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Criminal Justice

BREAK IN, RINSE, REPEAT: Recidivist With 30-Year Sheet Busted For Burglaries In 4 Bergen Towns BREAK IN, RINSE, REPEAT: Recidivist With 30-Year Sheet Busted For Burglaries In 4 Bergen Towns
Break IN, Rinse, Repeat: Recidivist With 30-Year Sheet Busted For Burglaries In 4 Bergen Towns It never ends with some guys. Mark C. Todd, most recently of Hasbrouck Heights, just turned 50 amid what has been a three-decade-long string of burglaries, thefts and police pursuits in nearly a dozen Bergen County towns. It got to the point that detectives from Maywood, Carlstadt and Hasbrouck Heights all went together to arrest the ex-con at his home last Friday morning, April 12. He was charged with break-ins in Maywood, Carlstadt, Elmwood Park and Fair Lawn. Tood has remained held in the Bergen County Jail this past week based on the likelihood that he’ll be returned to prison. He sp…
Bergen Ex-Con Busted With Pistol Two Days After Prison Release Bergen Ex-Con Busted With Pistol Two Days After Prison Release
Bergen Ex-Con Busted With Pistol Two Days After Prison Release A Garfield ex-con was caught with a gun during a Little Ferry police stop just two days after he was released from prison, authorities said. Nazir R. Halloway, 26, spent a mandatory one year behind bars coincidentally after pleading guilty last year to unlawful possession of a handgun, records show. He was paroled on Monday, March 18, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Little Ferry Lt. John Andronaco was on patrol when he spotted a 2020 Acura ILX with darkly-tinted windows in the parking lot of the Stagecoach Motel just off westbound Route 46 shortly after midnight Wedn…
Elmwood Park PD: Quartet From PA Nabbed After One Waves Loaded Gun Out Sedan Window Elmwood Park PD: Quartet From PA Nabbed After One Waves Loaded Gun Out Sedan Window
Elmwood Park PD: Quartet From PA Nabbed After One Waves Loaded Gun Out Sedan Window Elmwood Park police seized a Pennsylvania couple and two minors who they said had a loaded gun, a high-capacity magazine and hollow-point bullets in their car. Officers responding to a report of a male passenger brandishing a gun out the window of a blue 2019 Chevy Malibu on Donor Avenue stopped the sedan on Elmwood Terrace shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Police Chief Michael Foligno said. As they approached, the officers saw a front passenger shove the gun between his feet, the chief said. All four occupants were ordered out of the vehicle, Foligno said. Officers recovered a …
Accused NJ Killer Walks Free After Decade In Prison For College Student's Murder Accused NJ Killer Walks Free After Decade In Prison For College Student's Murder
Accused NJ Killer Walks Free After Decade In Prison For College Student's Murder Timothy Puskas is a free man. The one-time convicted killer was released on Wednesday, Feb. 21, from MIddlesex County Jail, after winning a second trial on a murder charge, according to his attorney, Joseph Mazraani. Puskas was convicted seven years ago in the slaying of 22-year-old college student William “Billy” McCaw in New Brunswick. He'd been incarcerated for 10 years. A Middlesex County jury deliberated five hours before returning the not guilty verdict in the six-week trial, which began on Jan. 9, Mazraani said. Puskas’ 2017 murder conviction was reversed by an appellate court …
Convict In 9-Robbery Spree In NJ, NY Gets Whopping 34 Years in Federal Prison, No Parole Convict In 9-Robbery Spree In NJ, NY Gets Whopping 34 Years in Federal Prison, No Parole
Convict In 9-Robbery Spree In NJ, NY Gets Whopping 34 Years in Federal Prison, No Parole Three Elizabeth men who committed nine armed robberies in less than four months in New Jersey and New York were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. The most severe went to ex-con Vincent Chan-Guillen, 33, who was sentenced to nearly 34 years in federal prison – longer than he’s been alive -- following his conviction of a host of charges. Meanwhile, Jamie Fontanez, 45, got a plea-bargained 14½ years, while 33-year-old Paul Jimenez managed to get 10. All must serve out their terms because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Store video shows Chan-Guillen pointing a gun at an empl…
UPDATE: Paterson Police Officer Indicted For Shooting Unarmed Man In Back As He Ran UPDATE: Paterson Police Officer Indicted For Shooting Unarmed Man In Back As He Ran
Update: Paterson Police Officer Indicted For Shooting Unarmed Man In Back As He Ran "Drop the gun!" a Paterson police officer shouts several times as he chases a fleeing man down a city street. Suddenly, two shots ring out and Khalif Cooper falls face down in the street. Officer Jerry Moravek, who fired the shots, handcuffs Cooper, 28, who is heard on a bodycam video telling him, "I don't got no gun." A grand jury agreed. Moravek was indicted in Trenton on criminal charges this week for shooting the unarmed Cooper, who was left paralyzed, in June 2022, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced on Thursday, Dec. 7. “Deadly force against a fleeing suspect must be u…
