A former Northeast resident and accused identity thief wanted by federal agents in Northern New Jersey is also considered a fugitive from justice in Philadelphia.
The Newark (N.J.) Division of the FBI on Nov. 15 issued a wanted poster for Luis Colon Jr., 28, in connection with his alleged participation in a multistate credit card fraud scheme. Colon was arrested in New Jersey on numerous theft-related charges earlier this year, but was allowed to make bail and fled that jurisdiction, federal agents claim.
Colon has ties to the Philadelphia area and previously lived on the 6600 block of Jackson St. in Tacony, the 4800 block of Oxford Ave. in Frankford and the 4200 block of N. American St. in North Philly.
He has numerous prior arrests in Philadelphia, court records show, including a June 29, 2009, bust for drug dealing and drug possession. With that case pending, Colon allegedly skipped bail in November 2009, when a Municipal Court judge issued a bench warrant for Colon’s arrest.
Colon resurfaced last May, when he successfully petitioned Judge Frank Palumbo to lift the bench warrant. But Colon again failed to appear for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 22, prompting Judge Gerard A. Kosinski to issue a new bench warrant for Colon, court records show.
In February 2009, Colon was arrested in Philadelphia for identity theft and forgery-related charges, but the district attorney’s office withdrew prosecution that November and Colon walked.
He was arrested for simple trespassing in November 2007 and carrying firearms in public and without a license in December 2006, but beat both cases against him.
While still a juvenile in October 1999, Colon was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault, robbery, theft, weapons violations and related crimes. Because of Colon’s age, the case ended up in Family Court, where Judge Joseph Bruno upheld one attempted murder count and one aggravated assault count, but dismissed the rest of the most serious charges.
The final disposition of the case is not available publicly because of Family Court confidentiality regulations.
In Colon’s current identity theft case, he is accused of posing as an employee of a utility company and contacting utility customers to obtain their credit card information. He would use the stolen account information to buy pesticides via the Internet and telephone from companies in Georgia, Texas and elsewhere, authorities say.
Colon would then resell the pesticides at a store in Philadelphia, according to federal investigators, who do not believe that Colon’s activities have a connection to terrorist activities.
He is charged in New Jersey with credit card fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy.
Colon is also known by the nicknames “Mike” and “Junito.” He is known to carry a gun. He is 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He has numerous tattoos on his entire body, including stars on his neck, a large image of Jesus Christ on his chest and a large cross on his back.
Colon has ties to Union City, N.J., and East Lansing, Mich., in addition to Philadelphia.
Report information about Colon by calling the FBI in Newark at 1–973–792–3000. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215–354–3031 or wkenny@bsmphilly.com
