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Federal Bureau of Investigation

Man Admits To Vandalizing Rutgers Islamic Center On Muslim Holiday, Feds Say Man Admits To Vandalizing Rutgers Islamic Center On Muslim Holiday, Feds Say
Man Admits To Vandalizing Rutgers Islamic Center On Muslim Holiday, Feds Say A North Plainfield man admitted to trashing an Islamic center at Rutgers University-New Brunswick during an important Muslim holiday, authorities said. Jacob Beacher, 24, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Oct. 9 to damage to religious property, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. According to court documents and statements, Beacher broke into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) at around 2:41 a.m. on Wednesday, Apr. 10. That day was Eid-al-Fitr, a holy celebration for Muslims at the end of Ramadan. Prosecutors said Beacher caused m…
Jersey Shore Healthcare Company To Pay $3.15M For Improperly Taking Pandemic Loan: Feds Jersey Shore Healthcare Company To Pay $3.15M For Improperly Taking Pandemic Loan: Feds
Jersey Shore Healthcare Company To Pay $3.15M For Improperly Taking Pandemic Loan: Feds An Atlantic County healthcare system will pay more than $3 million for improperly receiving a loan from a COVID-19 pandemic program, authorities said. Shore Memorial Health System has agreed to pay the federal government $3.15 million, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release on Wednesday, Aug. 14. The settlement comes from Shore Memorial Physicians’ Group receiving $2.78 million in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The physicians' group wasn't eligible for a PPP loan because it isn't a small business since it's an affiliate of Shore Mem…
Here's What We Know About PA Man ID'd As Trump's Attempted Assassin: FBI Here's What We Know About PA Man ID'd As Trump's Attempted Assassin: FBI
Here's What We Know About PA Man ID'd As Trump's Attempted Assassin: FBI The rooftop shooter at former president Donald Trump's campaign rally has been identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Sunday, July 14.  Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20 of Bethel Park, PA, was shot and killed by officials while still on the roof of a manufacturing plant about 130 yards, from the rally according to statements by officials.  Crooks had no criminal record, was a registered Republican, and previously donated to the liberal voter turnout group, Progressive Turnout Project, through ActBlue in January 2021, according to public records.  When he graduated fro…
Former Notorious NJ Political Boss George Norcross Indicted For Racketeering Former Notorious NJ Political Boss George Norcross Indicted For Racketeering
Former Notorious NJ Political Boss George Norcross Indicted For Racketeering Former New Jersey Democratic kingmaker George E. Norcross III ran a criminal enterprise for nearly a dozen years during which he used his power and influence over elected officials to make laws that best served him, among other offenses, says a state indictment that charges him with racketeering. The poster boy of New Jersey political bosses, Norcross attended a news conference held on Monday, June 17 by state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin in Trenton -- uninvited -- to announce the indictment naming him and five co-defendants. When one of the attorney general's sta…
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 25-year-old ex-con from Trenton who’s already served 2½ years in state prison is headed to federal prison for 16 more for a string of gunpoint carjackings and robberies. Joshua M. Perez was one of three armed robbers who commited a Oct. 10 carjacking, another on Dec. 5 and the robbery later than second night of a local gas station, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Surveillance cameras captured video of Perez and two other robbers emerging from a sedan, pointing handguns at occupants of another vehicle, Sellinger said. They then fled with money and cellphones in the victims…
Ex-NJ Boy Scouts Worker, 70, Admits Trafficking Child Porn, Recording Kids In Bathroom: Feds Ex-NJ Boy Scouts Worker, 70, Admits Trafficking Child Porn, Recording Kids In Bathroom: Feds
Ex-NJ Boy Scouts Worker, 70, Admits Trafficking Child Porn, Recording Kids In Bathroom: Feds 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 70-year-old former New Jersey Boy Scout camp employee admitted secretly recording videos of children using bathrooms there, federal authorities said.  William Mickel was employed by the Boy Scouts of America in Morris County when he trafficked videos and still images of child sex abuse via email, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Mickel had hundreds of files stored on electronic devices in his Lake Hopatcong home, some of which "depicted children who were surreptitiously recorded using bathrooms in the Boy Scout camps where Mickel worked," Sellinger said.…
TikTok Ban Explained: What's The Fate Of Popular Video Sharing App? TikTok Ban Explained: What's The Fate Of Popular Video Sharing App?
