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Newark, NJ

Meek Mill Joins NJ Gov. Murphy To Celebrate Landmark Clemency Effort On Juneteenth Meek Mill Joins NJ Gov. Murphy To Celebrate Landmark Clemency Effort On Juneteenth
Meek Mill Joins NJ Gov. Murphy To Celebrate Landmark Clemency Effort On Juneteenth Gov. Phil Murphy celebrated Juneteenth by announcing a historic initiative in an effort to improve racial justice in New Jersey. The governor signed an executive order on clemency at Saint James AME Church in Newark on Wednesday, June 19. The order establishes standards for people to receive expedited consideration for pardons and commutations. Gov. Murphy said the goal is to fix the racial inequalities that have existed in the criminal justice system. "As we celebrate Juneteenth and reflect on our nation’s ongoing journey toward racial justice for Black and Brown …
Jon Stewart Plays Drums In Band's Surprise Performance At Asbury Park Music Festival Jon Stewart Plays Drums In Band's Surprise Performance At Asbury Park Music Festival
Jon Stewart Plays Drums In Band's Surprise Performance At Asbury Park Music Festival Comedian Jon Stewart is finding time to rock out on the Jersey Shore after returning to host 'The Daily Show' on Mondays in 2024. Stewart played the drums for the band Church and State at Asbury Park Brewery on Saturday, June 15. The appearance was during the Asbury Underground arts and music crawl that was part of the statewide North to Shore Festival.  The comedian who owns a Colts Neck animal sanctuary said the band made its "premiere performance" at the Cookman Avenue brewpub. "We have never played in public," Stewart said at the beginning of the band's set. "I certainly have nev…
ATTEMPTED MURDER: NJ Man Chokes Out Pre-Teen In Attempted Sex Assault: Authorities ATTEMPTED MURDER: NJ Man Chokes Out Pre-Teen In Attempted Sex Assault: Authorities
Attempted Murder: NJ Man Chokes Out Pre-Teen In Attempted Sex Assault: Authorities A 33-year-old Ridgefield man choked a Fairview pre-teen “to the point of unconsciousness” and had removed both his and the incapacitated child's clothes before he was stopped, authorities said. Julio Amaro-Vasquez, who lives on Bergen Boulevard just off Oakdene Avenue, was charged with attempted murder, attempted aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, attempted sexual assault by contact and child endangerment. He wasn't the only person arrested in connection with the alleged incident, however. Amaro-Vasquez's girlfriend, Marlin Cervantes Santos, 30, of Fairview, “directed…
Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man
Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Reality bit the ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member Dina Manzo when he was convicted Tuesday of getting a mob soldier to throw her new beau a beating. Restaurateur Thomas Manzo, 59, who lives in the affluent Bergen County suburb of Franklin Lakes, rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors and took his chances with a jury. That didn’t go so good. Jurors in U.S. District Court in Newark convicted Manzo on June 4 of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, along with conspiracy and falsifying documents during a grand jury investigation. Althou…
New Jersey Cocktail Bar Named Among Best In America New Jersey Cocktail Bar Named Among Best In America
New Jersey Cocktail Bar Named Among Best In America A Monmouth County cocktail bar picked up another national recognition after just one year of serving specialty drinks. Esquire named La Otra in Aberdeen Township on its list of 42 Best Bars in America for 2024. The bar is next to its sister restaurant Lita on Route 34, and both businesses are run by chef David Viana and his girlfriend Neilly Robinson. Bar manager Ricardo Rodriguez has a more "free-wheeling" approach to mixology at La Otra, compared to the Iberian classics at Lita. "Like the best bars attached to restaurants, the drinks are on the culinary side, such as the Tzatziki, which …
Three Children Ejected From SUV With 11 Passengers In Garden State Parkway Crash: Police Three Children Ejected From SUV With 11 Passengers In Garden State Parkway Crash: Police
Three Children Ejected From SUV With 11 Passengers In Garden State Parkway Crash: Police Ten children were hospitalized, including a seriously injured toddler, after an SUV crashed on the Garden State Parkway in Monmouth County, authorities said. A state police spokesperson said troopers responded to the wreck at around 3:56 p.m. on Sunday, June 2. The crash happened in the southbound lanes near milepost 114.8 in Holmdel. Investigators said a front-seat passenger and 10 children were riding in a Subaru Forester when it hit a metal guardrail and overturned. Three of the children were ejected from the SUV. A two-year-old girl was rushed to a hospital with serious injuries. A 34-…
