Fugitive wanted in NJ deli fraud scheme arrested in Thailand

PAULSBORO, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A fugitive on the run since September is now under arrest on federal charges that center around a South Jersey deli.

Investigators took Peter Coker into custody in Thailand last week.

He is one of the three accused of securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

Peter Coker Sr. and James Patten, who were arrested last year, are also facing charges.

The Hometown Del in Paulsboro gained attention two years ago because the publicly traded business had less than $40,000 in annual revenue, but was somehow worth $100 million.

According to authorities, from 2014 through September 2022, Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. conspired to "enrich themselves through a scheme to manipulate securities prices via a pattern of coordinated trading, which injected inaccurate information into the marketplace, creating false impressions of supply and demand for these securities."

As part of the scheme, the three men allegely targeted two publicly traded companies - Hometown International Inc. and E-Waste Corp. The deli in Paulsboro was a subsidiary of Hometown International.