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Elizabeth, NJ

Dave Portnoy Surprises NJ Pizza Making Champ For 'One Bite' Review Dave Portnoy Surprises NJ Pizza Making Champ For 'One Bite' Review
Dave Portnoy Surprises NJ Pizza Making Champ For 'One Bite' Review It's about time! That's what Nino Coniglio is saying to Barstool CEO Dave Portnoy, who finally stopped by his Morristown pizzeria for a One Bite review. Without warning. "It means a lot," said Nino, a 9-time world champion pizza maker who owns six other restaurants in New York City, most of which have been reviewed by Portnoy. Six years ago, Portnoy reviewed two different pizzas from 310 Bowery, and gave them both an 8.1. Nino says the highest score he's ever gotten from Portnoy is an 8.7. Coniglio's made headlines for canceling a meet-and-greet with Tommy DeVito after his agent doubled …
Elizabeth Driver Charged In Central Jersey Crash That Killed Passenger Elizabeth Driver Charged In Central Jersey Crash That Killed Passenger
Elizabeth Driver Charged In Central Jersey Crash That Killed Passenger A 26-year-old driver from Union County has been charged with vehicular homicide in a Sayreville crash that killed one of his passengers, authorities said. Brandon Witkowski, of Elizabeth, was charged Thursday, April 18, in the Route 35 crash that killed Zion Jackson, 24, of Keansburg, last fall, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. On Oct. 28, 2023, at 5 a.m., authorities responded to Route 35 South in the vicinity of Fred’s Bait and Tackle Shop, following the report of a fatal crash. Police found a 2009 Acura TL that had rolled over onto two parked vehic…
Man Who Admitted To Selling Cocaine In Ocean, Union Counties Sentenced: Prosecutors Man Who Admitted To Selling Cocaine In Ocean, Union Counties Sentenced: Prosecutors
Man Who Admitted To Selling Cocaine In Ocean, Union Counties Sentenced: Prosecutors A Kenilworth man will spend several years in prison after admitting to selling cocaine throughout Ocean and Union counties, authorities said. Pedro Reyes-Sevilla, 32, was sentenced on Friday, Apr. 19 to 10 years in prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced in a news release. He pleaded guilty on Friday, Feb. 16 to possession of five ounces or more of cocaine with intent to distribute.  Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Lakewood police officers, and investigators from Union and Ocean counties conducted a two-week-long investigation in January…
140 Shopping Carts Stolen From NJ Shop-Rite Lot, Elderly Man, Younger Pal Busted 140 Shopping Carts Stolen From NJ Shop-Rite Lot, Elderly Man, Younger Pal Busted
140 Shopping Carts Stolen From NJ Shop-Rite Lot, Elderly Man, Younger Pal Busted A 77-year-old Cuban national and a middle-aged accomplice from Newark were arrested after 140 shopping carts were stolen from the Rochelle Park ShopRite over the course of two weeks, authorities said. The carts began vanishing from the parking lot of the West Passaic Street supermarket on March 27, Rochelle Park Police Capt. James M. DePreta said.By early this week, 140 were gone, the captain said. Total value: $28,000 (or $200 per).  Reviewing surveillance video with supermarket security, Rochelle Park Detective Sgt. Jared Shatkin and Detective Nick Mercoun identified a distinctive r…
Grand Jury Backs Elizabeth Officer Who Stopped Knife-Wielding Man Attempting To Stab Woman Grand Jury Backs Elizabeth Officer Who Stopped Knife-Wielding Man Attempting To Stab Woman
Grand Jury Backs Elizabeth Officer Who Stopped Knife-Wielding Man Attempting To Stab Woman 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: An Elizabeth police officer was fully justified in neutralizing an enraged man who went after a woman with a long-bladed knife last summer, a state grand jury has found. New Jersey law requires grand jury reviews of all fatal police shootings even when police bodycam video is clear -- as in this case -- and there's no mistaking the series of events (ditto). This one was literally over in seconds. Officer Steven Lazo and his partner had just responded to a 911 call of an unwanted person involved in a dispute on Amity Street shortly after 8 a.m. July 29, when the incident occurred. …
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…
52 Arrested In 'Elaborate' Cockfighting Ring In South Jersey: Police 52 Arrested In 'Elaborate' Cockfighting Ring In South Jersey: Police
