For Immediate Release:
December 22, 2022

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of ROBINSON ABEL VERAS-MERCEDES (DOB: 4/04/1984; married; asbestos remover) of 2209 Ridge Way, Fort Lee, NJ on a charge of receiving stolen property. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love.

On December 19, 2022, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a suspected stolen vehicle traveling through Bergen County and determined that it was a “re-vin stolen vehicle,” which is sometimes called “VIN switching” or “VIN cloning.” A VIN, or vehicle identification number, is one or more small plates affixed to all vehicles that provide permanent identification of that automobile, regardless of ownership or license plates. The VIN affixed to this vehicle appeared to coincide with the license plates affixed to the car, but detectives quickly identified that the VIN plates were fraudulent and confirmed that the vehicle was stolen from its owner in New York in 2020.

As a result of the investigation, ROBINSON ABEL VERAS-MERCEDES was arrested at the scene on Monday, December 19, 2022, and charged with third-degree receiving stolen property, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7a. VERAS-MERCEDES was released on his own recognizance pending his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, NJ.

Prosecutor Musella states that the charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and he would like to thank the Fort Lee Police Department for its assistance in this investigation.