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 25-year-old ex-con from Trenton who’s already served 2½ years in state prison is headed to federal prison for 16 more for a string of gunpoint carjackings and robberies. Joshua M. Perez was one of three armed robbers who commited a Oct. 10 carjacking, another on Dec. 5 and the robbery later than second night of a local gas station, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Surveillance cameras captured video of Perez and two other robbers emerging from a sedan, pointing handguns at occupants of another vehicle, Sellinger said. They then fled with money and cellphones in the victims…
'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More 'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More
'King James': NJ Lawyer Gets 4½ Years, No Early Release For $2 Million Theft From Family, More 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A once-prominent New Jersey lawyer must spend the next 4½ years in federal prison for swindling a family he represented out of $2 million -- and then, while on pre-trial release, impersonating another attorney in applying for a loan. The family had retained James R. Lisa, 68, of Jersey City, to gather millions that had been moved into offshore bank accounts by relatives decades ago and to resolve any tax issues that arose as a result, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Soon after being retained, Lisa moved more than $6 million back into the United States but told the famil…
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A member of a burglary ring that specifically targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to a plea-bargained 33 months in federal prison. James Hurt, 48, of New York, and other members of the second-story crew worked from what the FBI called a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. The burglars often got into homes through unsecured upper-floor windows before seeking out cash, jewelry and guns, the FBI said In one instance, th…
NO CHOICE: Ex-Con Who Shot Victims Five Days Apart In Newark Gets 10+ Years, No Early Release NO CHOICE: Ex-Con Who Shot Victims Five Days Apart In Newark Gets 10+ Years, No Early Release
NO Choice: Ex-Con Who Shot Victims Five Days Apart In Newark Gets 10+ Years, No Early Release 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: There’s no trying to present a defense in court when the prosecutors have a video of you shooting someone, as well as the loaded gun you were carrying when they arrested you. So Ex-con Antoine Hawkins, 31, of Newark, took a deal from the government and was formally sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on Friday, May 31, for shooting two victims five days apart in the Brick City in August 2020. Hawkins must serve no less than 10 years of his plea-bargained sentence before he'll be eligible for release because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Surveillance video…
Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark
Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark A local man was seized when he tried to bring not only a loaded gun but also two magazines onto a flight at Newark Airport over the holiday weekend, authorities said. A TSA officer detected the 9mm handgun and the 30 rounds of ammo at they passed through a Terminal A security checkpoint X-ray machine in the Newark resident's carry-on bag on Saturday, May 25, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police were summoned and seized the gun, ammo and traveler, she said. In addition to criminal charges, he faces up to $15,000 in civil penalties, she said…
Washington State Driver Who Collected 13 Pounds Of Fentanyl At NJ Warehouse Pleads Out Washington State Driver Who Collected 13 Pounds Of Fentanyl At NJ Warehouse Pleads Out
Washington State Driver Who Collected 13 Pounds Of Fentanyl At NJ Warehouse Pleads Out An out-of-state man admitted collecting 13 pounds of fentanyl at a warehouse in Secaucus, authorities said. Unidentified individuals loaded boxes filled with powder and more than 20,000 pills containing fentanyl into a vehicle driven by Jose Luis Pineda Torres, 48, of Washington State on Feb. 15, 2023, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. DEA agents subsequently charged Torres with possessing fentanyl for sale. Torres took a deal from the government, pleading guilty to the charge in U.S. District Court in Newark. Sentencing was scheduled for Oct. 29. Sellinger cred…
Movie Filming In NJ Casting Soldiers, Topless Woman Movie Filming In NJ Casting Soldiers, Topless Woman
Movie Filming In NJ Casting Soldiers, Topless Woman A feature film shooting in New Jersey throughout the summer is casting a variety of paid roles. "Retrograde Victory" is about  a young man who finds new importance in life after the psychological toll inflicted on himself while being inducted to the Vietnam war, the casting call reads. The director and producer is M.J. Walker of Superion Films.  Actors are needed to play a young solder age 7 to 12; a mourning woman 25 to 40; an M60 solder ages 18 to 25; a variety of other solders; and a topless woman. Roles pay between $100 and $150 for one hour of work. The casting call say…
