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Saturday, nov 16
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Springfield, NJ
Obituaries
Eric Bernstein, CEO of Berkshire Furniture, Dies At 55
Eric Bernstein, the CEO of his Berkshire Furniture and a Westfield resident, died on Thursday, July 25, at the age of 55, according to his obituary by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel. Berkshire Furniture, based in Springfield, is a family business that has been passed down through four generations, Bernstein's obituary reads. Bernstein also served as president of the New Jersey/New York Furniture Association in 2017, according to his obituary. Yesterday the we lost a special friend, partner and leader. Eric Bernstein, president of Berkshire Furniture , and..…
News
Racial Discrimination, Sexist Language Rampant Within NJ Ironworkers Union Facing Lawsuit: AG
A local ironworkers union is facing a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office alleging discrimination against Black members. Ironworkers Local 11 — a labor union with a Springfield-based training facility — that operates a hiring hall, is accused of "systematically bypassing Black union members for jobs and giving such workers less desirable assignments," Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Monday, June 24. The complaint accuses the union's business manager from 2008 to 2022, Raymond Woodall, its leadership and its members of repeatedly using racist slurs…
News
Hidden Camera Found In NJ Chiropractor's Office Days Before 55th Birthday, Cops Say
The days leading up to Gary Hecht's 55th birthday could have gone better for the Springfield chiropractor who is facing charges for being a Peeping Tom, authorities said. On May 6, Springfield police received a report of a hidden camera discovered in a bathroom of Gary Hecht's Mountain Avenue office, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said. On Tuesday, May 7, Hecht, of Livingston, was lodged in the Essex County Jail on charges of invasion of privacy and child endangerment, the prosecutor's office said. The Hecht Family Chiropractic Office Google Maps street view Hecht was charge…
Police & Fire
Feds: NJ Longshoreman Gets 2½ Years For Ducking Taxes On $2.5M Of Income
A Port Newark mechanic who was convicted of ducking taxes on $2.5 million of income was sentenced to nearly 2½ years in federal prison. Jonathan Michael, 55, of Springfield had filed returns and paid his taxes without fail for decades, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release. In 2014, however, he gave his employer in the machine shop at the Port Newark Container Terminal a bogus W-4 form, claiming that he was exempt from any federal income tax withholding from his pay, federal authorities said. The IRS notified Michael in 2016 that he wasn't entitled to exempt status, but he wrote…
Police & Fire
Cyberfootsies
: Ex-NJ Couple, Money Washer Confess $4.5M Online Romance Scam
UPDATE: A former New Jersey couple and a local businesswoman have admitted scamming more than 100 lonely hearts out of $4.5 million in an elaborate online romance scheme, federal authorities charged. Martins Inalegwu, 35, took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in U.S. District Court in Camden on Monday, March 25 to conducting an unlawful money-transmitting business and evading taxes for four straight years. Inalegwu's wife, Steincy Mathieu, 27, had already pleaded guilty to tax evasion last November. Oluwaseyi Fatolu, 56, of Springfield, followed her by admitting this past …
Police & Fire
'
Bust
OUT': Dual US, Greek Citizen Living In Bergen Charged With $2.8M Bank Fraud
A dual U.S. and Greek national with a home in Bergen County orchestrated a classic debit card "bust out" scheme that fleeced a half-dozen banks out of $2.8 million, federal authorities charged. Dino Koutsogiannis, 57, of Fairview, and some unidentified cronies played the long game, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. They began by opening bank accounts for two bogus companies that Koutsogiannis created in Florida -- called Vegan Vacation and Orlando Dinos -- according to a federal complaint filed in Newark. Koutsogiannis was the only officer or director of the shell comp…
News
Yet Another Renowned NJ Catering Venue Passes: The Woodcliff Lake Hilton Closes
Yet another North Jersey hotel that rings with decades worth of fond memories is biting the dust -- and raising the anxiety levels for customers forced to find another venue for their weddings, proms, bar mitzvahs and other special events. The Hilton Woodcliff Lake is closing within the next two weeks, having been sold at auction to a company headed by a New Jersey-bred billionaire developer. "I personally have been going to events there since I was a teenager. My own Sweet 16, proms, fundraisers were all held there," New Jersey State Sen. Holly Schepisi said. “I’m sorry to see such a long-…
Business
'Delivery First' Food Concept Wonder Opening 2 Bergen County Locations
