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Police & Fire
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…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
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 …

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by Valerie Musson
News
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…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
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…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
'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…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
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.

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by Cecilia Levine
News
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 …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
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…

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by Valerie Musson
News
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…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
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…

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by Zak Failla
News
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…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
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…

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by Cecilia Levine