By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Atlantic County announced that on March 14, Isaiah Edwards-Stewart entered a guilty plea to one count of money laundering for an amount of $75,000 to $500,000, and one count of attempted theft by deception.
His plea calls for an aggregate sentence of seven years in New Jersey State Prison, ACPO officials say.
According to Atlantic County officials, Edwards-Stewart, 32, of Mays Landing, admitted to orchestrating the movement of money that was derived from criminal activity over a period of three years, for an amount over $75,000 but under $100,000.
Specifically, he admitted to his involvement with fraudulent checks being deposited into bank accounts and money being transferred or moved around, ACPO authorities stated.
ACPO officials said that he also admitted to his involvement in an attempt to fraudulently gain money by presenting himself to the bank as the victim in a separate matter in 2019.
The money laundering investigation, which began in 2022, revealed Edwards-Stewart’s involvement with the financial operation that included the deposits of stolen checks into different bank accounts belonging to various other individuals who were also charged in this matter, Atlantic County officials said.
According to ACPO authorities, the funds would then be transferred to Edwards-Stewart’s personal bank accounts at multiple different establishments in an attempt to conceal the source of the funds.
Judge Waldman accepted Edwards-Stewart’s guilty plea, and released him pending sentencing over the State’s objection, ACPO officials say.
Atlantic County officials stated sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2025, with Judge Waldman.