A new food concept is giving Bergen County residents a chance to expand their food palate. Wonder, a delivery first restaurant, has recently opened a location in Midland Park on Saturday, Jan. 27 while a location in Cresskill is set to open on Wednesday, Jan. 31. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wonder (@wonder) The Midland Park location features 21 different restaurants including Bobby Flay Steak, Tejas, Mainstay by March Murphy and Alanza Pizza. Patrons can order pickup or delivery from one restaurant or multiple rest…
Legal
Woman Partially Paralyzed By Childbirth Epidural Agrees To $13.5M Settlement With NJ Hospital
A woman who was left paralyzed in her lower legs after childbirth reportedly has agreed to a $13.5 million settlement of a lawsuit against Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Alexandra Mejia was 18 and pregnant with her first child when she was admitted to the New Brunswick hospital on Oct. 25, 2019, according to a story published in the New Jersey Law Journal. A delayed diagnosis of blood that pooled in her lower back because of an epidural left her partially paralyzed, unable to walk and forced to use a catheter to urinate, it says. An obstetric anesthesiologist noticed heavy bleedi…
Police & Fire
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…
Police & Fire
Crane Operator Who Made $1.5M At Port Newark Convicted Of Tax Fraud: Feds
A crane mechanic at the Port Newark Container Terminal was convicted by a federal jury of trying to cheat the IRS. Over a five-year period beginning in 2014, Jonathan D. Michael of Union County gave his boss a W-4 falsely claiming that he was exempt from having any federal tax withheld, authorities said. The IRS notified Michael in 2016 that he wasn't entitled to exempt status, but he wrote to the company and contended that his bogus W-4 was correct, they said. Michael, of Springfield, also didn't file any personal income tax returns, even though he was paid roughly $1.5 million in salary,…
News
Love At First Site: Ex-NJ Couple, Nigerian Wingman Charged In $4.5M Cyberfootsies Scam
A former New Jersey couple and a Nigerian national scammed more than 100 lonely hearts out of $4.5 million in an elaborate online romance scheme, federal authorities charged. Martins Inalegwu, 34, of Philadelphia and Steincy Mathieu, 26, of Brooklyn cooked up the plot with Moses Chukwuebuka Alexander and several of his Nigerian brethren, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges. Together, they trolled online dating and social media sites for willing marks, whom they “wooed with words of love” on the phone and in emails, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. T…
News
NJ Judge Inappropriately Touched Clerk After Sharing Drinks At His Beach House, Complaint Says
A municipal judge from Mercer County is accused of violating judicial conduct after a law clerk says he touched her thigh inappropriately, according to a complaint filed by a state advisory committee. Filed Monday, April 10, the complaint says Judge R. Douglas Hoffman “demeaned the judicial office" in drinking alcohol with a subordinate employee and touching her without her consent. Hoffman has 20 days to respond. After the judge and the woman, identified as L.W., became Facebook friends, Hoffman would comment on her Facebook photos, sometimes with sexual overtones, and invit…
Police & Fire
Dump Truck Driver Killed In Route 78 Crash Lost Mom 25 Days Earlier, Loved Ones Say
A 54-year-old dump truck driver killed in a crash on Route 78 had been mourning the loss of his mom, loved ones say. Kevin A. Cougle, of Rockaway, died when his truck and other vehicles collided in the eastbound lanes of the highway near Exit 49B in Springfield around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, New Jersey State Police said. The fiery crash closed the highway for several hours, and Cougle was pronounced dead. A GoFundMe campaign launched for Cougle said his mother, Joyce Cougle, died 25 days prior to his accident. "Kevin loved driving his dump truck and spending time with family and fri…
Lifestyle
Real Estate Power Couple Flips NJ Homes In 24 Hours On New A&E Show — And In Real Life
Jon Steingraber and Michelle Pais aren't flipping homes in 24 hours for the sake of entertainment alone. New Jersey's real estate power couple does it every day. Steingraber, a real estate investor, and Pais, the founder of Signature Realty NJ, are showcasing their skills on A&E's latest home renovation show "24 Hour Flip," which premiered last month. The show gives viewers an inside look at what goes into a 24-hour home renovation at the hands of Steingraber and Pais. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michelle Pais (@themic…
Schools
These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28
The first winter storm of the season is causing a change in plans for New Jersey schools on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Some districts have delayed openings while others are closed completely. Here's a list of which school are closed or delayed for Tuesday, Feb. 28. Check your school/district's website for details. Bedminster: 10: 50 a.m. start Bellville: Delayed Bergen County Tech: Closed Bergenfield: 2-hour delay Bernards: 2-hour delay Bloomfield: Delay Bloomingdale: Closed Bogota: Delayed Butler: Closed Cliffside Park: 10 a.m. start Clifton: Delayed Closter: Delayed Cresskill: Delayed Demarest: …
