By: Richard L. Smith
A Newark man has been sentenced to over three years in federal prison for stealing government benefits designated for the disabled son of his former girlfriend, who vanished under mysterious circumstances in late 2017.
Asmar Earp, 37, received a 38-month prison term for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, along with an additional eight months for violating the terms of a prior supervised release, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba.
Earp pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Earp had been romantically involved with a woman identified as Ms. Venika Wilkiams and the two lived together in Newark.
Williams was the primary caregiver and payee for her son, a minor with a disability, who received monthly federal assistance through the Social Security Administration.
On December 24, 2017, Venika was reported missing, and her whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
Just six days after she disappeared, Earp changed the PIN on the debit card linked to the child’s benefits and began withdrawing the funds.
Prosecutors say he later impersonated Venika, using her personal information—including her birth date and Social Security number—to request a replacement card so he could continue accessing the benefits.
Between December 2017 and February 2020, Earp and others he enlisted allegedly used the funds intended to support the child for their own personal expenses.
The case underscores both the tragedy of Venika unresolved disappearance and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals by someone who had once been close to the victim.