Tag:

Guilty Plea

Ring Member Admits Snatching $1.5M Worth Of High-End Vehicles In NJ, Rockland, CT, Long Island Ring Member Admits Snatching $1.5M Worth Of High-End Vehicles In NJ, Rockland, CT, Long Island
Ring Member Admits Snatching $1.5M Worth Of High-End Vehicles In NJ, Rockland, CT, Long Island The last of four men caught stealing more than $1.5 million worth of luxury cars in New Jersey, Rockland County, Long Island and Connecticut took a guilty plea on Thursday, federal authorities announced. Like his pals, Malik Baker, 29, of Vauxhall, NJ, took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in federal court in Newark on Oct. 19 to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and receiving a stolen vehicle that had crossed state lines after being stolen. U.S. District Judge Esther Salas scheduled Baker's sentencing for March 7, 2024. Baker had remained on the sid…
3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea 3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea
3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea UPDATE: A third member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware has pleaded guilty, authorities confirmed. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in four states based on “stereotype and opportunity." One of Jackson's associates told detectives that Asians were targeted “because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences,” an FBI complaint says. Notes found in the defendants’ cars …
NJ Dealer Awaiting Trial For Shooting Detectives Gets 13 Years In Federal Drug Takedown NJ Dealer Awaiting Trial For Shooting Detectives Gets 13 Years In Federal Drug Takedown
NJ Dealer Awaiting Trial For Shooting Detectives Gets 13 Years In Federal Drug Takedown A manager of a major New Jersey drug ring who's awaiting trial for shooting two undercover detectives must spend 13 years in federal custody after taking a plea deal from the government in a separate case. Juan Figueroa, 25, was the last of 19 members of the Bloods-related group who were convicted following a federal assault on an open-air drug market in Camden that provided walkup and drive-by service to its customers. Figueroa and two associates were also charged in state court with ambushing two Camden County Police detectives who were investigating the ring, which peddled heroin, crack,…
Federal NJ Fentanyl Bust: Manhattan Man, 64, Could Get 10 Years Without Parole Federal NJ Fentanyl Bust: Manhattan Man, 64, Could Get 10 Years Without Parole
Federal NJ Fentanyl Bust: Manhattan Man, 64, Could Get 10 Years Without Parole A 64-year-old Manhattan man busted by federal Homeland Security agents for dealing nearly a pound of a drug mixture that contained fentanyl in Fort Lee took a guilty plea Tuesday rather than risk the outcome of a trial. U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo scheduled sentencing for June 21 after Jose Migel Cleto pleaded guilty in Newark on Jan. 31 to distribution and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Cleto could still get 10 years, which has become a federal mandatory minimum for fentanyl trafficking -- a crime that prosecutors and j…
NJ Army Vet Who Supported Syrian Terrorist Lover Gets 3 Plea-Bargained Years In Federal Prison NJ Army Vet Who Supported Syrian Terrorist Lover Gets 3 Plea-Bargained Years In Federal Prison
NJ Army Vet Who Supported Syrian Terrorist Lover Gets 3 Plea-Bargained Years In Federal Prison A U.S. Army veteran from Sussex County must spend more than three years in federal prison for deliberately concealing money and guidance she gave to a Syrian terrorist she'd fallen in love with. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, Maria Bell, 55, must serve out just about all of the plea-bargained 36-month sentence approved by a federal judge in Newark on Tuesday, Jan. 24, Bell, of Hopatcong, offered not only money and military intelligence but the benefit of her experience in specialized weapons training to Syria-based factions fighting the Assad regime, a complaint on…
Pleasantville Man Admits Having Ghost Gun In Exchange For 3-Year Prison Term: Prosecutor Pleasantville Man Admits Having Ghost Gun In Exchange For 3-Year Prison Term: Prosecutor
Pleasantville Man Admits Having Ghost Gun In Exchange For 3-Year Prison Term: Prosecutor A 19-year-old Pleasantville man faces three years in New Jersey state Prison in exchange for his guilty plea on a weapons charge, authorities said. Jonathan Valentine, 19, of Pleasantville was charged with the unlawful possession of a handgun, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.  As part of the plea agreement, the defendant must also consent to forfeit the handgun, extended ammunition magazine, and cash seized. Sentencing will be on Feb. 28. On June 17, 2022, Pleasantville Police conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Doughty Road and West Ba…
Strip Club Assault Suspect Admits Role In Attack Before Man Died In South Jersey: Prosecutor Strip Club Assault Suspect Admits Role In Attack Before Man Died In South Jersey: Prosecutor