TikTok Ban Explained: What's The Fate Of Popular Video Sharing App? Another sell-or-be-banned TikTok legislation is working its way up to the Senate. The House passed the sell-or-be-banned bill for the app (360-58) on Saturday, April 20 as part of a larger foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, giving Chinese TikTok owner ByteDance up to a year to sell the app. Otherwise, TikTok will be subject to a nationwide ban. According to Politico, the bill is expected to pass the Senate as it's considered "priority legislation" for Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. A previous, standalone bill was passed by the House in March over national security co…
Feds: NY Man Who Shook Down Jersey Shore Dad For $200G Gets 10 Years, No Parole Feds: NY Man Who Shook Down Jersey Shore Dad For $200G Gets 10 Years, No Parole
Feds: NY Man Who Shook Down Jersey Shore Dad For $200G Gets 10 Years, No Parole UPDATE: A man who admitted trying to strong-arm a Jersey Shore resident into giving him and his accomplices $200,000 must spend the next decade in federal prison. Francis A. Garzon, 35, of Brooklyn, must serve the entire plea-bargained 121-month sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Garzon and Endrit Kllogjeri, 28, were undone by an undercover detective posing as the Monmouth County victim. Garzon took a deal from the government, pleading guilty last July to conspiracy and extortion rather than risk the potential consequences of a trial conviction. Kllogjeri, me…
FBI: New Jersey Man Seized Overseas After Threatening American Jihad FBI: New Jersey Man Seized Overseas After Threatening American Jihad
FBI: New Jersey Man Seized Overseas After Threatening American Jihad A New Jersey man motivated by the Hamas attack on Israel was captured in Kenya after he aspired to be "a martyr for the jihadist cause" and dedicated himself to joining a terrorist group tied to al-Qaida, federal authorities charged. Karrem Nasr, 23, moved from the Trenton suburb of Lawrenceville to Egypt in July hoping to connect with the Somali-based al-Shabab, they said. He intended to "receive military training and engage in jihad" against the United States and its allies and was "prepared to kill and be killed" for the cause, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in Brooklyn on Friday, De…
Bloods Leader, Passaic County Man Busted with 28 Lbs Of Coke, 500 Lbs Of Pot At Teterboro: FBI Bloods Leader, Passaic County Man Busted with 28 Lbs Of Coke, 500 Lbs Of Pot At Teterboro: FBI
Bloods Leader, Passaic County Man Busted with 28 Lbs Of Coke, 500 Lbs Of Pot At Teterboro: FBI A high-ranking member of the Bloods with longstanding mob ties and a Passaic County man with a criminal history of his own were seized when they tried to fly to London out of Teterboro Airport with 28 pounds of cocaine and 500 pounds of pot on a private jet, federal authorities said. Leonardo Petrosillo, 45, of West Milford, and Edwin Spears, 49, of Newark brought three companions -- Spears’s girlfriend, an exotic dancer from Maryland and a friend of hers -- as a front for a dozen drug-stuffed bags of luggage, they said. The plane was to fly it all to John Lennon Airport in London, accordin…
Ex-Atlantic City Basketball Star Admits Hiring Hit Man: Prosecutor Ex-Atlantic City Basketball Star Admits Hiring Hit Man: Prosecutor
Ex-Atlantic City Basketball Star Admits Hiring Hit Man: Prosecutor A 34-year-old Atlantic City convict has pleaded guilty to hiring another man to commit murder, authorities said. Khalif Toombs was sentenced on Thursday, Sept. 14 in connection with the shooting death of Lamir King, 21, also of Atlantic City, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. Toombs pleaded guilty to first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, the prosecutor said. Toombs at one point was best known as an Atlantic City High School basketball star who went on to play for South Carolina State University. The plea calls for Toombs to serve 12 years in New Jersey State P…
16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds 16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds
16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds An indictment of 16 members of a violent mid-Atlantic crime ring has been unsealed and the federal agencies are naming names.  Of the 16, eight of the alleged crime ring members were arrested in the morning on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, police in Fairfax County, Virginia announced later that day.  They were all arrested in connection to a violent crime spree that took place between Jan. 7, 2022, through Jan. 27, 2023.  The crime ring members were all from Maryland and the District of Columbia. They met with their accused leader – Trevor Wright, also known as “Taliban Glizzy” …
NJ Biz Owner Admits Conning Customers Out Of $2.1M By Substituting Dirt, Debris For Scrap NJ Biz Owner Admits Conning Customers Out Of $2.1M By Substituting Dirt, Debris For Scrap
