I walked under this just 15 minutes ago.”

An FDNY official blamed wind gusts for the scaffolding falling down.


Scaffolding collapsed at the corner of Prince St. and Broadway in Manhattan on Sunday. (Todd Maisel/New York Daily News)

“There were a couple of pedestrians buried in debris. Units were here in two minutes and we were able to get them out quickly,” Deputy Chief Chris Boyle said at the scene.

Medics took the three women and two men to Bellevue Hospital. Two victims were in serious but stable condition, while the other three suffered minor injuries, according to the FDNY.

Boyle said the sidewalk shed was 20 feet tall.

“The exterior plywood panels acted as a sail and it blew the shed over,” he said, adding it was “very fortunate to only have five injuries.”



Scaffold collapses in SoHo

Employees at the Artists and Fleas market on the corner were shocked as they watched the scaffolding fall.

“The scaffold moved forward and basically crushed her,” said William Alston, 30. “No wind can do that. It wasn’t put on right, or it’s just weak.”

Jonathan Mejia, 31, said he saw the scaffolding cascade down and rushed to help one of the women buried under debris.

“I saw it coming down so I kind of looked out and saw someone under and ran out and started throwing things out,” he recalled. “Then I saw her, and she said ‘What happened?’

Emergency workers assist a woman after a scaffolding collapse in SoHo. (Todd Maisel/New York Daily News)

“She had a slash and her head was cracked open,” he added. “Her hip looked out of place and it looked like her leg was broken.”

Michiko C., of Queens, got stitches on both legs after she was hit by a piece of flying metal. She was pushing her 3-year-old daughter in a stroller when the shed came crashing down. Her toddler was somehow spared injury.

The collapse was caused by heavy winds and by unsecured scaffolding. (Courtney Davis)

Her husband, Steven C., was angry.

“I’m flipping out, I’m upset, man,” he told the Daily News. “She’s trying to take it lightly, like she said ‘It was kind of windy.’ I told her these things are supposed to be built strong,” he fumed. “They wouldn’t allow people to go under there if it wasn’t.”

====================

Wooden planks everywhere as scaffolding collapses into the street in Lower Manhattan


Sunday, November 19, 2017 11:26PM
SOHO, Manhattan (WABC) -- Six people were hurt after scaffolding collapsed into the street in Lower Manhattan Sunday morning.



The incident happened just after 11:30 a.m. near the intersection of Broadway and Prince in SoHo.

Pictures from the scene show wooden planks all over the street, and FDNY firefighters at the scene.








(Photo/@ariane321 via Twitter)
 
FDNY officials said "we're absolutely lucky" there aren't more injured in this busy neighborhood. There is a subway stop right at the intersection, and the area was packed with people out enjoying their Sunday morning.

Investigators said strong wind is to blame for the collapse. A piece of plywood "acted like a sail" and blew the whole rig down.

Two people had to be rescued from under the rubble. They and three others were taken to the hospital to be treated for minor, non-life threatening injuries