NYC 'Prophet Of Doom' Subway Shooter Sentenced To 10 Life Terms Plus 10 Years NYC 'Prophet Of Doom' Subway Shooter Sentenced To 10 Life Terms Plus 10 Years
NYC 'Prophet Of Doom' Subway Shooter Sentenced To 10 Life Terms Plus 10 Years UPDATE: A man who admitted that he intended to cause mass harm when he opened fire on a packed New York City subway train last year was sentenced to 10 life sentences -- one for each victim -- plus 10 years in prison. No one was killed in the horrific attack by Frank James, 62, which left the victims strewn across a smoky 36th Street platform in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn while igniting underground terror at the height of the morning rush on April 12, 2022. James took a deal from federal prosecutors rather than risk the consequences of a guilty verdict at a jury trial. The heavyse…
UPDATE: Admitted Homemade Bomb Maker From South Jersey Gets 2 Years, No Parole UPDATE: Admitted Homemade Bomb Maker From South Jersey Gets 2 Years, No Parole
Update: Admitted Homemade Bomb Maker From South Jersey Gets 2 Years, No Parole A South Jersey man whom federal authorities said they caught with a do-it-yourself bomb and the materials to make it was sentenced to two years in prison without parole. Thomas Petronglo, 64, had a 5¾-inch diameter metal can filled with potassium perchlorate and aluminum with a fuse sticking out when authorities raided his Vineland home in March 2021, according to a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Camden. The mixture is commonly used in commercial fireworks displays. Authorities seized several other improvised devices -- mostly plastic cylinders and cardboard tubes containing "…
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs Paterson rapper Fetty Wap caught something of a break on Wednesday. A federal judge sentenced the platinum-selling rapper – whose real name is William Junior Maxwell II – to six years in federal prison on May 24 for his role in a drug-trafficking ring that flooded part of New Jersey and Long Island with cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack. Maxwell had been charged with conspiring to transport more than 100 kilos of the drugs there from the West Coast. Rather than risk the potential consequences of a trial, he took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in U.S. Eastern District Court …
Gang Member Who Stabbed Leonia Woman Dead Gets 30-Year Plea Deal Gang Member Who Stabbed Leonia Woman Dead Gets 30-Year Plea Deal
Gang Member Who Stabbed Leonia Woman Dead Gets 30-Year Plea Deal UPDATE: A Paterson gang member pleaded guilty to stabbing his new girlfriend to death in the Leonia apartment that she shared with her young daughter. Murder pleas are rare in Bergen County, where deals are often cut for just about every other charge. Nile “OG Cripp” Diakos, 36, nonetheless got a deal from prosecutors in the March 26, 2022 stabbing death of Alicia Arnone, 35. In exchange for his guilty plea, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said his office will seek a 30-year prison sentence for Diakos. Diakos was at the apartment with Arnone’s 13-year-old daughter when Leonia polic…
Gunpoint Rapist Robbed, Kidnapped One Of His Saddle Brook Victims: Prosecutor Gunpoint Rapist Robbed, Kidnapped One Of His Saddle Brook Victims: Prosecutor
Gunpoint Rapist Robbed, Kidnapped One Of His Saddle Brook Victims: Prosecutor Authorities on Friday seized a former Montclair High School football star who they said kidnapped and robbed one of multiple rape victims at gunpoint in Saddle Brook. There may be other victims, they said. Fokam Parfait, a 25-year-old repeat offender, fled the kidnapping rape on a motorcycle last Friday, March 24, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in announcing his arrest a week later. Investigators from his Special Victims Unit and Saddle Brook police found that Parfait had also sexually assaulted “multiple” victims while armed in the township. Parfait – who played safety and lin…
NJ Coach, Teacher Sentenced For Sexual Assault Of Student NJ Coach, Teacher Sentenced For Sexual Assault Of Student
NJ Coach, Teacher Sentenced For Sexual Assault Of Student A former teacher and coach has been sentenced to four years in New Jersey State Prison for sexually assaulting a student, authorities said. Matthew Rennie, 29, of Ringoes, in Hunterdon County, was sentenced on Friday, March 17, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald. Rennie was arrested on Oct. 6, 2021, after a 17-year-old girl reported to Franklin Township Police that she was sexually assaulted by Rennie, who is employed at a private educational institution in Somerset County, McDonald said. McDonald did not name the institution in Franklin Township. The victim dis…
Paterson Ex-Con Pinched With Loaded Gun, High-Capacity Mag, 48 Heroin Folds: Police Paterson Ex-Con Pinched With Loaded Gun, High-Capacity Mag, 48 Heroin Folds: Police
