SUSHI CHEF’S FLIGHT FROM THE LAW CUT SHORT BY BCSO FUGITIVE SQUAD
Bergen County Sheriff Leo P. McGuire announced the arrest of JUNG D. PACK, DOB: 9/13/65, of 915 South Jefferson Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania on Thursday, January 8, 2009.
The arrest came as a result of an investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Leo P. McGuire, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Joseph Macellaro, the Ridgefield Park Police Department, under the direction of Robert W. Lee, the Allentown Police Department under the direction of Chief Roger J. Maclean, and the South Whitehall Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas J. Toth.
The charges stemmed from a multi-jurisdictional investigation conducted from November 2006 through January 2007 by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office’s White Collar Crime Squad and the Ridgefield Park Police Department related to incidents of Burglary, Theft, and Credit Card Fraud committed by Jung D. Pack. Following his arrest, Pack posted bond and fled the area. Efforts to locate Pack were previously unsuccessful, and he was subsequently entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database as a ‘Wanted Person’.
During the investigation into Pack’s whereabouts, detectives from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit learned that Pack, a sushi chef by trade, had taken up residence and employment in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. During his short stay in the Ann Arbor area, Pack allegedly worked at a local Hibachi restaurant, where he gained the trust of his employers and ultimately stole thousands of dollars from them. Before he could be arrested however, Pack again fled; this time to Columbus, Ohio. Shortly thereafter detectives learned, Pack again got a job as a sushi chef in a local restaurant. Within months, Pack again allegedly built the trust of his employer, before stealing thousands of dollars from him and fleeing the area.
After a lengthy investigation, Detectives Brian Kelly and Chris Lewicki of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit were able to develop a lead and discovered a potential new address for Pack in Allentown, Pennsylvania. On Thursday, January 8, 2009, Detectives Kelly and Lewicki, along with officers from the Allentown Police Department and South Whitehall Police Department tracked Pack to the Teppan Hibachi Steakhouse, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he was preparing sushi for the lunch-hour crowd. Pack, clothed in an ornate chef’s uniform, was positively identified by Lewicki and Kelly and placed under arrest. Prior to exiting the restaurant, detectives spoke to the manager of the establishment who confided that Pack had already taken $ 2,000 dollars from him as a “loan”.
Pack was subsequently lodged in the Lehigh County Jail in Easton, Pennsylvania as a fugitive from justice, awaiting extradition proceedings. Additional out-of-state charges against Pack may follow related to information learned during the investigation.
Sheriff McGuire would like to thank the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the Ridgefield Park, Allentown, and South Whitehall Police Departments for their assistance in this investigation.
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