NJ OnlyFans Model Who Flashed New York-Dublin Portal Slams Internet Trolls NJ OnlyFans Model Who Flashed New York-Dublin Portal Slams Internet Trolls
NJ OnlyFans Model Who Flashed New York-Dublin Portal Slams Internet Trolls A New Jersey OnlyFans model who credits herself with getting the New York-Dublin portal shut down is being slammed for it, but she doesn't seem to mind. Ava Louise made international headlines earlier this month after flashing Dubliners at the Flatiron South Public Plaza portal. She later bragged on Instagram that she "got the portal from New York City to Dublin shut down." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ava Louise (@avalouiise) "I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two, home-grown, New York potatoes," she said in t…
Chilean Ring Used NJ Digs To Stash Loot From Home Burglaries In NY, MD, Elsewhere: Feds Chilean Ring Used NJ Digs To Stash Loot From Home Burglaries In NY, MD, Elsewhere: Feds
Chilean Ring Used NJ Digs To Stash Loot From Home Burglaries In NY, MD, Elsewhere: Feds Six Chilean nationals who burglarized homes in multiple states were recorded on video stashing a huge safe and other items stolen in the break-ins in a Jersey City apartment building, authorities said. The crew took pearl necklaces, diamond earrings, a distinctive high school “state champions” ring, and other jewelry during the burglary of a Westchester County, NY, residence in late March, an FBI complaint says. The same burglars struck again in Baltimore County, MD, in mid-April, taking luxury timepieces, distinctive cufflinks, and a safe that contained a collection of rare coins, the comp…
Downed Lines Disrupt Amtrak, NJ Transit Service Between NJ, Penn Station Downed Lines Disrupt Amtrak, NJ Transit Service Between NJ, Penn Station
Downed Lines Disrupt Amtrak, NJ Transit Service Between NJ, Penn Station It's certainly not convenient. Amtrak and NJ Transit customers were livid over service disruptions between Penn Station and Newark due to downed power lines blocking the tracks on Wednesday evening, May 22. In a statement posted to X, Amtrak said service was stopped at 5:36 p.m. with no estimation of restoration. As of 10 p.m., widespread delays were being reported by Amtrak. Service along NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor was also suspended between Penn Station and Metropark in Edison, and along the North Jersey Coast Line between Penn Station, and Long Branch. The Raritan Valley Line was s…
Million-Dollar Ticket: Big Winner Sold At Central Jersey Convenience Store Million-Dollar Ticket: Big Winner Sold At Central Jersey Convenience Store
Million-Dollar Ticket: Big Winner Sold At Central Jersey Convenience Store A convenience store in Monmouth County sold a $1 million lottery ticket, officials said. The Jersey Cash 5 ticket was purchased at Laurel Market on Laurel Avenue in Hazlet, the New Jersey Lottery said in a news release. The ticket matched five numbers in the drawing on Wednesday, May 15. The winning numbers were 8, 14, 16, 22, and 25. The XTRA number was 3. This is the second Jersey Cash 5 ticket in Monmouth County to match five numbers in three days. A ticket was sold in Tinton Falls in the drawing on Monday, May 13, splitting the $1,800,840 jackpot with another ticket purchased…
Fugitive Hunters Bear No Responsibility For Accused Killer's Suicide In Newark Park: Grand Jury Fugitive Hunters Bear No Responsibility For Accused Killer's Suicide In Newark Park: Grand Jury
Fugitive Hunters Bear No Responsibility For Accused Killer's Suicide In Newark Park: Grand Jury UPDATE: A team of fugitive hunters bear no responsibility for the death of a Newark man who shot himself rather than be captured, a grand jury has found. Don Jones, 50, was wanted for a homicide in Union County when members of the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and city police chased him into West Side Park last Aug. 29, 2023. Jones pulled a handgun from his waistband, dashed to an open field and was surrounded by police, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Wednesday, May 15. He then dropped to his knees, pointed the firearm at his head and p…
$900K+ Winning Lotto Ticket Sold At Central Jersey Convenience Store $900K+ Winning Lotto Ticket Sold At Central Jersey Convenience Store
$900K+ Winning Lotto Ticket Sold At Central Jersey Convenience Store A lottery ticket worth more than $900,000 was sold at a Monmouth County convenience store, officials said. The Jersey Cash 5 ticket was purchased at The Mart on Shrewsbury Avenue in Tinton Falls, the New Jersey Lottery said in a news release on Monday, May 13. The ticket matched all five numbers in the drawing on Saturday, May 11. The winning numbers were 13, 18, 24, 29, and 35. The XTRA number was 03. A supermarket in Newark also sold a winning ticket in the drawing. The two winners are worth $900,420 in the $1,800,840 jackpot. The stores will get bonus checks of $2,000 for selling …
Woman From Infamous NJ Sheriff's Job Sting Busted For Burglarizing Post Offices Woman From Infamous NJ Sheriff's Job Sting Busted For Burglarizing Post Offices
