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Middlesex County, NJ

Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs
Crooked Cardio Doc Admits Pocketing $2 Million In Health Insurance Ripoffs The owner and sole medical provider of a Middlesex County medical practice admitted in federal court that he pocketed nearly $2 million in a long-running series of blatant health insurance scams. Dr. Fazal Panezai, a 76-year-old cardiologist from Morganville, at one point submitted claims for a single day's worth of visits to his Matawan-Aberdeen Heart & Medical Center in May 2022 that totaled 27.9 hours, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Hei also billed health insurance providers more than $80,000 for office visits when he was out of the country, the U.S. attorney said. Panezai …
82-Year-Old Man Heard Wife Scream After Accidental Deadly Shooting In Edison Home: Cops 82-Year-Old Man Heard Wife Scream After Accidental Deadly Shooting In Edison Home: Cops
82-Year-Old Man Heard Wife Scream After Accidental Deadly Shooting In Edison Home: Cops An 82-year-old man is believed to have accidentally shot and killed his wife in Edison. Robert Novak was in a room on the first floor of the Glencourt Avenue home he shared with his 76-year-old wife, Patricia Novak, when he tried to clear one of his registered guns around 2:10 p.m. Friday, April 5, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. The weapon discharged into the basement of the home, striking Patricia, whom Robert heard scream, Ciccone said. Novak went to check on his wife and learned he'd accidentally shot her, and called 9-1-1, according to the prosecutor. Patricia w…
Police Detail Suicide Note Penned By NJ Dad Before Killing 9-Year-Old Son: Affidavit Police Detail Suicide Note Penned By NJ Dad Before Killing 9-Year-Old Son: Affidavit
Police Detail Suicide Note Penned By NJ Dad Before Killing 9-Year-Old Son: Affidavit The death of a 9-year-old boy at the hands of his father in Sayreville was intended to be a murder-suicide, according to police paperwork obtained by Daily Voice. Manuel Rivera, 43, recorded an apology video following a marital dispute he’d been having with a “witness” just before leaving an Eisenhower Drive home with the 9-year-old boy Thursday, March 28, according to an affidavit for probable cause obtained by Daily Voice. “We spoke to a witness who indicated that her and Mr. Rivera were having marital issues and that he sent her a video to her phone,” Sayreville Police Det…
Dad Charged With Murder In 9-Year-Old Son's Death Is Employed By Sayreville Schools: Officials Dad Charged With Murder In 9-Year-Old Son's Death Is Employed By Sayreville Schools: Officials
Dad Charged With Murder In 9-Year-Old Son's Death Is Employed By Sayreville Schools: Officials Charges have been upgraded for a New Jersey dad whose deceased 9-year-old son was found in a burning vehicle, authorities said. Manuel Rivera has been charged with second-degree aggravated arson, first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and second-degree desecration of human remains, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. According to Sayreville Schools Superintendent Richard Labbe, 43-year-old Rivera was employed by the district, and his son was a student at the Wilson School. The charges were filed in connection with an incident Thursday…
Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen
Controller From NJ Who Embezzled $2.37M From Madison Avenue Firm Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen UPDATE: A controller from Middlesex County was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for embezzling $2.37 million from his Madison Avenue employer. Gerard Beauzile, 63, South Plainfield, conducted an elaborate, long-running scheme to issue bogus checks to himself that he then deposited into his bank account, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Beginning a decade ago and continuing through the end of 2020, Beauzile admitted issuing 140 checks to himself from the Manhattan-based company, which offers news, analysis, research and data for the "global energy industry," accordin…
CLOSE CALL: Stolen Car Rams Englewood Police Cruiser CLOSE CALL: Stolen Car Rams Englewood Police Cruiser
Close CALL: Stolen Car Rams Englewood Police Cruiser An Englewood officer escaped serious injury when a police cruiser was rammed by a driver in a stolen car, authorities said. Several occupants were in the 2019 Honda Pilot when a license plate reader flagged the vehicle – which had been reported stolen out of Elizabeth earlier that day -- shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, Deputy Police Chief Matthew de la Rosa said. Officers tried to stop the SUV on South Dean Street, but it sped off, the deputy chief said. The pursuit headed south on Broad Avenue, where the Pilot slammed into a cruiser, sending it spinning out, he said. The po…
NJ Baby Killed By Dog ID'd In Campaign NJ Baby Killed By Dog ID'd In Campaign
