A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for scamming four different trucking companies out of almost $4,000, the Jersey Journal reported. Authorities arrested James DeRose, 34, when he attempted to pull the scam on a fifth company, according to the Journal.
According to court documents, DeRose called the companies between September and November 2004 and claimed he’d just made emergency road repairs to one of their trucks after it stalled on the New Jersey Turnpike. Days later, the companies would discover they were scammed, but by then the money had been transferred, the Journal reported.
Union County Superior Court Judge James Heimlich lambasted DeRose on Tuesday, June 13, and handed down the 21-year sentence, according to the Journal. DeRose, who must serve at least six years before being considered for parole, told the judge he needed the money to support his cocaine addiction, the Journal reported.