52 Arrested In 'Elaborate' Cockfighting Ring In South Jersey: Police More than 50 people were arrested after police broke up a large cockfighting ring in Atlantic County, authorities said. Galloway Township police executed a search warrant at a home on the 300 block of South Bremen Avenue on Saturday, Mar. 9, the department said in a news release. When officers arrived, a large group of people were there and many tried to run away before they were detained. Investigators found an "elaborate cockfighting operation" that included a fighting ring, seating for spectators, and several cockfighting kits. About 50 roosters were found in "various degrees of health" …
Trio Accused Of 'Distract And Grab' Thefts Outside Of Manahawkin Stores Trio Accused Of 'Distract And Grab' Thefts Outside Of Manahawkin Stores
Trio Accused Of 'Distract And Grab' Thefts Outside Of Manahawkin Stores Three people were accused of taking part in a "distract and grab" ring across the tri-state area, including outside of two stores on the Jersey Shore, authorities said. The three were arrested in connection with the incidents in July and August 2023, Stafford Township police announced in a Saturday, Mar. 2 news release. The department and nearby law enforcement agencies had received several reports of "distract and grab" thefts and credit card fraud. All three were charged with theft, burglary, fraudulent use of a credit card, and conspiracy to commit theft. They were 39-year-old …
Drug Dealer Admits To Selling Cocaine In Ocean, Union Counties: Prosecutors Drug Dealer Admits To Selling Cocaine In Ocean, Union Counties: Prosecutors
Drug Dealer Admits To Selling Cocaine In Ocean, Union Counties: Prosecutors A Kenilworth man admitted to selling cocaine throughout Ocean and Union counties, authorities said. Pedro Reyes-Sevilla, 32, pleaded guilty on Friday, Feb. 16 to possession of five ounces or more of cocaine with intent to distribute. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced the guilty plea in a news release on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Lakewood police officers, and investigators from Union and Ocean counties conducted a two-week-long investigation in January 2021. Investigators said Reyes-Sevilla was distributing cocaine throughout Ocean Co…
New Footage Shows Driver Flipping Box Truck After 50-Mile NJ Turnpike Pursuit New Footage Shows Driver Flipping Box Truck After 50-Mile NJ Turnpike Pursuit
New Footage Shows Driver Flipping Box Truck After 50-Mile NJ Turnpike Pursuit Brand-new footage shows a 21-year-old driver flipping a Penske truck on the NJ Turnpike after leading state police troopers on a nearly 50-mile pursuit. The truck, operated by Joel Espinal, of New York, NY, is seen crossing over the grassy median separating the inner and outer roadways near milepost 101.4 in Elizabeth, New Jersey State Police Detective I Jeffrey Lebron. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Daily Voice NJ (@dailyvoicenewjersey) Joel Espinal Essex County Jail The Penske truck overturns sending a cloud of dust i…
Wanted Truck Rams Police Vehicle In 50-Mile Turnpike Pursuit That Ended In Crash: Cops Wanted Truck Rams Police Vehicle In 50-Mile Turnpike Pursuit That Ended In Crash: Cops
Wanted Truck Rams Police Vehicle In 50-Mile Turnpike Pursuit That Ended In Crash: Cops A fugitive from Delaware took New Jersey State Police on a wild chase from Mount Holly more than 50 miles to Elizabeth before crashing his truck, authorities said. On Thursday, Feb. 8, at approximately 12:20 p.m., troopers spotted a white Penske trunk going north on the New Jersey Turnpike in the area of milepost 35 in Mount Laurel Township, according to State Police Detective I Jeffrey Lebron. ALSO SEE: New Footage Shows Driver Flipping Box Truck After 50-Mile NJ Turnpike Pursuit The vehicle, being operated by 21-year-old Joel Espinal, of New York, NY, had been wanted by Delaware Sta…
$1.1M Owed By 19 Businesses Barred From Government Contracts In NJ, Labor Department Says $1.1M Owed By 19 Businesses Barred From Government Contracts In NJ, Labor Department Says
$1.1M Owed By 19 Businesses Barred From Government Contracts In NJ, Labor Department Says Nineteen businesses who owe a total of $1.1 million have been barred from public contracting until they pay back their dues, the New Jersey Department of Labor said. R.A. Florio Building Contractors Inc., of Toms River, for example, has been ordered to pay $39,555.57 to the state, according to the department of labor and workforce development. The final judgment was given on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020.  The contractor is one of 101 total businesses on New Jersey's Workplace Accountability in Labor List, also known as the WALL. According to the state, Florio Building Contractors violated …
Authorities ID Cabbie, Fare Killed In Elizabeth Police Chase Crash Authorities ID Cabbie, Fare Killed In Elizabeth Police Chase Crash
