LAKEWOOD — A California man has been charged in connection with the theft of commercial merchandise valued at approximately $65,000 that was slated for delivery to a Lakewood business, authorities said.
The investigation began February 4 when officers with the Lakewood Police Department responded to a report that a shipment scheduled to arrive in town had failed to reach its destination. The goods had been picked up out of state by a contracted driver but never completed the delivery, police said.
Detectives reviewed shipping documents, electronic tracking records and coordinated with law enforcement agencies outside New Jersey. Authorities allege the driver assigned to transport the load did not fulfill the delivery agreement.
As a result, Kamal Singh, 24, of Fresno, California, has been charged with two counts of theft by deception under state statute 2C:20-4, including one count related to payment for transportation services and another tied to the value of the missing merchandise.
Singh has been entered into the National Crime Information Center database. The case remains under active investigation.
Police Chief Gregory Meyer said cargo theft can have significant financial consequences for businesses and emphasized that detectives worked across multiple jurisdictions to advance the case.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Ganley of the Lakewood Police Department Detective Bureau.
The charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