Woman From Infamous NJ Sheriff's Job Sting Busted For Burglarizing Post Offices A woman who once made national headlines when she showed up for a job interview with the Hudson County Sheriff's Office only to be busted for nearly a dozen outstanding warrants was arrested for burglarizing a post office she'd been fired from, federal authorities said. Zyeama Johnson, 29, of Jersey City had been sacked by the U.S. Postal Service when she applied for a security guard's job with the county sheriff's office in the fall of 2022. She was also wanted on a fugitive warrant out of Monroe County, PA, and 10 outstanding traffic warrants out of Jersey City at the time. Johnson …
International Soccer Stars Will Date Unsuspecting NJ Women On Brand-New TV Dating Show International Soccer Stars Will Date Unsuspecting NJ Women On Brand-New TV Dating Show
International Soccer Stars Will Date Unsuspecting NJ Women On Brand-New TV Dating Show Three New Jersey women will be dating massive, international soccer stars on a brand-new Peacock dating show. The twist? She has no idea how famous they are back home. "Love Undercover" will follow five male athletes who must leave their lavish lives behind to take on secret identities in dating single women in America, all completely unsuspecting of their fame overseas. Among them: Jacklyn Romano of Sea Isle City, Kai Hilbert of Orange, and Gabrielle Findley of Newark. The Garden State singles will be dating Premier League stars Jamie O’Hara, 36 of the United Kingdom; …
Newark Airport TSA: Yet Another Traveler Says He Didn't Know He'd Packed A Gun Newark Airport TSA: Yet Another Traveler Says He Didn't Know He'd Packed A Gun
Newark Airport TSA: Yet Another Traveler Says He Didn't Know He'd Packed A Gun A Florida man was arrested after TSA agents at Newark Airport found a loaded pistol in his carry-on, authorities said. It was part of what threatens to be a record year with more than 5,000 guns intercepted at airports throughout the country so far compared with 6,542 for ALL of 2023. The traveler's .38-caliber revolver was spotted in the X-ray machine in Newark's Terminal C, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police seized the weapon and its owner, who "claimed that he did not realize that he was traveling with his loaded gun in his carry-on b…
Uber Driver Slashed With Box Cutter, 71-Year-Old Female Passenger From North Jersey Jailed Uber Driver Slashed With Box Cutter, 71-Year-Old Female Passenger From North Jersey Jailed
Uber Driver Slashed With Box Cutter, 71-Year-Old Female Passenger From North Jersey Jailed A 71-year-old passenger from Bergenfield was jailed after New Milford police said she slashed an Uber driver with a box cutter. The 53-year-old driver from Newark picked up Linda Buckner in Hackensack and was driving her home when she became irate for some reason and slashed his face, New Milford Police Capt. Kevin Van Saders said. Officers Pierre Hanikeh, Daniel O’Neill and Shane Churaman and their colleagues from Teaneck met with the injured driver on New Bridge Road near the borders of their towns around midnight Saturday, May 4, the captain said. He has two cuts on his face, …
'Rock Of The Family:' Loved Ones Struggle To Make Sense Of Deadly NJ Home Explosion 'Rock Of The Family:' Loved Ones Struggle To Make Sense Of Deadly NJ Home Explosion
'Rock Of The Family:' Loved Ones Struggle To Make Sense Of Deadly NJ Home Explosion A New Jersey family is in shambles following a home explosion that took their patriarch and left his brother-in-law seriously injured. Retired Newark officer Kevin Gilbert Sr., 62, was being remembered on a GoFundMe as the rock of his family, one day after the explosion at his Continental Court home that claimed his life. "Our hearts ache not only for Kevin Sr. but also for his brother-in-law Curtis, who remains in critical condition as a result of the home explosion," reads the campaign, which had raised more than $34,000 as of Friday evening, May 3. Gilbert, a 26-year veteran of the Newa…
Retired Cop Dad Killed, Another Victim Severely Burned In NJ Home Explosion (UPDATE) Retired Cop Dad Killed, Another Victim Severely Burned In NJ Home Explosion (UPDATE)
Retired Cop Dad Killed, Another Victim Severely Burned In NJ Home Explosion (Update) A retired Newark police officer died and another victim was severely burned in a South River home explosion, officials tell Daily Voice. Kevin Gilbert, a 26-year veteran of the Newark Police Department, died in the mysterious explosion around 7 p.m. Thursday, May 2, South River Mayor Peter Guindi tells Daily Voice.  Gilbert was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim suffered burns over 90 percent of his body and was transferred from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to St. Barnabas Hospital, according to Guindi. Guidni said it wasn't immediately clear how the two v…
Feds: Nine Sex, Money, Murder Members Nabbed With Fentanyl, Coke, More At Open-Air Drug Market Feds: Nine Sex, Money, Murder Members Nabbed With Fentanyl, Coke, More At Open-Air Drug Market
