Sewell Man, a Former Marine, Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Forging Court Orders and Impersonating a Federal Law Enforcement Officer

CAMDEN, N.J. - A former Marine pled guilty to sending false and fraudulent military orders and United States District Court Orders to various banks to obtain relief under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, forging a document with a judge's signature, and impersonating a Federal Protective Services Inspector when searching a house, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Nicholas Cabral, 33, Sewell, New Jersey pled guilty to a three-Count Information, which charged him with one count of bank fraud, one count of counterfeiting and using an official court seal, and one count of impersonating a federal officer to conduct an unlawful search. The plea hearing took place before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

The Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 U.S.C.A § 3901 et. seq., postpones or suspends certain civil obligations to enable service members to devote their full attention to duty and to relieve stress on their families. The act covers obligations related to, among other things, outstanding credit card debt, mortgage payments, pending trials, taxes, termination of leases, eviction from housing, and life insurance protection. The SCRA covers all active-duty service members while on active duty.

Between November 2011 and May 30, 2014, Cabral served in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged as a Private First Class. His separation from the Marine Corps was due to a disability that existed before his military service. After discharge, Cabral never again served in the U.S. Military as either an active-duty or reserve member.

After his military discharge, and before July 4, 2019, Cabral decided to use the SCRA to have financial institutions change his annual credit interest rates and give him relief from payments and fees. To convince the financial institutions that he was eligible for relief under the SCRA, Cabral mailed false and fraudulent military orders purportedly issued by the Department of the Army and the Department of the Navy.

In those false orders, Cabral represented that he currently was a Captain in the U.S. Army or a Lieutenant and then a Captain in the U.S. Marines who was called for active duty for a period of at least 180 days. The fraudulent orders were purportedly signed by a military official. Between July 2019 and November 2022, Cabral mailed at least 9 fraudulent military orders to various financial institutions to obtain benefits under the SCRA. Once received, at least one financial institution granted Cabral's request and returned fees associated with his account; adjusted his Annual Percentage Rate; suspended all annual fees, late fees, returned-payment fees, cash advance fees, and authorized user card fees; and adjusted the minimum monthly payment to $0 for the duration of his fictitious deployment.

Additionally, Cabral mailed fraudulent court orders to various financial institutions in September 2024. The fraudulent court orders were purportedly based on civil complaints filed pursuant to the SCRA in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The fraudulent court orders alleged that the financial institutions failed to appear on September 19, 2024 before the New Jersey District Court Judge Kevin McNulty for a hearing on a motion that Cabral had filed. The fraudulent court orders made findings of facts that, among other things, Cabral was an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces and entitled to protection under the Servicemember Civil Relief Act. The court orders also found that the financial institutions failed to appear and had violated the SCRA. The fraudulent court orders required the financial institutions to remove any negative remarks on Cabral's credit report and purportedly found that Cabral was in compliance and had made timely payments based on the SCRA. The fraudulent court orders bore the forged signature of the Honorable Kevin McCarthy.

Finally, Cabral was never employed by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service (FPS) as an Inspector. Despite that fact, on December 10, 2025, Cabral called the Washington Township Police Department (WTPD) non-emergency telephone number and reported that he observed the front door of a residence in Sewell, New Jersey ajar. As the WTPD Officer arrived at that residence, Cabral arrived driving a marked "Homeland Security Police" Dodge Charger with its overhead emergency lights on. Cabral emerged from the FPS-marked police vehicle while wearing a gold-colored badge and semi-automatic handgun in a holster on his belt. When asked by the WTPD Officer if he was a Homeland Security officer, Cabral responded "Homeland, yeah."

After speaking with the WTPD Officer, Cabral drew his semi-automatic pistol from the holster and entered the residence. While inside the house, Cabral shouted "police department" while searching the residence. Cabral admitted to driving the "Homeland Security Police" vehicle on other occasions without permission.

The bank fraud charge to which Cabral pled guilty carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of $1,000,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss, whichever is greatest. The Seals of Court charge to which Cabral pled guilty carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and the impersonation of a federal law enforcement officer to conduct a search carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of 3 years. Both of those violations also carry a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Cabral's sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited Special Agents of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Maltese, Postal Inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Deputy U.S. Marshals of the United States Marshal Service, under the direction of United States Marshal Nicholas Ricigliano, Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Special Agents of the Defense Logistics Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Defense Logistics Agency Inspector General David Opatz and Detectives and officers of the Washington Township Police Department, under the direction of Sergeant Robert Durham, Captain Tim Breen and Chief Robert Durham, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanks the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, Special Agents of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General and U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Richardson of the Criminal Division in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Jerome Ballarotto, Esq. Trenton.