NJ Biz Owner Admits Conning Customers Out Of $2.1M By Substituting Dirt, Debris For Scrap The owner of a New Jersey-based scrap metal company told a customer that dirt and debris found packed into a container shipped to Korea that was supposed to hold aluminum scrap was a mistake, authorities said. Turns out it wasn’t. Creed White, 64, of Freeland, Maryland, admitted in federal court in Camden this week that he scammed a dozen or so businesses out of more than $2 million, authorities said on Thursday, Aug. 3. Using the name “Dan Stein,” White contacted one of the victims through an Internet message board on behalf of his Camden-based company American Scrap company, a complaint …
Ex-Boy Scouts Camp Worker Trafficked Child Porn, Secretly Recorded Boys In Bathroom: Feds Ex-Boy Scouts Camp Worker Trafficked Child Porn, Secretly Recorded Boys In Bathroom: Feds
Ex-Boy Scouts Camp Worker Trafficked Child Porn, Secretly Recorded Boys In Bathroom: Feds A former employee at New Jersey Boy Scout camps secretly recorded videos of children using bathrooms there, federal authorities said. William Mickel, 69, of Lake Hopatcong, was originally arrested by local authorities on child porn charges, but the FBI assumed jurisdiction and gathered evidence that led to an indictment returned by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Newark. A judge there ordered on Thursday, May 4, that Mickel remain in federal custody pending trial on one count each of distribution and possession of child pornography. Mickel was employed by the Boy Scouts of America w…
Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More
Feds Charge Exiled Chinese Tycoon With $1B Fraud That Funded $26.5M Mahwah Mansion, More Exiled Chinese tycoon Miles Guo was arrested by the FBI Wednesday on charges of swindling his online followers out of more than $1 billion that the government said he used, in part, to buy a 58-room mansion in Mahwah. Some of the agents were still at Guo’s 15-room penthouse in the Sherry-Netherland Hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side the afternoon of March 15, six hours after he’d been arrested there, when a mysterious fire broke out on the 18th floor, responders said. No injuries were reported, but authorities said the blaze significantly damaged Guo’s unit. No one drew any immediate conn…
GUILTY: Parolee Nabbed By Lyndhurst PD Convicted In NJ, NY Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups GUILTY: Parolee Nabbed By Lyndhurst PD Convicted In NJ, NY Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups
Guilty: Parolee Nabbed By Lyndhurst PD Convicted In NJ, NY Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups A Union County parolee who was nabbed by Lyndhurst police after a months-long armed robbery spree of liquor and convenience stores in two states -- including one in which he fired a handgun -- was convicted by federal jurors in Newark of all 10 counts against him. Vincent Chan-Guillen, 32, had just been paroled from state prison after serving three years for drug and weapons convictions when the holdups began in August 2018. He committed nine altogether over the next three months, four of them at liquor stores in New Jersey and five others at establishments in New York, the U.S. District Co…
‘War Ready’: Armed NJ Heroin Dealer Sentenced To 19 Years Without Parole ‘War Ready’: Armed NJ Heroin Dealer Sentenced To 19 Years Without Parole
‘War Ready’: Armed NJ Heroin Dealer Sentenced To 19 Years Without Parole UPDATE: A New Jersey drug dealer who once served state prison time is headed to a federal penitentiary for a plea-bargained 19 years without parole. Jakir “Jak” Taylor, 32, was a key figure in an alliance of two violent rival gangs who once dominated the heroin trade on Trenton’s north and west side neighborhoods, authorities said. He's also the last of 26 defendants swept up in a joint law enforcement operation that smashed that operation. Taylor and conspirator Jerome Roberts collected heroin bricks by the hundreds from David “Papi” Antonio that were sold in individual bags, authorities …
SLEAZY PASS: Feds Charge Bi-State Duo With $1M Pennsy Turnpike Toll Scam SLEAZY PASS: Feds Charge Bi-State Duo With $1M Pennsy Turnpike Toll Scam
Sleazy Pass: Feds Charge Bi-State Duo With $1M Pennsy Turnpike Toll Scam Two men helped truckers and other drivers dodge $1 million in Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls by registering E-ZPass transponders with bogus identities, federal authorities charged. Duvany Zambrano, 43, of Hamilton, NJ, and Sergio Jara, 37, of Allentown, PA, colluded with other unidentified co-conspirators to buy up thousands of the devices from retailers in both states, an FBI investigation found. E-ZPass transponders aren't all that difficult to find. Walmart is among those who sell them. Pennsylvania has more than 300 retail locations where state officials say customers can buy the transpon…
Middletown Bank Robbery Suspect Charged With Stealing $8K Middletown Bank Robbery Suspect Charged With Stealing $8K
