{"id":2606082,"date":"2026-05-22T19:39:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T23:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-officials-say-the-mafia-is-thriving-again-as-tech-savvy-mobsters-take-crime-online\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T19:40:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T23:40:58","slug":"new-jersey-officials-say-the-mafia-is-thriving-again-as-tech-savvy-mobsters-take-crime-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-officials-say-the-mafia-is-thriving-again-as-tech-savvy-mobsters-take-crime-online\/","title":{"rendered":"New Jersey Officials Say the Mafia Is Thriving Again as Tech-Savvy Mobsters Take Crime Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-jersey-officials-say-the-mafia-is-thriving-again-as-tech-savvy-mobsters-take-crime-online%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2606082&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>New Jersey organized crime and street gangs are increasingly shifting from conventional violence-based strategies to digital and financial crime. At a state hearing, investigators described organized groups using sophisticated financial fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, extortion, and a broader focus on profit. Witnesses also said gangs and younger members are adopting technology-using social media, online tools, and data-gathering sites-to facilitate crimes such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-bidens-laptop-lady-got-20k-federal-stimulus-for-female-owned-sole-proprietorship\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden\u2019s Laptop Lady Got K Federal Stimulus For \u2018Female\u2013Owned Sole Proprietorship\u2019\">credit card theft<\/a>, identity theft, phishing, and even witness intimidation. Police noted that car thieves can use tools like Google Street View and services such as Zillow to locate targets and plan thefts, while gang experts added that recruitment often begins in early adolescence.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>New Jersey crime families have ditched hits in favor of clicks, the State Commission of Investigation was told at a hearing this week.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Sophisticated financial schemes and a willingness to  before shooting are hallmarks of 21st century organized crime, witnesses at a recent hearing said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.com\/mercer\/2026\/05\/the-mob-is-alive-and-well-in-nj-but-it-looks-nothing-like-what-youd-expect.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NJ.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cThe usual array of illicit money-making activity has been augmented by <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >multi-million dollar financial frauds<\/a>, global money laundering and other sophisticated criminal enterprises,\u201d State Commission of Investigation Executive Director Bruce Keller said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cMoney is still the driver behind much of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-big-banks-make-big-bucks-from-russian-dark-money\/\" title=\"How Big Banks Make Big Bucks From Russian Dark Money\">organized crime activity<\/a>,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>  <\/div>\n<div>  <\/div>\n<div>  <\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cIf there\u2019s a way they can make money, it doesn\u2019t matter what field, what area,\u201d Special Agent Joseph Patricola of the U.S. Department of Labor\u2019s Office of Inspector General described. \u201cThey\u2019re going to find a way to perpetrate it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>  <\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cRight off the bat there\u2019s money laundering, tax evasion,\u201d Regina said. \u201cBut then there\u2019s the extortionate collections, leaning on people to pay up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Keller said criminal organizations are more willing to form partnerships where there is a profit, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/newjerseymonitor.com\/2026\/05\/20\/organized-crime-presence-in-nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Jersey Monitor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Meanwhile, street gangs have used social media and technology to add credit card theft, identity theft, phishing, and witness intimidation, Keller and others said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cJust as the generation of children raised in recent years have become known as digital natives, so too have organized criminal gangs become digitally sophisticated,\u201d Keller said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Car thieves use sites like Google\u2019s Street View to check out neighborhoods, Sgt. Sean Lake of the Newark Police Department\u2019s gang intelligence unit said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cThey use applications such as Zillow, and they look up where the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/staceys-abrams-net-worth-mysteriously-increases-by-3-million-since-losing-georgia-governors-election\/\" title=\"Stacey\u2019s Abrams Net Worth Mysteriously Increases by  Million Since Losing Georgia Governor\u2019s Election\">million-dollar houses<\/a> are. Then they\u2019ve gone on Google Maps, and literally they could walk down the street on Google Maps and see what cars were parked in the driveway over the last few months,\u201d Lake said.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the hearing was told, street gangs are getting younger.<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Nicole Bradley of the Hudson County Prosecutor\u2019s Office\u2019s gang intelligence unit noted that last year, her office charged a 14-year-old girl with murder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese kids come off into the gangs at 12, 13, 14, 15 years old,\u201d Edwin Santana of the Morris County Sheriff\u2019s Office\u2019s gang intelligence unit said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey didn\u2019t have any sort of guidance or safety, but they found it in the gang, unfortunately,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]] = document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display = 'block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src = firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id'] = firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting = jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display = 'block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]] = document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display = 'block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src = firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id'] = firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting = jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display = 'block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Jersey organized crime shifts from hits to clicks and schemes, officials say<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2606083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Untitled-design-2026-05-22T184706.075.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[46819,12815,33096,36394,32364],"class_list":["post-2606082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-cybercrime","tag-mafia","tag-new-jersey","tag-organized-crime","tag-social-media"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Untitled-design-2026-05-22T184706.075.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2606082"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2606086,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606082\/revisions\/2606086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2606083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2606082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2606082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2606082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}