NJ Baby Killed By Dog ID'd In Campaign Support is surging for a New Jersey family whose 3-month-old baby was killed by the family dog. Daymon Jair Balbuena was mauled by the dog at his home on Mereline Avenue in Avenel around 6:15 a.m. Saturday, March 9, according to a GoFundMe campaign, along with Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Woodbridge Police Department Director Robert Hubner. Daymon's mother, Sierra, suffered serious injuries in the attack, the campaign says. "The love he brought to his family during his short life will never be forgotten," the boy's obituary says. More than $16,000 had been rai…
Hudson County Favorite Son Bobby Cannavale Praised In Garden State-Centric Dramedy 'Ezra' Hudson County Favorite Son Bobby Cannavale Praised In Garden State-Centric Dramedy 'Ezra'
Hudson County Favorite Son Bobby Cannavale Praised In Garden State-Centric Dramedy 'Ezra' Actor Bobby Cannavale has a heartwarming New Jersey-based film premiering this spring that those who've seen it predict could be one of his best. In "Ezra," the pride of Hudson County plays Max, a stand-up comedian from the Garden State who lives with his father, portrayed by Robert De Niro. Max pursues his career while trying to co-parent his 11-year-old son with ex-wife (and Cannavale's real-life partner) Rose Byrne. Max lands a gig on Jimmy Kimmel's show in Hollywood, but the plane fare isn't comped. So he and young Ezra -- who has autism -- embark on a life-changing cross-country trip …
NJ Dunkin' Customer 'Rendered Disabled' In Hot Coffee Spill, Lawsuit Says NJ Dunkin' Customer 'Rendered Disabled' In Hot Coffee Spill, Lawsuit Says
NJ Dunkin' Customer 'Rendered Disabled' In Hot Coffee Spill, Lawsuit Says A New Jersey man has filed a lawsuit against Dunkin' Donuts alleging he was seriously burned by "excessively hot" coffee in 2022. Phillip Sgroi says in the suit filed in Middlesex County Superior Court that he was at a Madison (Morris County) location on Feb. 11, 2022, when he purchased his beverage. Sgroi's suit alleges the lid came off and the "excessively hot" coffee in the cup spilled on him. Sgroi said he was rendered disabled and suffered internal and external wounds on his body. Sgroi suit further says the lid was not properly secured to the Styrofoam cup and the coffee itself was …
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 …
New Forecast Map: 4 Inches Of Snow Now Projected For Parts Of NJ, PA New Forecast Map: 4 Inches Of Snow Now Projected For Parts Of NJ, PA
New Forecast Map: 4 Inches Of Snow Now Projected For Parts Of NJ, PA In a newly-released forecast map, parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania are expected to get up to four inches of snow in this second winter storm of the week. The new map shows between 3 and 4 inches could fall along the Jersey Shore, in South Jersey, and in the Reading/Greater Philadelphia areas in the storm expected to begin late Friday, Feb. 16. UPDATE: 13 Inches Of Snow Fell In These NJ, PA Towns — See Who Got The Most Snow Central Jersey could see up to 3 inches while North Jersey and the Poconos will likely only see 1 or 2 inches, the NWS says. Snow will continue through Saturday, Fe…
NJ Child Porn Trafficker Got Child To Perform Online For Him, Feds Charge NJ Child Porn Trafficker Got Child To Perform Online For Him, Feds Charge
NJ Child Porn Trafficker Got Child To Perform Online For Him, Feds Charge A child porn trafficker from Middlesex County got a minor to perform online for him, federal authorities charged. Francisco Villafane, 37, of Perth Amboy, initially lost contact after he began texting with the youngster in 2020, but they resumed communication in late 2023, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Villafane "exchanged sexually explicit content with the victim and solicited explicit material...including videos of the victim engaging in sexual acts at Villafane’s request," the U.S. attorney said. Members of his Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force ch…
Foot Of Snow Could Fall In Bergen County In Major Storm, NWS Says Foot Of Snow Could Fall In Bergen County In Major Storm, NWS Says
Foot Of Snow Could Fall In Bergen County In Major Storm, NWS Says The National Weather Service says parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania could see more snow than what was initially predicted due to a shift in the storm track. In an updating briefing published Monday, Feb. 12, the NWS said 12 to 18 inches of snow could fall in parts of Sussex County, NJ and the Pocono Mountains. ALSO SEE: North Jersey School Closed, Delayed Ahead Of Major Winter Storm The weather map shows between 8 and 12 inches expected in parts of Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Essex, Warren, Somerset and Hunterdon counties, where winter storm warnings have been issued. Winter weather a…
Superintendent Reprimanded For Recommending Son For Substitute Teaching Job In NJ Superintendent Reprimanded For Recommending Son For Substitute Teaching Job In NJ