Authorities ID Cabbie, Fare Killed In Elizabeth Police Chase Crash Authorities officially identified a cab driver and passenger who were both killed when a sedan driven by a suspect fleeing police crashed head-on into the taxi at an Elizabeth intersection. Juan Carlos Albear, 54, who was behind the wheel, and Ysabell Gonzalez, 63, were killed in the violent collision at Grand Street and Routes 1&9 shortly before 6 a.m. last Dec 10. Elizabeth police had responded to a report of gunfire minutes earlier in the area of Fourth Avenue and Center Street, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. Officer Michael White ended up following a Hyundai …
Feds: Soon-To-Be Deportee Sucker-Punches NJ ICE Agent Feds: Soon-To-Be Deportee Sucker-Punches NJ ICE Agent
Feds: Soon-To-Be Deportee Sucker-Punches NJ ICE Agent A Bulgarian national who was being kicked out of the U.S. sucker-punched an ICE officer at the agency's detention center in Elizabeth, authorities charged. Vasil Petrov, 40, connected with the officer's chin with a closed fist -- and without provocation -- at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Dec. 27, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. A struggle ensued, lasting about two minutes, before the officer, fellow officers and other employees subdued Petrov. The officer needed stitches to close a cut, the U.S. attorney s…
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…
Ex-Cons Nabbed In Elizabeth Taxi Driver Shooting Sent To Federal Prison Ex-Cons Nabbed In Elizabeth Taxi Driver Shooting Sent To Federal Prison
Ex-Cons Nabbed In Elizabeth Taxi Driver Shooting Sent To Federal Prison One ex-con was sentenced to a plea-bargained 8½ years in federal prison and another a little more than seven -- both without parole -- for shooting a taxi driver during a late-night robbery in Elizabeth. City police nabbed Naeem Jackson, 24, of East Orange, and Walter Williams-Lang, 22, of Elizabeth, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark took the case because of the government’s ability to secure much harsher penalties than under state law. There's also no parole in the federal prison system, which means both men must serve out their entire terms. Jackson and Williams-Lang were wearing …
Fatal Parkway Pedestrian Crash Lands Hit-Run Texas Driver In State Slammer For Years Fatal Parkway Pedestrian Crash Lands Hit-Run Texas Driver In State Slammer For Years
Fatal Parkway Pedestrian Crash Lands Hit-Run Texas Driver In State Slammer For Years A Texas man has been sentenced to nine years in New Jersey State Prison for fleeing the scene of a fatal hit-and-run crash along the Garden State Parkway, authorities said. Fornice Cary Boatner III, 33, of Cleveland, Texas, was sentenced on Monday, Nov. 13, for knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in the May 2022 death of 31-year-old Felipe Dos Santos last year in Woodbridge, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. Dos Santos, of Elizabeth was walking along the Parkway when he was struck by Boatner in a Dodge Ram on May 25, 2022, Ciccone s…
Pair Arrested In String Of Break-Ins In Monmouth County: Police Pair Arrested In String Of Break-Ins In Monmouth County: Police
Pair Arrested In String Of Break-Ins In Monmouth County: Police Two men have been charged in more than a dozen home and vehicle break-ins in Wall Township. Kevin J. Yuille, 24, of Elizabeth was arrested in Newark on Saturday, Nov. 4, stemming from an investigation conducted by Detective Zach Honecker. Yuille was charged in connection to a residential burglary on Riverside Terrace and attempted residential burglaries on Deer Run and Equestrian Lane, Wall police said. Wall police in mid-October charged co-defendant Ahmad Singletary, 24, of Newark, with 15 counts of motor vehicle burglary, three counts of residential burglary and numerous other offenses. …
Jurors Convict Elizabeth Man Who Lured Out-Of-State Escorts To NJ, Then Raped And Beat Them Jurors Convict Elizabeth Man Who Lured Out-Of-State Escorts To NJ, Then Raped And Beat Them
Jurors Convict Elizabeth Man Who Lured Out-Of-State Escorts To NJ, Then Raped And Beat Them Federal jurors in Newark convicted an Elizabeth man of luring out-of-state escorts to New Jersey for sex with false promises of paying them tens of thousands of dollars, authorities said. Jose Torres, 45, refused to pay those who accepted the offer and often raped and beat any who pressed him for the money, according to an indictment that led to his conviction on Wednesday, Oct. 11, following a six-day trial. Jurors in federal court in Newark found Torres guilty of four counts of persuading, inducing, and enticing women to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution, U…