Paterson Ex-Con Pinched With Loaded Gun, High-Capacity Mag, 48 Heroin Folds: Police A 26-year-old ex-con from Paterson who's already spent most of the past six years behind bars could be returning for even longer after city police said they caught him carrying a loaded gun and four dozen folds of heroin. Devon Wells was one of three passengers in a Chevy Impala stopped by Detectives Corey Davis, Muhammed Dombayci and Wisam Salameh near the corner of Summer and Morton streets for unspecified motor vehicle violations, Police Director Jerry Speziale said. Wells had been released from state prison last February after serving a combined five years in separate stretches for robb…
'Prophet Of Doom' Pleads Guilty To Mass NYC Subway Shooting 'Prophet Of Doom' Pleads Guilty To Mass NYC Subway Shooting
'Prophet Of Doom' Pleads Guilty To Mass NYC Subway Shooting UPDATE: An assailant who opened fire on a packed New York City subway train last year, wounding 10 commuters and igniting underground terror, admitted on Tuesday, Jan. 3 that he intended to cause mass harm. No one was killed in the horrific attack by Frank James, 63, which left victims strewn across a smoky 36th Street platform in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn at the height of the April 12 morning rush. Rather than risk the consequences of a guilty verdict at a jury trial, James took a deal from prosecutors. The heavyset and balding domestic terrorist -- who'd dubbed himself the…
Did Suspected Idaho Killer Bryan Kohberger Study To Be The Perfect Criminal? Did Suspected Idaho Killer Bryan Kohberger Study To Be The Perfect Criminal?
Did Suspected Idaho Killer Bryan Kohberger Study To Be The Perfect Criminal? Dark details surrounding suspected University of Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger have many questioning if he studied to be the perfect criminal. Just a few months ago, Kohlerger, 28, then a student at DeSales University in Lehigh County, had posted a study to a since-deleted Reddit account, asking criminals to specifically detail plans and their mental state surrounding violent targeted crimes. Police believe Kohberger killed Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen.Instagram "What steps did you take prior to locating the victim or target? Detail your thoughts and fe…
Suspected Idaho Killer Bryan Kohberger Has Deep Ties To Pennsylvania Suspected Idaho Killer Bryan Kohberger Has Deep Ties To Pennsylvania
Suspected Idaho Killer Bryan Kohberger Has Deep Ties To Pennsylvania "How did you leave the scene? Did you struggle with or fight the victim?" Those were two questions that suspected University of Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger posted to Reddit in a since-deleted thread, apparently while working toward his Master of Arts in criminal justice from DeSales University in Lehigh County. Kohberger, who went on to study criminology at Washington State University's Pullman campus, according to a another  deleted webpage, was arrested in the Pocono Mountains early Friday, Dec. 30 in connection with the deaths of the four students. But before he made national headline…
Jury Finds Former Cop Guilty Of Murder In Shooting Of Estranged Wife: Morris County Prosecutor Jury Finds Former Cop Guilty Of Murder In Shooting Of Estranged Wife: Morris County Prosecutor
Jury Finds Former Cop Guilty Of Murder In Shooting Of Estranged Wife: Morris County Prosecutor A jury has found a former Newark police officer guilty of murder in the 2019 shooting of his estranged wife and the attempted murder of her partner in Morris County following an eight-day trial, authorities announced. John Formisano, 52, was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, hindering apprehension or prosecution, official misconduct, and two counts each of child endangerment and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said in a joint release on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Formisano, an Acting Lieutenant, was off-duty …
Paterson Detectives Seize Five Guns, Three In One Car Paterson Detectives Seize Five Guns, Three In One Car
Paterson Detectives Seize Five Guns, Three In One Car Three young occupants of a car stopped by Paterson detectives were each found toting guns during a three-day period in which city investigators seized five firearms altogether. The seizures began after Detectives Kenneth Kerwin, Suquan Gary, Joseph Aboyoun, and Mustafa Dombayci saw a drug deal go down in the 80 block of Carroll Street last Tuesday night, Paterson Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said. The investigators moved in after discovering that a 2017 Honda Civic being used in the sale had been reported stolen out of New York the day before, Speziale said. As they approached, ex…
Cash-For-Kids Ex-Judges Fined $200 Million In Pennsylvania: AP Cash-For-Kids Ex-Judges Fined $200 Million In Pennsylvania: AP