Superintendent Reprimanded For Recommending Son For Substitute Teaching Job In NJ The superintendent of a Middlesex County school district broke a pair of school ethics rules by approving a list of substitute teachers that included her son, officials said. Monroe Township Superintendent Chari R. Chanley’s “failure to recuse herself on the recommendation of her child’s employment constitutes using her position as superintendent to secure an unwarranted privilege, advantage, or employment for her child,” prompted action from the the New Jersey School Ethics Commission, according to a Jan. 23 decision. Chanley was reprimanded for recommending approval of a list of more…
GOTCHA! NJ Duo Charged With Beating Gas Station Attendants In Armed Tri-County Robbery Spree GOTCHA! NJ Duo Charged With Beating Gas Station Attendants In Armed Tri-County Robbery Spree
Gotcha! NJ Duo Charged With Beating Gas Station Attendants In Armed Tri-County Robbery Spree Two men wanted for beating attendants during a two-day spree of quick-stop armed gas station robberies in three New Jersey counties were captured by federal agents, authorities said. Ex-con Ahmad Singletary, 24, and Joseph Young, 26, both of Newark, committed three of the robberies last Sept. 5, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Four more holdups -- also in a single day -- followed exactly a week later, the U.S. attorney said. Singletary "threatened, assaulted, and struck victims in the head" with a Ruger 9 mm P95 handgun, injuring all of them, a complaint filed by the ATF says. Th…
Meet NJ Gold Medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone In Northvale Meet NJ Gold Medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone In Northvale
Meet NJ Gold Medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone In Northvale Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a Middlesex County track star who won two gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics, is returning home to tell her story. McLaughlin-Levrone, who grew up in Dunellen and attended Union Catholic High School, is signing copies of her new book "Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith," at Books and Greetings on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at Books and Greetings in Northvale at 6 p.m. In the book, McLaughlin-Levrone talks about how she used her belief in God to overcome battles with perfectionism and anxiety to win the gold medal in the 400 meter hurdles and the 4 x 400 mete…
NJ Attorney, Son Charged With Ripping Off Hundreds Of Immigrants In Bronx NJ Attorney, Son Charged With Ripping Off Hundreds Of Immigrants In Bronx
NJ Attorney, Son Charged With Ripping Off Hundreds Of Immigrants In Bronx Homeland Security agents smashed an operation run by a New Jersey father and son who for years fooled hundreds of immigrants living in the Bronx into paying thousands of dollars for services that only got many of them deported, authorities said. Instead of legitimately fast-tracking their clients’ bids for legal U.S. residency, attorney Kofi Amankwaa and his son, Kofi Jr., filed false petitions to the federal government claiming that the immigrants’ children had abused them, authorities said. All this did, they said, was put the applicants on immigration officials’ radar, leading to green c…
JERSEY FRESH: Majority Of 109 New Port Authority Police Officers Hail From NJ JERSEY FRESH: Majority Of 109 New Port Authority Police Officers Hail From NJ
Jersey Fresh: Majority Of 109 New Port Authority Police Officers Hail From NJ More than 100 cadets officially became Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police officers with a joyous graduation ceremony in Middlesex County that followed a somber remembrance in lower Manhattan. The 109 graduates of the 122nd Port Authority Police Academy class push the total workforce of the bi-state agency past 2,000 in all. And a majority of those boots come from New Jersey. The Garden State produced 59 of the new officers and New York 50, officials said following the class' graduation at St. Joseph's High School in Metuchen on Thursday, Jan. 4. It's a slim margin but a…
Meet NJ 'Slipper Slap Master' Who Choreographed TikTok's Latest Viral Dance Meet NJ 'Slipper Slap Master' Who Choreographed TikTok's Latest Viral Dance
Meet NJ 'Slipper Slap Master' Who Choreographed TikTok's Latest Viral Dance We're one week into 2024 and Joseph Lepinski, a Middlesex County resident, has already launched the year's newest TikTok dance craze. Lepinski, a.k.a. JerseyyJoe has been going viral on TikTok with his new dance, the Cha Cha. Lepinski, the master of the Slipper Slap, has racked up more than 26 million videos of his new dance.  Lepinski produces his dance videos  while studying physical education at Montclair State University and launching his own clothing brand. @jerseyyjoe DO THE CHA CHA 😂🔥🔥 ( DC: ME ) #jerseyyjoe #jersey #trend #viral #fyp ♬ original sound - On The Rad…
Woman Killed In Crash Was Analyst For NJ Governor's Office: Murphy Woman Killed In Crash Was Analyst For NJ Governor's Office: Murphy