Gang Member Admits Planning Murder, Committing Gunpoint Robbery: NJ Feds Gang Member Admits Planning Murder, Committing Gunpoint Robbery: NJ Feds
Gang Member Admits Planning Murder, Committing Gunpoint Robbery: NJ Feds A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang admitted his role in planning a murder and robbing a victim at gunpoint, federal authorities said. Federal prosecutors used the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law to charge Tre Byrd, 22, and dozens of other reputed gang bangers rounded up by a collection of crime-fighting “supergroups.” Byrd, they said, belonged to the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips – a violent drug-selling gang -- for seven years. He was in on planning the rubout of a rival who was shot dead in March 2019 in Irvington, then more than a year later r…
Repeat Child Porn Trafficker From NJ, 65, Gets 10 More Years Without Parole: Feds Repeat Child Porn Trafficker From NJ, 65, Gets 10 More Years Without Parole: Feds
Repeat Child Porn Trafficker From NJ, 65, Gets 10 More Years Without Parole: Feds A 65-year-old convicted child porn trafficker from New Jersey is headed to federal prison for 10 years without parole for going back to it while on supervised release. Hugh Cohen, 65, of Elizabeth, served nearly all of a five-year federal prison sentence for possessing and receiving child pornography in 2010. Supervised release, which was a requirement of his sentence, was to run from the end of October 2014 to the end of October 2021, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. While still on supervised release, from March 28, 2021, to April 24, 2021, Cohen “engaged an undercover agent in an …
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 …
Federal Prison Awaits Fentanyl Dealer Who Rammed Undercover DEA Vehicle In NJ Federal Prison Awaits Fentanyl Dealer Who Rammed Undercover DEA Vehicle In NJ
Federal Prison Awaits Fentanyl Dealer Who Rammed Undercover DEA Vehicle In NJ A dealer from the Bronx who rammed a DEA vehicle in a failed attempt to flee a fentanyl bust n New Jersey followed his accomplice's lead and took a deal from the government rather than face trial. Miguel Nuñez, 50, pleaded guilty to fentanyl possession and resisting arrest with a deadly weapon during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Newark on Tuesday, Sept. 11, federal authorities said. Nuñez and Jesus Higuera-Parra, 28, of Ontario, California, drove from New York City to Elizabeth to sell the deadly drug on March 24, 2021, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. T…
Taylor Swift: Eras Tour Movie Comes To NJ Theaters (And Tickets Are Just $19.89) Taylor Swift: Eras Tour Movie Comes To NJ Theaters (And Tickets Are Just $19.89)
Taylor Swift: Eras Tour Movie Comes To NJ Theaters (And Tickets Are Just $19.89) Couldn't get tickets to see Taylor Swift's The Era Tour in person? You're very much not alone. But don't worry, Swifties, there's a way to experience the pop culture juggernaut. "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" will be premiering at AMC Theatres throughout the Garden State starting on Friday, Oct. 13 (obviously) with tickets going on sale Thursday, Aug. 31. Showtimes will run Thursdays to Sundays.  Standard showings are priced at $19.89 (cute!) for adults and $13.13 for seniors and children (of course).  The concert film, which will run 2 hours and 45 minutes long (or short),&…
Hudsonite Who Got Mail-Order Fentanyl From Mexico Gets Two Years, No Parole, In Federal Prison Hudsonite Who Got Mail-Order Fentanyl From Mexico Gets Two Years, No Parole, In Federal Prison
Hudsonite Who Got Mail-Order Fentanyl From Mexico Gets Two Years, No Parole, In Federal Prison A Hudson County man who had mail-order fentanyl from Mexico shipped to his home was sentenced Thursday to a month short of two years in federal prison. Miguel Polanco, 31, must serve out just about all of the 23-month plea-bargained sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Polanco became the focus of an investigation after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted the package from Mexico City on its way to his Union City apartment, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger previously said. Polanco had watched a how-to video sent to him by a conspirator on h…
Jersey Shore Advisor Who Swindled Mentally Impaired Elderly Siblings Gets 3½ Years In Fed Pen Jersey Shore Advisor Who Swindled Mentally Impaired Elderly Siblings Gets 3½ Years In Fed Pen
