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Teaneck Woman Assumes Dead Brother's ID To Get $20G In Social Security, Authorities Charge Teaneck Woman Assumes Dead Brother's ID To Get $20G In Social Security, Authorities Charge
Teaneck Woman Assumes Dead Brother's ID To Get $20G In Social Security, Authorities Charge A home health care worker from Teaneck assumed her dead brother’s identity to collect more than $20,000 in Social Security disability money, authorities charged. Wanda Lynn Sermon, 55, “failed to notify the Social Security Administration of her brother’s death and instead assumed control of his bank account,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Wednesday. For the next 16 months, Musella said, Sermon “continued to access Social Security disability benefit funds intended for [him],” pocketing $20,438 in the process. Detectives from his Financial Crimes Unit began investigating this su…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Volunteer Fire Chief Charged With Inappropriate Touching Of Woman's Breasts In South Jersey Volunteer Fire Chief Charged With Inappropriate Touching Of Woman's Breasts In South Jersey
Volunteer Fire Chief Charged With Inappropriate Touching Of Woman's Breasts In South Jersey A 45-year-old volunteer fire chief from South Jersey has been charged with involuntary touching, authorities said.  The chief of the Delanco Fire Department has been charged with touching the breasts of a woman from another local emergency services agency who had come to the fire house for work purposes, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Delanco Township Police Chief Jesse DeSanto. Todd R. Johnsen, 45, of Center Avenue, was charged with criminal sexual contact in connection with the June 19 incident inside the Delanco Fire House, they said. Johnsen is sc…

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by Jon Craig
News
‘Mannequin Parts’: Bergen Man Indicted In Unusual Hit-Run Death Of Route 3 Pedestrian ‘Mannequin Parts’: Bergen Man Indicted In Unusual Hit-Run Death Of Route 3 Pedestrian
‘Mannequin Parts’: Bergen Man Indicted In Unusual Hit-Run Death Of Route 3 Pedestrian A grand jury voted to support charges filed by authorities against a Moonachie motorist in the hit-and-run death of a Paterson man on Route 3 in Clifton earlier this year. Investigators were drawing closer to cracking the case when Bryan Meza-Roca, 26, surrendered to face charges of leaving the scene of a fatal crash and endangering an injured victim, authorities said. Meza-Roca was driving a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe that they said struck Mustafa Hemaid, 33, on the busy eastbound highway outside Clifton Commons and kept going before dawn on June 13. Hemaid’s remains weren't discovered until d…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Bergen Prosecutor: Twice-Convicted Stalker Strikes Again Bergen Prosecutor: Twice-Convicted Stalker Strikes Again
Bergen Prosecutor: Twice-Convicted Stalker Strikes Again A convicted stalker who was released from state prison earlier this year after victimizing the same woman twice was arrested after doing it yet again, Bergen County authorities said. Christopher Greig, 39, of Clifton was responsible for more than 20 “anonymous alarming phone calls and multiple text messages” -- using technology that scrambled his caller ID -- over the course of five weeks, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Wednesday. Formerly of Hawthorne, Greig has a rap sheet that includes numerous arrests for stalking and/or harassment in several Bergen County towns, as wel…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Prosecutor: Philly Driver Bites Detective, Tries To Disarm Another In 22-Pound NJ Cocaine Stop Prosecutor: Philly Driver Bites Detective, Tries To Disarm Another In 22-Pound NJ Cocaine Stop
Prosecutor: Philly Driver Bites Detective, Tries To Disarm Another In 22-Pound NJ Cocaine Stop A Philadelphia driver bit one detective while trying to disarm another following a New Jersey traffic stop that authorities said turned up 22 pounds of cocaine. Jaycomm Grave Ramos, 28, and his passenger, Eshaniel Moyano, 20, remained held Wednesday in the county jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack following their arrests two days earlier in Ridgefield. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said detectives with his Narcotics Task Force found most of the coke in an "electronically operated hidden compartment" in their 2012 Honda Pilot. Another …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Pompton Lakes Police Officer Charged With Child Sex Offenses Pompton Lakes Police Officer Charged With Child Sex Offenses
Pompton Lakes Police Officer Charged With Child Sex Offenses A Pompton Lakes police officer was arrested Monday and charged with having an illegal sexual relationship nearly 3½ years ago with an underage teenager whom authorities said he had take and send him nude videos and photos. Mark Stinnard, 37, is charged with “engaging in sexual conduct with a child” and endangerment for manufacturing child pornography and “causing harm to a child,” Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. No sexual assault charges were filed, indicating that physical contact wasn't made. Valdes didn’t disclose the gender or exact age of the alleged victim, other th…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Woman Escapes Violent New Milford Sex Abuser Who Threatened To Kill Her, Prosecutor Says Woman Escapes Violent New Milford Sex Abuser Who Threatened To Kill Her, Prosecutor Says