Woman Killed In Crash Was Analyst For NJ Governor's Office: Murphy The 25-year-old Princeton resident killed in a car crash on New Year's Day, in Middlesex County has been identified as a former state worker. Louisa Bradlow Carman worked as a policy analyst in the state's Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:56 a.m., following the crash at Route 1 and College Road in Plainsboro, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. A graduate of Swarthmore Office, Carman previously served as an intern in Gov. Phil Murphy's office. Murphy paid tribute to…
Pistol-Packing Ex-Con Busted At Jersey Shore ER Said He Was DEA: Indictment Pistol-Packing Ex-Con Busted At Jersey Shore ER Said He Was DEA: Indictment
Pistol-Packing Ex-Con Busted At Jersey Shore ER Said He Was DEA: Indictment An ex-con who authorities said showed up at a Jersey Shore emergency room packing a loaded gun and claiming he was a DEA agent was indicted by a federal grand jury. Wesley Rucker, 36, of Tinton Falls has had more than two years to consider a deal with the government rather than proceed with the case. He hasn’t taken one, however, and now he’s under indictment. Staff members at Hackensack Meridian Health Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank spotted Rucker carrying the handgun in his waistband, the ATF said. “Rucker showed the security officer two identification cards in a leather bifold wa…
Edison Middle School Teacher Had Sexual Relationship With Student: Prosecutor Edison Middle School Teacher Had Sexual Relationship With Student: Prosecutor
Edison Middle School Teacher Had Sexual Relationship With Student: Prosecutor A 55-year-old Edison Township Middle School teacher who was found with child porn over the summer has been arrested again, after it was learned he had a sexual relationship with a student, authorities said. Julius Coaccioli is facing new charges of kidnapping and child endangerment, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Woodbridge Police Director Robert Hubner announced on Thursday, Dec. 7. On Aug. 30, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) executed a search warrant at Coaccioli's home, seizing electronic devi…
Dad With Bergen County Ties Killed In Triple Murder Dad With Bergen County Ties Killed In Triple Murder
Dad With Bergen County Ties Killed In Triple Murder A Middlesex County family torn apart by tragedy is remembering those they lost. Dilipkumar and Bindu Brahmbhatt were shot and killed by their 23-year-old grandson, Om Brahmbhatt, who also killed his 38-year-old uncle, Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, Monday, Nov. 27 in South Plainfield, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. The three Brahmbhatts were found dead with gunshot wounds at the Traditions condo complex on Coppola Drive around 9 a.m. 🙏🏽😭It is with an inconsolable deep heavy heart that I share this devastating and shocking tragic news of the passing of…
NJ Cops ID Triple Murder Victims, Accused Shooter (UPDATE) NJ Cops ID Triple Murder Victims, Accused Shooter (UPDATE)
NJ Cops ID Triple Murder Victims, Accused Shooter (Update) Police have identified the gunman accused of killing three people in a New Jersey home Monday, Nov. 27. Om Brahmbhatt, 23, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Dilipkumar Brahmbhatt, 72, Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, 38, and Bindu Brahmbhatt, 72, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. Ciccone and South Plainfield Police Chief Peter Papa said only that the 23-year-old Brahmbhatt lived with and was related to the three people he killed at the Traditions condo complex on Coppola Drive. The victims were found dead in the home around …
Family Of Roofer Who Fell From Passaic County Home Gets $75G From Company That Caused His Death Family Of Roofer Who Fell From Passaic County Home Gets $75G From Company That Caused His Death
Family Of Roofer Who Fell From Passaic County Home Gets $75G From Company That Caused His Death UPDATE: The survivors of a worker who fell to his death from a residential roof in Haledon will receive $75,000 after his employer admitted in federal court this week that his Middlesex County construction company failed to provide any fall protection equipment or training. The unidentified worker was installing insulation for a second-floor subroof in August 2019 when he took a step back and fell more than 20 feet, first onto a scaffold and then to a concrete floor below, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. He was later pronounced dead of a head injury. Despite the…
Winner, Winner: $1 Million Mega Millions Ticket Sold At NJ Convenience Store Winner, Winner: $1 Million Mega Millions Ticket Sold At NJ Convenience Store
Winner, Winner: $1 Million Mega Millions Ticket Sold At NJ Convenience Store A winning Mega Millions ticket from the Tuesday, Nov. 21 drawing, winning the $1 million prize, was sold in New Jersey. The ticket matched all five numbers drawn which were 17, 22, 25, 30, and 38. The Megaplier (4X) was 24. The ticket was sold at Caba Grocery on 147 Brighton Ave., in Perth Amboy in Middlesex County. There were also two $10,000 tickets sold in Morris and Ocean counties. 