Feds: Nine Sex, Money, Murder Members Nabbed With Fentanyl, Coke, More At Open-Air Drug Market Nine reputed members and associates of the Sex, Money, Murder street gang were charged by Homeland Security agents in New Jersey with peddling fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine at an open-air drug market. Working with local law enforcers, agents with HSI Investigations Newark homed in on a neighborhood on West 3rd Street in Plainfield where the subset of the Bloods controlled the drug trade, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. For months, they witnessed and recorded sales, conducted undercover buys -- some by confidential informants -- and analyzed phone records, the U.S. attorney said. …
NJ Woman, 77, Embezzles $1M In Benefits Intended For Aunt Who Died In 1998: Indictment NJ Woman, 77, Embezzles $1M In Benefits Intended For Aunt Who Died In 1998: Indictment
NJ Woman, 77, Embezzles $1M In Benefits Intended For Aunt Who Died In 1998: Indictment 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A New Jersey woman was indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing more than $1 million of benefits meant for an aunt who died 25 years ago, authorities said. Janis Miller, 77, of South Orange even went as far as trying to impersonate her aunt in a phone conversation with a Social Security worker, according to the indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Newark. However, she couldn’t come up with her aunt’s exact birthdate – just an approximation, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Unaware of Miller’s aunt’s death in 1998, the federal Social Security Administration…
Newark Teen Stole Vehicle Along Jersey Shore, More Suspects Wanted: Police Newark Teen Stole Vehicle Along Jersey Shore, More Suspects Wanted: Police
Newark Teen Stole Vehicle Along Jersey Shore, More Suspects Wanted: Police A teen from Newark was accused of stealing a vehicle in Ocean County, authorities said. Fazon Farrington, 19, was charged on Monday, Apr. 29 with theft of movable property and burglary. The Brick Township Police Department announced the charges in a news release on Tuesday, Apr. 30. A vehicle was stolen on Princeton Avenue on Tuesday, Mar. 5. Kearny police and the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force also helped in the investigation. Farrington was also facing charges in a string of burglaries on Long Island. He was arrested in that case on Thursday, Mar. 14. Nassau County p…
Eleven New Jersey Natives Selected In 2024 NFL Draft: 'I Hear That Smile!' Eleven New Jersey Natives Selected In 2024 NFL Draft: 'I Hear That Smile!'
Eleven New Jersey Natives Selected In 2024 NFL Draft: 'I Hear That Smile!' Nearly a dozen football players from the Garden State heard their names called during the 2024 NFL Draft. Eleven players with New Jersey ties were selected in the draft from Thursday, Apr. 25 to Saturday, Apr. 27 in Detroit. The top Jersey draft pick was Max Melton, a Mays Landing native who played cornerback at Rutgers. Melton was taken in the second round with the 43rd overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals. He's the highest-drafted Scarlet Knight since defensive end Kemoko Turay was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 52nd overall pick in 2018. According to his NFL.com draft…
NJ Feds: Repeat Child Porn Collector Satisfied 'Deviant Desires' With Chats, More NJ Feds: Repeat Child Porn Collector Satisfied 'Deviant Desires' With Chats, More
NJ Feds: Repeat Child Porn Collector Satisfied 'Deviant Desires' With Chats, More A convicted NJ child porn collector had only just been released from federal prison when investigators said he tried buying kids’ shoes on Facebook Marketplace.  And that wasn’t all they said that Andrew Chu, 33, of Edison was up to. Authorities who examined Chu’s laptop and cellphone reported finding more than 100 pornographic images of naked underage girls. They also found live chats that Chu had with naked underage minors while masturbating, a complaint filed in federal court in Newark by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations says. One of them was only 11 years old, agents sa…
NJ Teacher Who Posed As Woman To Lure 70 Boys Into Sending Him Nudes Gets 17½ Years: Feds NJ Teacher Who Posed As Woman To Lure 70 Boys Into Sending Him Nudes Gets 17½ Years: Feds
NJ Teacher Who Posed As Woman To Lure 70 Boys Into Sending Him Nudes Gets 17½ Years: Feds UPDATE: It's a measure of how despicably and disgustingly a former Union County grade-school teacher and youth soccer coach from Morristown abused dozens of boys he'd met online that a plea bargain got him "only" 17½ years in federal prison. Steven Brooks, 37, must serve at least 85% of the negotiated sentence handed down in federal court in Newark on Thursday, April 18, for posing as a woman to lure at least 70 underage boys into sending him nude photos and videos. That means he'll be in his early 50s before he'll be eligible to experience freedom again. FBI agents who investigated Brooks…