Woman Escapes Violent New Milford Sex Abuser Who Threatened To Kill Her, Prosecutor Says A violent New Milford ex-con sexually and physically assaulted a woman -- holding her against her will and threatening to kill her -- before she managed to escape, authorities said. Matthew Harries, 29, remained held Saturday in the Bergen County Jail awaiting a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack following his arrest by borough police, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. He’s charged with sexual assault, aggravated assault, criminal restraint and making terroristic threats, as well as simple assault and disorderly conduct, the prosecutor said. Harri…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Prosecutor: 900 Images Found On Phone Of Man Who Took 'Upskirt' Pics In Edgewater Supermarket Prosecutor: 900 Images Found On Phone Of Man Who Took 'Upskirt' Pics In Edgewater Supermarket
Prosecutor: 900 Images Found On Phone Of Man Who Took 'Upskirt' Pics In Edgewater Supermarket A man who was grabbed by customers while taking "upskirt" photos of an underage girl in an Edgewater supermarket had amassed nearly 900 child porn files, Bergen County's prosecutor said. Borough officers had arrested David Chapinski, 41, of Somerset after they said he was spotted taking cellphone photos beneath the skirt of a girl on a checkout line at the Mitsuawa Market on River Road in late July. Several good Samaritans grabbed and held onto Chapinski that day until police arrived, Detective Sgt. Teddy Wetklow told Daily Voice at the time. READ MORE…. Chapinski spent eigh…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
River Vale Man Charged With Clubbing Ex-Roomie With Baton In Hillsdale Liquor Store Brawl River Vale Man Charged With Clubbing Ex-Roomie With Baton In Hillsdale Liquor Store Brawl
River Vale Man Charged With Clubbing Ex-Roomie With Baton In Hillsdale Liquor Store Brawl A River Vale man surrendered to Hillsdale police on Friday after clobbering a former roommate with an expandable baton during a fight at a local liquor store, authorities said. Bartello Merlino, 45, and the victim already had a contentious history when they ran into each other at the Bottle King on Washington Avenue early Thursday night, Police Capt. Sean Smith said. They exchanged words and began fighting when Merlino pulled out the baton and whacked the 26-year-old borough man over the head with it, Smith said. He then fled in a Jeep Liberty, the captain said. The victim was taken to Ha…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Freelance Writer From NY Charged With Assaulting Fort Lee Police During Welfare Check Freelance Writer From NY Charged With Assaulting Fort Lee Police During Welfare Check
Freelance Writer From NY Charged With Assaulting Fort Lee Police During Welfare Check Fort Lee police were checking on the welfare of a man at a local high-rise when he assaulted them and was taken into custody, authorities said. Matthew D. Gilgoff, a 45-year-old freelance writer from Ulster County, NY, was alert and conscious but under the influence of drugs when officers found him on the floor at 2100 Linwood Avenue, Capt. Edward Young said. Gilgoff told both of them that they “will die tonight” and also “made a statement that was biased in nature,” Young said. He then kicked an officer and wrapped his legs around the officer’s in an attempt at a tackle, the captain said…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Did You Do Business With This Man? Arrest Made In $90,000 Bergen COVID Gloves Scam Did You Do Business With This Man? Arrest Made In $90,000 Bergen COVID Gloves Scam
Did You Do Business With This Man? Arrest Made In $90,000 Bergen COVID Gloves Scam A judge in Hackensack released an out-of-state man accused of illegally profiting off the COVID pandemic by pocketing $90,000 for what were supposed to be a million personal protective gloves. Nwaokoma Nwakanma, 30, of Westland, MI claimed to work for Bioneutral Chem Group, a bogus Newark-based company that purported to be a legitimate business, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Cresskill police got wind of the scam and alerted detectives from Musella’s Financial Crimes Unit in early June, the prosecutor said. They investigated and obtained an arrest warrant for Nwakanma, of West…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Paterson Man Charged With Sexually Abusing Underage Teen Paterson Man Charged With Sexually Abusing Underage Teen
Paterson Man Charged With Sexually Abusing Underage Teen A Paterson man sexually abused an underage teen in the city of Passaic several times over the course of a year, authorities charged. The state Division of Child Protection and Permanency alerted the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office last month of a complaint against Noe Hernandez-Quintana, 37, they said. Special Victims Unit detectives interviewed the victim and multiple witnesses and found that the child had been sexually abused beginning at 14 years old, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. The assaults continued "on multiple occasions at a residence in Passaic between 2019…

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by Jerry DeMarco