Family Ran Multimillion-Dollar Cathouse At Sayreville Strip Club, New Indictment Alleges Family Ran Multimillion-Dollar Cathouse At Sayreville Strip Club, New Indictment Alleges
Family Ran Multimillion-Dollar Cathouse At Sayreville Strip Club, New Indictment Alleges UPDATE: A fierce battle between a Middlesex County family and authorities who've charged them with operating a wildly lucrative whorehouse masquerading as a strip club intensified with a new round of charges. The owners of Club XXXV on Route 35 in Sayreville used “various illegal means to turn their club into a multimillion-dollar racket (that) doubled as a house of prostitution,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said a superseding indictment returned by a grand jury in Trenton alleges. More than $10 million in proceeds from the business “moved through numerous bank accounts c…
NJ Woman, 72, Indicted For Using Dead Caregiver's Info To Keep Collecting Insurance Payments NJ Woman, 72, Indicted For Using Dead Caregiver's Info To Keep Collecting Insurance Payments
NJ Woman, 72, Indicted For Using Dead Caregiver's Info To Keep Collecting Insurance Payments A 72-year-old New Jersey woman used phony timesheets and a bogus bank account from a dead caregiver to fraudulently collect insurance payments for long-term care from him, state authorities charged. Leoncia Hutchinson of Metuchen deposited the payments from the Continental Casualty Company into a dedicated account, then slid the funds back into her own, an indictment returned by a grand jury in Trenton alleges. For six months, Hutchinson treated the man’s death as “a moneymaking opportunity,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in announcing the indictment on Wednesday, Nov.…
Haledon Shooting: Central Jersey Man, 27, Wounded Over Weekend Haledon Shooting: Central Jersey Man, 27, Wounded Over Weekend
Haledon Shooting: Central Jersey Man, 27, Wounded Over Weekend A 27-year-old Middlesex County man was shot in Haledon over the weekend, authorities confirmed. Police found the wounded victim from South Brunswick in the 20 block of Ida Street near Bridgeway Community Church and the border of Prospect Park shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. “Immediate first aid was administered, and the victim was quickly transported to St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson by Paterson EMS,” Haledon Deputy Police Chief George Guzman, Jr. said. Neither he nor Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes would say whether a suspect had been seized or identi…
NJ Predator Admits Getting Underage Girl To Share Nudes NJ Predator Admits Getting Underage Girl To Share Nudes
NJ Predator Admits Getting Underage Girl To Share Nudes A New Jersey man admitted posing as someone else to get a minor to pose naked online for him. Federal authorities had charged Sunil Vaid, 51, of North Brunswick with posing online as various people, including a man seeking romance, a woman offering career help and a personal trainer to meet underage victims. Rather than risk the outcome of a trial, Vaid took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in U.S. District Court in Newark to inducing one of them to engage in cybersex, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. U.S. District Court Judge Claire C. Cecchi scheduled sentencing for Feb…
DOUBLE MURDER-SUICIDE: Three Dead In New Brunswick Stabbing DOUBLE MURDER-SUICIDE: Three Dead In New Brunswick Stabbing
Double Murder-suicide: Three Dead In New Brunswick Stabbing Three people died in what police are calling a double murder-suicide in New Brunswick. Eduardo Mateo Lorenzo, 26, allegedly stabbed Gabriela De La Cruz Camero, 22, and Jesus Antonio-Salazar, 25, before taking his own life on Saturday, Oct. 21, around 11 p.m., Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. De La Cruz Camero was found with multiple stab wounds at Feaster Park, near Handy Street and Throop Avenue, Ciccone said alongside local police. She was taken to the hospital where she died. Antonio-Salazar was found in the same area with multiple stab wounds, and pronounced …