Middletown Bank Robbery Suspect Charged With Stealing $8K A Middlesex County man has been arrested in connection with a bank robbery that took place in Middletown, authorities said. Miguel A. Angeles, 42, of Perth Amboy was charged with first-degree armed robbery, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago. At 10:43 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2022, members of the Middletown Township Police Department were dispatched to the Valley Bank on Route 35 South on a report of an alarm activation. Police learned that a masked male had entered the bank and stolen close to $8,000 before fleeing the scene, Santiago said. A joi…
Paterson Ex-Con Admits Having Drugs, Gun When Detectives Busted In Paterson Ex-Con Admits Having Drugs, Gun When Detectives Busted In
Paterson Ex-Con Admits Having Drugs, Gun When Detectives Busted In UPDATE: A convicted pedophile from Paterson whose parole officers found large amounts of cash on top of his bed admitted on Thursday that he kept a loaded gun beneath it, authorities said. Jessie Mayfield, 59, told a judge he also had fentanyl for sale along with ilegal .22-caliber Ruger -- which, as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from owning, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said on Nov. 17. Records show that Mayfield served three years and eight months in state prison for sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy and fondling two other girls, ages 5 and 6, in 2014. …
BENE(PHISH)IARY: Scam FBI Email Says You’re Owed $4.1M — And Are Suspected Of Tax Evasion BENE(PHISH)IARY: Scam FBI Email Says You’re Owed $4.1M — And Are Suspected Of Tax Evasion
Bene(Phish)Iary: Scam FBI Email Says You’re Owed $4.1M — And Are Suspected Of Tax Evasion This one’s rich (no pun intended): A familiar phishing scam that claims federal authorities have seized $4.1 million intended for you from a shady foreign diplomat is again making the rounds. A surety bond for the princely sum was found in two consignment boxes seized at JFK Airport in Queens, NY, along with documents bearing YOUR name, according to the hoax email. The author, who claims to be FBI Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate in Washington, D.C., then offers to “walk you through the process of clearing and claiming the money.” That’s the good news. “After questioning the diplomat t…
Jersey Shore Check-Cashing Robbery Netted $700K: Prosecutor Jersey Shore Check-Cashing Robbery Netted $700K: Prosecutor
Jersey Shore Check-Cashing Robbery Netted $700K: Prosecutor An Ocean County man has been arrested and charged with committing a daytime robbery of a West Long Branch check-cashing business that netted $700,000, authorities said. Travis A. Bryant, 41, of Jackson is charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree burglary, and fourth-degree possession of an imitation handgun, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago. At approximately 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, members of the West Long Branch Police Department responded to the check-cashing business on Route 36non a report of a silent alarm activati…
Hudson Felon Freed Under Bail Reform In Back-To-Back Busts Convicted By Federal Jurors Hudson Felon Freed Under Bail Reform In Back-To-Back Busts Convicted By Federal Jurors
Hudson Felon Freed Under Bail Reform In Back-To-Back Busts Convicted By Federal Jurors A Hudson County ex-con who was arrested with a loaded gun in his car after being busted and released twice for cocaine and heroin possession in the previous few months isn't going anywhere now. Federal jurors in Newark convicted Clarence Gaffney, 36, of Jersey City, of drug and weapons possession earlier this week following a three-day trial, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Police reported finding the coke and smack in Gaffney's underwear and shoe following an Oct. 5, 2019 traffic stop, Sellinger said. He was arrested again, on Dec. 26, 2019, after officers caught him selling …
Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals
Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals A collection of crime-fighting 'supergroups' nailed 42 defendants in a series of pinpointed attacks on organized gangs dealing drugs, packing weapons and waging street warfare in North Jersey, authorities announced. The Violent Crime Initiative, as it's called, targeted what had been thriving criminal organizations in Newark, Paterson and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Shooting incidents statewide and in cities where the VCIs operate are “appreciably lower” than the year-to-date total from last year, including a 23% reduction statewide, a 30% reduction in …
Feds: Major NJ Drug Trio Admits Killing Informant, Innocent Bystander, Among Others Feds: Major NJ Drug Trio Admits Killing Informant, Innocent Bystander, Among Others
Feds: Major NJ Drug Trio Admits Killing Informant, Innocent Bystander, Among Others A trio of ruthless Essex County gang members admitted their roles in a major drug operation responsible for gunning down a government informant -- following the murder of an innocent bystander who was mistakenly believed to be the snitch. In exchange for their pleas, Tyquan Daniels and Thomas Zimmerman, 27, face a minimum of 33 years in federal prison each, while Ali Hill, 29, is looking at a minimum of 20 years. There's no parole in the federal prison system, which means Daniels and Zimmerman would be turning 60 when either tastes freedom again. Hill would be nearing 50. Federal prosecuto…