Jersey Shore Advisor Who Swindled Mentally Impaired Elderly Siblings Gets 3½ Years In Fed Pen UPDATE: A former investment advisor from the Jersey Shore who admitted swindling elderly and impaired clients out of more than $625,000 to partly fund a gambling habit was sentenced to a plea-bargained 3½ years in federal prison this week. Mario E. Rivero Jr., 39, of Red Bank, must serve out the entire term because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Rivero, a former Wells Fargo agent and investment adviser representative who had an office in Elizabeth, convinced five clients to transfer investment funds to their personal bank accounts, federal authorities charged. Many of his …
NJ Star Football Player Jameer Outsey Shot Dead NJ Star Football Player Jameer Outsey Shot Dead
NJ Star Football Player Jameer Outsey Shot Dead A former New Jersey football star was shot dead over the weekend, authorities announced. Jameer Outsey, a three-year letterman at Franklin Township High School (Class of 2014), was fatally shot in Elizabeth on Saturday, Aug. 12, prosecutors said. The 27-year-old former athlete was hospitalized after being shot at North Broad Street and Magnolia Avenue, and subsequently pronounced dead, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said. Named first team all-area is junior and senior year of high school, Outsey went on to play college football for Iowa and UNLV while majoring in sociology. Outs…
Elizabeth Man In Domestic Dispute Swings Knife Before He's Shot By Officer, Video Shows Elizabeth Man In Domestic Dispute Swings Knife Before He's Shot By Officer, Video Shows
Elizabeth Man In Domestic Dispute Swings Knife Before He's Shot By Officer, Video Shows UPDATE: It was over in seconds. An Elizabeth police officer fired a single shot to neutralize a man who swung a long-bladed knife at him inside a multi-family home, video of what became a fatal encounter shows. Officer Steven Lazo and his partner were responding to a 911 call of an unwanted person involved in a dispute on Amity Street shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday, July 29, when the incident occurred. After entering through a front door, they moved through the house toward the sounds of a woman screaming in a rear room, where two men were trying to restrain Estiben Alegria-Hurtado, a 42-ye…
NJ 'Firebomb' Death Of Worker, 69: Long Island Biz Owner Charged With Aggravated Manslaughter NJ 'Firebomb' Death Of Worker, 69: Long Island Biz Owner Charged With Aggravated Manslaughter
NJ 'Firebomb' Death Of Worker, 69: Long Island Biz Owner Charged With Aggravated Manslaughter UPDATE: A trucking and warehouse operator from Long Island ignited a “firebomb” at a waste management facility near Newark Airport that killed a 69-year-old worker, New Jersey authorities charged. Mark Cadieux of Lynbrook, NY, dumped more than 9,000 pounds of aerosol cans container pressurized dry shampoo into a rented trash bin, sparking the May 2022 fire, state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. The Dumpster had been taken to the Waste Management facility on Julia Street in Elizabeth, where its highly-combustible contents ignited “within minutes” of being dumped out, the attorney g…
Elizabeth Man, 42, Armed With Knife In Domestic Dispute Shot, Killed By Police Elizabeth Man, 42, Armed With Knife In Domestic Dispute Shot, Killed By Police
Elizabeth Man, 42, Armed With Knife In Domestic Dispute Shot, Killed By Police A civilian shot and killed by an Elizabeth police officer responding to a domestic dispute this past weekend had a knife, authorities said. Estiben Alegria-Hurtado, 42, of Elizabeth, was shot within a minute of the arrival of city police responding to a call of an "unwanted individual" on Amity Street shortly before 8 a.m. Saturday, July 29, a release from the office of New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin on Wednesday says. Officers rendered aid to Hurtado, who was taken by an EMS unit to University Hospital in Newark, the release says.He was pronounced dead at 11:36 p.m. Sunda…
Paroled NJ Bank Robber Threatened 'Mass Shooting' At One Bank, Bomb At Another: FBI Paroled NJ Bank Robber Threatened 'Mass Shooting' At One Bank, Bomb At Another: FBI
Paroled NJ Bank Robber Threatened 'Mass Shooting' At One Bank, Bomb At Another: FBI A convicted bank robber failed to hold up a bank in Elizabeth by threatening a "mass shooting" and then succeeded at another in Springfield by placing a device in front of a teller that he said was a bomb, federal authorities said. Sufyan A. Abdullah, 54, of Newark, handed the teller in the first bank a note on July 8 "claiming to have multiple firearms and threatening a 'mass shooting'," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. He left empty-handed, the U.S. attorney said on Thursday, July 20. Abdullah, formerly of Paterson, entered the second bank on July 15 and "placed an object which he…