Police & Fire
NJ Tesla Driver Dead, Others Critical In Chain Reaction Crash With Tractor Trailer
A 57-year-old Short Hills Tesla driver died in a multi-vehicle crash involving a tractor trailer on Route 24 in Summit Thursday, May 19, authorities said. David M. Baum was traveling in the right lane on the eastbound side of the highway when he was struck by a Volvo tractor trailer, causing a chain-reaction crash near milepost 9 just after 2 p.m., New Jersey State Police Trooper Charles Marchan said. The Tesla then struck a Toyota Venza, which struck a Hyundai, which struck a Dodge Ram, Marchan said. Baum died as a result of the crash while the Hyundai driver was airlifted with…
Police & Fire
3 Gunmen In Hillside Bar Fight Charged, Only 1 In Custody
Two of three gunman have been charged in a gunfight that erupted at a Union County bar earlier this week, authorities announced. Kaseem M. Sutton, 44, of Springfield, remains hospitalized while Quentin D. Williams, 49, of Hillside, was being sought by police in connection with the incident at Tanky's Bar & Grill on Wednesday, April 21, Police Chief Vincent Ricciardi said. Sutton and Williams are facing charges of aggravated assault and weapons offenses, Ricciardi said. Police were also working to identify a third gunman. Gunfire broke out at the bar around 1:30…
Police & Fire
Gunfight Erupts At Union County Bar
One man was in critical condition following a gunfight that erupted outside a Union County bar, authorities said. Officers responding to a report of a shooting at Tanky's Bar & Grill on Long Avenue in Hillside learned that three men were involved in a gunfight outside the bar shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 20, Hillside Police Chief Vincent Ricciardi said. One of the victims, 44-year-old Kaseem Sutton, was shot in the torso and subsequently drove himself to University Hospital in Newark for treatment with a second shooter in the passenger seat, Ricciardi said. Sutton, of S…
News
Winners
: 3 Lucky Jersey Cash 5 Lottery Players Split $1.9M Jackpot
Three lucky tickets matched all five numbers drawn splitting the $1,907,805 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot from the Friday, Feb. 25, drawing. Each winning ticket is worth $635,935. The winning numbers were: 04, 12, 25, 29, and 34 and the XTRA number was: 03. The retailers will receive a bonus check for $2,000 for each winning ticket sold. Those tickets were sold at the following locations: Ocean County: Wawa #8372, 1902 Route 88, Brick; Ocean County: ShopRite #604, 2 Route 37 W., Toms River; and, Union County: 7-Eleven #11436, 565 Morris Ave., Springfield. ALSO SEE: Winni…
Police & Fire
Driver, 30, Dies In Route 24 Crash
A 30-year-old man died in a crash on Route 24 early Friday, Feb. 4 in Union County, authorities said. Alexander Marrero's vehicle was heading eastbound onto the I-78 ramp when his Mazda 3 veered off the left side of the road around 1:15 a.m. in Springfield, New Jersey State Police Trooper Brandi Slota said. The car struck the end of a guard rail on the eastbound ramp and Marrero, of Bloomfield, was pronounced dead at the scene. Initial and unconfirmed reports say the driver suffered a severely severed leg.
Police & Fire
2 Dead, 2 Injured In Burlington County Crash
Two people died and another two were injured in a crash involving a box truck Sunday in Burlington County, according to New Jersey State Police. Tyshaun Carter, 24, was heading south on Route 628 in a BMW 325xi when he struck a box truck turning left out of a driveway around 4:15 a.m. in Springfield, NJSP Sgt. Philip Curry said. The vehicle struck a utility pole and a tunnel carrying a drain under the road. Carter, of Mount Holly, and back-seat passenger Christopher Blackmon, 53, of the Browns Mills, were ejected and pronounced dead at the scene near milepost 3.3, police said. Carter'…
News
NJ Residents Are Spending Hours Waiting In COVID Testing Lines
COVID-19 tests are hottest items on the market right now, as New Jersey residents are spending chunks of their days waiting in lines -- some as many as nine hours. Jackelyne Matsuo hopped in line at the MedRite in Paramus Wednesday morning and received a PCR test after two hours. She wanted a rapid test, though -- and MediRite was only offering one or the other -- so she headed to Newark's Lincoln Park and Broad Street drive-thru testing site. There, she spent another two hours waiting for the rapid test. Drive-thru test site in Newark, Dec. 22.Jackelyne Matsuo "The line was wrapping…
Police & Fire
NJ Driver Had BAC Nearly 3X Legal Limit In Midday Traffic Stop, Police In NY Say
A midday traffic stop in the Hudson Valley led to the arrest of a New Jersey man who was allegedly driving with a blood alcohol content nearly triple the legal limit. New York State Police troopers received a report of an erratic driver on I-87 in Ulster County at approximately 3:40 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24 in New Paltz. Troopers were able to track down the driver, Springfield, New Jersey resident Alexander Ostrobrod, 34, and stopped him for multiple traffic violations on the Thruway. During the subsequent stop, police said that it was determined Ostrobrod was allegedly intoxicated and …