Pair Sentenced In Deadly NJ Barbershop Shooting Pair Sentenced In Deadly NJ Barbershop Shooting
Pair Sentenced In Deadly NJ Barbershop Shooting Two men have been sentenced to a combined 45 years in state prison for their roles in the deadly shooting of a 34-year-old man in a New Jersey barbershop, authorities announced. Tayyab A. Ware, 31, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced to 35 years and a $25,000 restitution payment to the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO), while Todd C. Smith, 32, of Edison, was sentenced to 10 years, Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said in a Monday release alongside local officials. Ware and Smith were identified with help from the FBI in the deadly shooting of 34-year-old Den…
Ex-Con From NY State Admits Trying To Get Loaded Gun Through Newark Airport Security Ex-Con From NY State Admits Trying To Get Loaded Gun Through Newark Airport Security
Ex-Con From NY State Admits Trying To Get Loaded Gun Through Newark Airport Security An ex-con from New York admitted trying to slip a loaded, stolen gun through the security checkpoint at Newark Airport late last year, authorities said. Desmond Herring, 48, of Newburgh, NY made a beeline for his gate when a TSA officer staffing the checkpoint X-ray monitor found the loaded weapon -- along with boxes of ammo -- in his carry-on bag on Nov. 29, 2021, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. Port Authority police collected the bag and examined its contents, the TSA said at the time. Along with the 9mm pistol were 10 rounds loaded into a magazine, along with anot…
Bergen's Rabbinic Council Ends Contracts With Kosher Chef Charged With Child Sex Assault Bergen's Rabbinic Council Ends Contracts With Kosher Chef Charged With Child Sex Assault
Bergen's Rabbinic Council Ends Contracts With Kosher Chef Charged With Child Sex Assault A Teaneck chef once praised in the Jewish community for his restaurants has been chopped from his contract with the local rabbinical council that upheld his kosher certification following his arrest on charges of child sex assault. The Rabbinical Council of Bergen County announced that it will not be renewing its contracts with Shalom "Sal" Yehudiel, 40, due to the charges slapped against him last week. The announcement was posted to Twitter Thursday, March 24 by Asher Lovy, the director of an organization aimed at fighting child sex assault in Orthodox Jewish communities. The Council las…
PA Man Charged With Murder, Kidnapping In Brutal NJ Attack: Prosecutor PA Man Charged With Murder, Kidnapping In Brutal NJ Attack: Prosecutor
PA Man Charged With Murder, Kidnapping In Brutal NJ Attack: Prosecutor A Pennsylvania man has officially been charged with murder following the late November attack at a New Jersey home that left an 84-year-old woman dead and her son critically injured. Kyle Kaspereen, 24, is accused of carrying out the Nov. 30 attack at 122 Wayne Street in Washington Borough, causing the death of Elaine Trachin and severely injuring her 53-year-old son, Bart, who was found taped to his wheelchair with a garbage over his head, Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said. Kaspereen was first identified as a person of interest when investigators found that he had formerly li…
Gun-Toting Ex-Con Who Tried To Flee Newark PD On Bicycle Sent To Federal Prison Gun-Toting Ex-Con Who Tried To Flee Newark PD On Bicycle Sent To Federal Prison
Gun-Toting Ex-Con Who Tried To Flee Newark PD On Bicycle Sent To Federal Prison A bicycle-riding ex-con who tossed a gun as he tried to evade pursuing Newark police officers was sentenced Monday to a plea-bargained 32 months in federal prison. Joseph Triplett, 32, of East Orange, was maneuvering his bike around pedestrians on a South 8th Street sidewalk when an officer tried to stop him in September 2019, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Triplett ignored the officer's orders and pedaled off in the opposite direction, Honig said. Officers pursued Triplett, who tossed a fanny pack holding a loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver before he was capture…
FBI Involved, $15K Reward Offered, GoFundMe Launched As Search For JaShyah Moore Continues FBI Involved, $15K Reward Offered, GoFundMe Launched As Search For JaShyah Moore Continues
FBI Involved, $15K Reward Offered, GoFundMe Launched As Search For JaShyah Moore Continues In the wake of the death of Gabby Petito, the nation is paying more attention to people who go missing. JaShyah Moore, 14, of East Orange, New Jersey, is one of the missing persons receiving national news coverage, as seen on CNN and the View. Moore went missing from Poppie’s Deli Store located at 520 Central Avenue in East Orange on Oct. 14 around 10 a.m., according to the Essex County Sheriff's Office. She had been attempting to retrace her steps after misplacing the family’s debit card, her mother told PIX11 News. Search crews scoured the area near the pond at Monte Irvin Park in …