Two Raritan Township residents are facing more than a dozen charges including forgery, trafficking in personal identifications, child abuse, theft of more than $75,000 from the U.S. Treasury and possession of two stolen cockapoos, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson announced.
Peter Gittens, 37, has been charged with second-degree forgery in the theft of more than $75,000 of IRS checks, possession of a handgun after already being convicted of a gun crime, possession of a handgun with no permit, third-degree impersonation to open bank accounts and utilities, receiving a stolen dog, using fraudulent identifications valued more than $5,000, receiving a stolen vehicle (a U-Haul from Arizona), fourth-degree possession of a credit card skimming device, possession of stolen identifications, and two charges of possession of a large-capacity ammunition magazine, and forgery in signing a lease with false information.Chambreona Williams, also known as Tenisha Gittens, 33, was charged with two charges of second-degree child abuse or neglect, third-degree possession of falsified debit and/or credit cards and driver licenses with fake identities, using a fake identification and Social Security card to get a lease and rent a car, possession of fake credit cards, impersonating a victim’s identity to get services like car rental and bank accounts, receiving a stolen dog, using fraudulent identifications valued at more than $5,000, two charges of receiving stolen vehicles, two charges of forgery by using driver licenses to get a vehicle rental, fourth-degree possession of fake driver’s licenses and Social Security cards, and impersonating a victim’s identity to obtain services.
Williams was also charged with obstruction and resisting arrest.
The investigation began in January, when township police were informed about a stolen U-Haul, and the two were found in possession of the van which was fraudulently obtained, according to the prosecutor.
They were also found to have leased apartments using false identities, police said.
The two were detained and arrested at a traffic stop on April 4 in Clinton Township.
A subsequent search of their residence found the 5- and 2-year-old children of Williams, who had been left unsupervised in her apartment.
Robeson said the search also found false identifications, fraudulently obtained or manufactured credit cards, more than $75,000 worth of stolen U.S. Treasury checks, an illegal credit card skimming device, large capacity ammunition magazines, two stolen cockapoos, and an unregistered handgun that Gittens was prohibited from possessing.
Gittens was also charged with forgery in Somerville on March 27.
Gittens is being held in the Warren County Jail following a detention hearing on April 14. He is scheduled for a pre-indictment hearing on May 12.
Williams was released on the condition of pretrial monitoring after a Superior Court detention hearing on April 11. Her pre-indictment hearing is scheduled for May 19.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-788-1129 or the Raritan Township Police Department at 908-782-8889 or by calling the Hunterdon County Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-800-321-0010.
Email: alewis@njpressmedia.com
Alexander Lewis is an award-winning reporter and photojournalist whose work spans many topics.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ couple charged with forgery, trafficking, guns, child abuse