Cash-For-Kids Ex-Judges Fined $200 Million In Pennsylvania: AP A Harrisburg, PA judge has ordered two former judges to pay $200 million to the families of children sent to prison as part of their kickback scheme, the Associated Press reports.   Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan, both former judges in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, were found guilty in 2009 for charges in connection with a scheme that involved them using their positions to shutter county-run juvenile detention center, siphoning children from the juvenile court to PA Child Care and its sister facility, Western PA Child Care, according to court records.  Childr…
'Like A Superhero': Community Prepares Goodbyes For Beloved East Rutherford Deputy Police Chief 'Like A Superhero': Community Prepares Goodbyes For Beloved East Rutherford Deputy Police Chief
'Like A Superhero': Community Prepares Goodbyes For Beloved East Rutherford Deputy Police Chief It all sadly happened so fast. East Rutherford Deputy Police Chief Phil Taormina, a man who was as kind as he was courageous, died Wednesday, just months after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of liver cancer. He was only 46. A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2, at St. Pius X R.C. Church in Montville (24 Changebridge Rd,). Entombment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover (225 Ridgedale Ave). Visiting hours are from 4 to 8 Monday, Aug. 1 at Kimak Funeral Home, 425 Broad Street, Carlstadt. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Fund th…
Union Beach Officer Killed In Crash Was 'Rising Star' Union Beach Officer Killed In Crash Was 'Rising Star'
Union Beach Officer Killed In Crash Was 'Rising Star' The Union Beach Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its own. Detective Cpl. Timothy Kelly, Jr., 29, died in an off-duty crash, his department said. His father also served as a UBPD officer. "Kelly was a rising star in the Union Beach Police Department, having been involved in many high profile and sensitive special operations with the FBI, DEA, MCPO, and BTF," UBPD said.  He earned a Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Alabama with a double major in History and Criminal Justice.  Details in the crash were not immediately clear.
Convicted Gunman Just Released From Prison Nabbed In Garfield Bar Shooting Convicted Gunman Just Released From Prison Nabbed In Garfield Bar Shooting
Convicted Gunman Just Released From Prison Nabbed In Garfield Bar Shooting A 23-year-old ex-con from Garfield who was paroled only weeks ago after serving time for a drive-by was arrested and charged with a shooting last week at a local bar. Ramon Santana, 23, was wanted on a warrant for the 1 a.m. shooting on June 19 when Garfield Police Officer Nicholas Kopacz spotted him walking near the corner of Midland Avenue and Outwater Lane exactly a week later -- also around 1 a.m., Capt. Richard Uram said. The shooting capped an argument among several people outside The Hive Bar on Outwater Lane, he said. Santana, of Palisade Avenue, remained held in the Bergen County …
NJ Lawyer Recorded Himself Sexually Exploiting 14-Year-Old Victims On Chat Website: Prosecutor NJ Lawyer Recorded Himself Sexually Exploiting 14-Year-Old Victims On Chat Website: Prosecutor
NJ Lawyer Recorded Himself Sexually Exploiting 14-Year-Old Victims On Chat Website: Prosecutor A New Jersey lawyer was charged with child endangerment and several other offenses after recording himself sexually exploiting several 14-year-old victims using an online chat site, authorities said. Michael Rave, 53, was charged with child endangerment for possession of child sexual abuse materials, as well as four counts each of promoting obscene material and criminal sexual contact, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said in a joint release alongside local officials. Rave, of Morris Township, was found with several videos that showed him exposing himself to 14-year-old victims us…
Driver, Passenger Jailed After Paterson Detectives Find Gun, Drugs In Traffic Stop Driver, Passenger Jailed After Paterson Detectives Find Gun, Drugs In Traffic Stop
Driver, Passenger Jailed After Paterson Detectives Find Gun, Drugs In Traffic Stop A driver who ran a stop sign was arrested along with his passenger after Paterson detectives found a loaded gun and several bags of Ecstasy in the car, authorities said. Jonathan Guerrero of Totowa and Malik Hammond of Paterson, both 24, were sent to the Passaic County Jail after being stopped by Detectives Wojciech Kulbabinski and Kenneth Kerwin on Fulton Street around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, city Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said. The detectives were working the area of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Harrison Street when they chased down the white Chevrolet with Florida license pl…
College Sex Cult Leader Larry Ray Of NJ Found Guilty On All Charges College Sex Cult Leader Larry Ray Of NJ Found Guilty On All Charges