Strip Club Assault Suspect Admits Role In Attack Before Man Died In South Jersey: Prosecutor Jamaul Timberlake, 31, of Atlantic City, one of three men accused of assaulting Irving Mayren-Guzman in Pleasantville outside Centerfolds Cabaret last January has pleaded guilty, authorities said. Mayren-Guzman, 19, was assaulted by three men after being escorted out of the club by bouncers. Timberlake, along with brothers Garnell and John Hands, are shown on video assaulting the teen after an altercation outside the strip club, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.  Timberlake admitted under oath on Wednesday, Jan. 5, said that he and his two c…
Armed Robber Admits Role In Multiple Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups In NJ, NY Armed Robber Admits Role In Multiple Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups In NJ, NY
Armed Robber Admits Role In Multiple Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups In NJ, NY UPDATE: A member of a New Jersey-based armed robbery crew copped to holding up five liquor and convenience stores in two states, federal authorities said. Jaime Fontanez, 45, of Elizabeth and two accomplices went on a six-month armed robbery spree beginning in August 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Federal authorities tied the crew to 13 holdups in all in Essex, Union and Middlesex counties, as well as in the Bronx and upstate New York, the U.S. attorney said. The robbers followed a basic script, with two of them going into the business with their faces covered while a wheelm…
Feds: Female Duo Admits Dealing Meth Throughout South Jersey Feds: Female Duo Admits Dealing Meth Throughout South Jersey
Feds: Female Duo Admits Dealing Meth Throughout South Jersey Two women caught trafficking meth through South Jersey took plea deals rather than risk federal prosecution, authorities said. Sherri Craig, 42, of Clementon, New Jersey, and Shannon Foster, 27, of Egg Harbor City, formally agreed on Thursday, Oct. 13, to mandatory five-year minimum sentences -- and possibly more time. All of it must be served because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Several federal agencies teamed up to investigate Craig and Foster, who "regularly" bought methamphetamine from suppliers and conspired with each other, and others, to deal it throughout the so…
Camden County Woman, 35, Pleads Guilty In Fatal Motel Shooting: Prosecutor Camden County Woman, 35, Pleads Guilty In Fatal Motel Shooting: Prosecutor
Camden County Woman, 35, Pleads Guilty In Fatal Motel Shooting: Prosecutor A 35-year-old woman from Camden County has admitted to fatally shooting a man in a motel room, authorities said. Brandy M. Lee, of Runnemede, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter for the shooting death of 26-year-old Kevin D. Owens III inside on the 100 block of East 9th Avenue in Runnemede, according to Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay. The shooting occurred on June 22, 2020, around 3:30 a.m., she said. Surveillance video showed Lee was the only person to enter and exit the motel room during the time of the shooting, the prosecutor's office previoiusly said. Le…
$6 MILLION SCAM: Man Admits Role In Nigerian Bank Fraud Network Operating In NJ, PA, MD $6 MILLION SCAM: Man Admits Role In Nigerian Bank Fraud Network Operating In NJ, PA, MD
$6 Million Scam: Man Admits Role In Nigerian Bank Fraud Network Operating In NJ, PA, MD A member of a sophisticated Nigerian-based fraud ring admitted his role in a massive conspiracy that scammed banks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland out of $6 million. Ayanniyi Alayande, 47, of Darby, PA wasn't involved in the crudely constructed "Nigerian prince" emails schemes of the past. He ran with a ring that altered and cashed business checks stolen from the mail, authorities said. Alayande is the first of 12 defendants in the case to take a deal from the government and plead guilty rather than face trial. Members of the highly organized group altered the payee on the checks …
NJ Man Gets Nearly 6 Years In Fed Pen For Downloading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images NJ Man Gets Nearly 6 Years In Fed Pen For Downloading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images
NJ Man Gets Nearly 6 Years In Fed Pen For Downloading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images A Union County man is headed to federal prison for nearly six years for downloading more than 600 images of child sexual abuse. Joseph Hinksmon, 42, of Cranford, will have to serve just about all of the 70-month plea-bargained sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Hinksmon was arrested by the FBI after downloading the videos and photos during a two-week period in July 2019, authorities said. Rather than go to trial, the former NJIT academic scholar took a deal from the government, pleading guilty via videoconference with a U.S. District Court judge in Newark in e…
Camden Dealer Admits Selling Fatal Fentanyl-Cocaine Dose To Maple Shade Woman, Prosecutor Says Camden Dealer Admits Selling Fatal Fentanyl-Cocaine Dose To Maple Shade Woman, Prosecutor Says