Police & Fire
NJ Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty In Customer's Fentanyl/Heroin OD Death, Authorities Say
A Trenton drug dealer admit guilty to providing the fentanyl-laced heroin that caused a woman's fatal overdose in 2018, authorities announced Thursday. Daquan Marshall, 30, pleaded guilty to strict liability in the drug-induced death of the first-degree in exchange for a nine-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison on Sept. 14, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. Marshall, who pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge John J. Burke III, will be sentenced on Oct. 19. Marshall has been lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly since his arrest in April 2019. He…
News
Getaway Driver In 7-County North Jersey Holdup Spree Heads To Federal Prison
The wheelman in nearly two dozen gas station and convenience store armed robberies in North Jersey was sent to federal prison for at least nine years. Meshach Whagar, 31, of Newark must serve just about all of the 110-month sentence handed down in U.S. District Court in Newark on Wednesday because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Whager admitted late last year that he drove the getaway car during the 20 predawn holdups in seven counties -- Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, Morris and Union -- in November and December of 2017 (see list of locations below). The gunman…
Police & Fire
Men Busted Trying To Meet Girls 14, 15 For Sex In Undercover Sting, Secaucus Police Say
A pair of men were arrested after they agreed to meet up with individuals who they believed were 14- and 15-year-old girls in Secaucus, police said following an undercover investigation. Nicholas Signorelli, 24, of Springfield, luring and enticing a child, while Nevil Rana, 34, of Wallington, was charged with the same, along with criminal attempt to endanger the welfare of a child and obscenity for persons under 18, Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said. The police department got a tip that a man later identified as Signorelli had been talking to someone who he thought was a 14-year-old …
Schools
New Jersey Schools Go Remote, Close Ahead Of Thursday's Winter Storm
New Jersey schools are moving to remote learning or closing entirely ahead of Thursday's winter storm. Between 6 and 9 inches of snow and sleet is expected between Thursday and Friday across much of the state. Here's a list of districts that have announced closures or a switch to remote learning for Thursday. Did we miss one? Email clevine@dailyvoice.com. Asbury Park: remote Barnegat: remote Bergenfield: remote Bernards Twp: remote Bloomfield: closed Denville: remote Dover: closed East Windsor Regional: remote Egg Harbor Township: remote Freehold: remote Hazlet: remote Holmdel:…
News
Three Prison Officers Charged Criminally In Vicious Beating Of Inmates At NJ Women’s Prison
One of three correctional police officers charged with severely beating and pepper-spraying inmates at New Jersey’s notorious women’s prison last month punched one of them in the face 28 times, state authorities said Thursday. And it was all caught on video, they said. Sgt. Amir Bethea, Sgt. Anthony Valvano and Officer Lisando “Luis” Garcia were all charged with official misconduct for what Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal described as a vicious and unrelenting attack on several inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Hunterdon County beginning shortly before mid…
News
Construction Worker Warned Of Dangerous Conditions Day Before Deadly NJ Accident, Family Says
On Jan. 27, Drew Arntz told his family that the conditions at the Linden construction site he was working on were becoming too dangerous, according to his sister, Dawn Arntz. The following day, he died when his machine fell into icy waters, leaving him trapped in a pocket of air for nearly an hour. Drew, 55, of Allentown, PA, was being remembered by his sister as a "good man who loved life." Still, Dawn told Daily Voice, "he wanted off this job." Simpson and Brown Inc., of Cranford, was identified by OSHA as the employer. The company is also currently being investigated by OSHA for an em…
News
These 11 NJ MVC Centers Are Closed Due To Employee
Covid-
19 Cases
Nearly a dozen New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission centers are closed due to employees who tested positive for COVID-19. The most recent center to close is Newton, which will operate by appointment only until Dec. 14. The Freehold licensing center will reopen Dec. 17, due to an employee who tested positive. Here are the other centers that are closed until further notice: RANDOLPH LICENSING CENTER is closed and will reopen Saturday, Dec. 12 due to an employee testing positive for COVID-19. Road test operations and inspections will remain open. EATONTOWN REGIONAL/ LICENSING CENTER LICENSIN…
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