College Sex Cult Leader Larry Ray Of NJ Found Guilty On All Charges The New Jersey man who ran a sex cult out of his daughter's dorm room will face life in prison after being found guilty by a jury of sexually exploiting and trafficking girls. Larry Ray, 62 — who was arrested at his home in Piscataway — was found guilty of 15 counts that include racketeering, sex trafficking, conspiracy, forced labor, extortion, tax evasion, and other crimes in relation to his scheme following multiple delays in his trial and prosecution. The jury deliberated for less than four hours before returning the guilty verdict. “Twelve years ago, Larry Ray moved into his…
House Agrees To Legalize Weed, But Don’t Fire One Up Just Yet House Agrees To Legalize Weed, But Don’t Fire One Up Just Yet
House Agrees To Legalize Weed, But Don’t Fire One Up Just Yet It was only 16 months ago that the U.S. House of Representatives approved the nation’s first attempted repeal of federal marijuana laws. Then nothing happened. Over in the Senate, then-Sen. Kamala Harris introduced a similar bill that metaphorically died on the vine. The House on April Fools' Day again agreed to legalize weed, taking the nation back to lawmakers' December 2020 attempt to toss the federal pot ban. Let's be blunt: The result will most likely be the same. Only a few Republicans joined the House majority in Friday’s 220-204 House vote to remove reefer from the 1970 Controlled…
Ex-Police Chief Found Guilty Of Raping Girl, 6, With Buddy Hundreds Of Times For Years: AG Ex-Police Chief Found Guilty Of Raping Girl, 6, With Buddy Hundreds Of Times For Years: AG
Ex-Police Chief Found Guilty Of Raping Girl, 6, With Buddy Hundreds Of Times For Years: AG A former small-town Pennsylvania police chief has been found guilty of raping a young girl with his friend several times a month for years, authorities announced. A jury rendered the guilty verdict against former Weissport Police Chief Brent Getz, who was charged in March 2019, PA Attorney General Shapiro announced Friday, March 11. ** WARNING: The following news report contains graphic and disturbing scenarios ** His co-defendant, Gregory Wagner, of Lehighton, previously pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Getz. Both Getz and Wagner will be sentenced at a later date. C…
Philadelphia Detective Assaulted Man Wrongfully Convicted Of Murder During Interview: Police Philadelphia Detective Assaulted Man Wrongfully Convicted Of Murder During Interview: Police
Philadelphia Detective Assaulted Man Wrongfully Convicted Of Murder During Interview: Police A Philadelphia homicide detective has been arrested on accusations he assaulted a woman wrongfully convicted of murder during an interview in 2010, authorities said. Detective James Pitts assaulted Obina Onyiah — who was exonerated after 11 years — during questioning at the Race Street police headquarters sometime around Nov. 8, 2010, then lying about it, according to Philadelphia police and the DA's office. Onyiah was convicted in the 2010 shooting death of William Glatz, a local jewelry store owner, 6abc reports. He spent 11 years in prison but was exonerated when evidence revealed …
Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection
Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection UPDATE: Police were justified in shooting a fleeing motorist when he pointed a gun at them at a convergence of highways in Wayne, a state grand jury has found. Bradley G. Pullman, 48, of Queens is seen on dashcam video pointing the gun out of his Lexus sedan following a high-speed chase that ended at the “spaghetti bowl” intersection of Route 46, 23 and 80 near the Willowbrook Mall. The video was among the evidence reviewed by the grand jury, along with witness testimony, reports and autopsy results, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. Grand jury reviews are mandated p…
Philadelphia Man Freed From Life Sentence, Witness Bribed With Sex For Lies Philadelphia Man Freed From Life Sentence, Witness Bribed With Sex For Lies
Philadelphia Man Freed From Life Sentence, Witness Bribed With Sex For Lies A Philadelphia inmate who served 37 years in state prison walked out of the facility a free man on Tuesday after a federal court tossed his 1984 murder conviction. Willie Stokes, 61, was sentenced to life behind bars after police bribed a witness in his case -- Franklin Lee with -- sex, drugs, and a light sentence in exchange for false testimony in the 1980 case, officials said. A hug from his mom and a corned beef hoagie were what he looked forward to getting most, the Associated Press reports. Lee was being held on unrelated rape and murder charges at the time, and said he "felt weak and …
Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective
Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective Services are scheduled this coming Saturday for a Paterson man who was shot and killed in a confrontation with city police detectives. Witnesses insist that Thelonious “RaRa” McKnight, 25, was gunned down in cold blood last Wednesday night after detectives chased him down an alley in a mixed-use neighborhood of multi-family homes and businesses near the Passaic River New Jersey's top law enforcer, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck, said that a 9mm handgun was found near McKnight's body. Investigators had made an arrest there hours earlier and were looking for another …