Camden Dealer Admits Selling Fatal Fentanyl-Cocaine Dose To Maple Shade Woman, Prosecutor Says A 23-year-old man from Camden has admitted to selling fentanyl-laced cocaine that caused the overdose death of a Burlington County woman, authorities said. Marquese Smith pleaded guilty on Thursday in Superior Court to first-degree strict liability for a drug-induced death, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. Under a plea agreement, Smith faces eight years in state prison when he is sentenced on Aug. 12, Coffina said. An investigation began in June 2019 when Maple Shade police responded to the Ryan Run West Apartment Complex and found the body of 33-year-old Kristi Ven…
Pair Admit Violent Gunpoint Carjacking Of Female Uber Driver In Newark Pair Admit Violent Gunpoint Carjacking Of Female Uber Driver In Newark
Pair Admit Violent Gunpoint Carjacking Of Female Uber Driver In Newark An accused carjacker admitted Monday that he helped a gunman drag an Uber driver from her car and throw her to the ground in Newark before they drove off with the vehicle. Rakeem McNair, 21, of Roselle, took a guilty plea in federal court in Newark less than two weeks after an accomplice, city resident Raquin Tanner, 25, confessed to his own role in the Aug. 13, 2019 carjacking. The victim was in the driver’s seat of her parked car on Summer Avenue in Newark around 11 o’clock that night when three thugs approached, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said. Video surveillance shows Tanner ap…
Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree
Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree An ex-con from Newark told a federal judge on Thursday that he was the getaway driver in a string of overnight convenience store and gas station robberies in Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, Morris and Union counties. Meshach Whagar, 31, admitted during a video-conferenced plea hearing that he was the wheelman during the 20 predawn holdups in November and December of 2017, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. It included robberies in Lodi, Mahwah, Elmwood Park, Clifton, Hoboken, Bayonne, Kearny, Parsippany, Rockaway, Morris Plains, West Orange, East Brunswick, South River, Edison, …
Man Admits To NJ, NY Bank Robbery Spree Man Admits To NJ, NY Bank Robbery Spree
Man Admits To NJ, NY Bank Robbery Spree An Essex County man on Friday admitted to a bank robbery spree across New York and New Jersey. Myron Anderson, 40, of Newark, pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said in a statement. The robberies occurred between October 2018 and January 2019. Anderson admitted to the following bank robberies: Myron Anderson admitted to the above bank robberies.U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito In each robbery, Anderson walked into the banks with a hat pulled down closely over his eyes to…
Authorities: Burlington County Man, 34, Admits Trying To Kill Girlfriend Authorities: Burlington County Man, 34, Admits Trying To Kill Girlfriend
Authorities: Burlington County Man, 34, Admits Trying To Kill Girlfriend A 34-year-old man from Burlington County has admitted to trying to kill his girlfriend four years ago, authorities said. Akil Herbert of Florence Township pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted murder, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. Under Herbert's guilty plea, he agreed to serve 12 years in state prison, Coffina said.  Herbert was  additionally charged with violating a restraining order, Coffina said.  His plea was entered on Sept. 22 before Superior Court Judge Philip E. Haines, and he is due to be sentenced on Nov. 5. An investigation began…
Jersey Shore Therapist Admits Hiring Hitman To Bash In Ex-BF's Face, Make Him 'Not So Cute' Jersey Shore Therapist Admits Hiring Hitman To Bash In Ex-BF's Face, Make Him 'Not So Cute'
Jersey Shore Therapist Admits Hiring Hitman To Bash In Ex-BF's Face, Make Him 'Not So Cute' An Atlantic County therapist admitted in federal court Tuesday that she paid someone she thought was a hit man $4,000 to assault her ex-boyfriend. “He needs his pretty little face bashed in, that’s what I really want,” Diane Sylvia, 60, of Somers Point, told a former mobster who was a patient of hers, the FBI said. The onetime wiseguy went straight to the FBI instead. He introduced Sylvia – then a licensed clinical social worker with a private mental health counseling practice in Linwood -- to an undercover agent posing as an enforcer-for-hire, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “I reall…
Browns Mills Fugitive Faces 8 Years In State Prison For Fentanyl Death Of Pemberton Woman, 21 Browns Mills Fugitive Faces 8 Years In State Prison For Fentanyl Death Of Pemberton Woman, 21
Browns Mills Fugitive Faces 8 Years In State Prison For Fentanyl Death Of Pemberton Woman, 21 A 38-year-old fugitive from Browns Mills has admitted to causing the fatal drug overdose of a 21-year-old woman from Burlington County, authorities said.  Terrance D. Walker, 38, of Liberty Street pleaded guilty to Tessa McCullough's drug-Induced death for supplying fentanyl-laced heroin to her in May 2019, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said on Friday afternoon. Walker faces ip to eight years in state prison under his plea agreement made before Superior Court Judge Philip E. Haines, Coffina said. Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 30, the prosecutor sai…