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Guilty Plea

Four Robberies, Two Shootings: Jersey City Man Pleads Guilty To Wild Night Four Robberies, Two Shootings: Jersey City Man Pleads Guilty To Wild Night
Four Robberies, Two Shootings: Jersey City Man Pleads Guilty To Wild Night A 32-year-old Jersey City man pleaded guilty in Newark federal court on Monday, Dec. 9 to committing four robberies and two shootings, all in the same evening, authorities said. On Nov. 14, 2021, Rodney Williams robbed a store in Jersey City at gunpoint, US Attorney Phillip Sellinger said. Soon after, Williams, accompanied by Siobhan Chandler, demanded money from a gas station, Sellinger said. When the attendants did not immediately comply, Williams shot one of the attendants in the chest before fleeing the scene, Sellinger said. Williams and Chandler then robbed a third store at gunpoint, …
NJ Campaign Manager Gets Probation For Filing Phony Petitions In Gov Primary: AG NJ Campaign Manager Gets Probation For Filing Phony Petitions In Gov Primary: AG
NJ Campaign Manager Gets Probation For Filing Phony Petitions In Gov Primary: AG A 62-year-old Hunterdon County campaign manager was sentenced to two years of probation on Friday, Oct. 18 after pleading guilty to attempting to fraudulently place a candidate on the Democratic primary ballot in the New Jersey governor’s race in 2021, authorities said. James Devine, a Lambertville resident, submitted 1,948 fraudulent nominating petitions to the New Jersey Department of State’s Division of Elections, in an attempt to enable his candidate, Lisa McCormick, to compete in the primary, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Devine pleaded guilty in August. “Rather than…
Plumber Admits To Taking Upskirt Videos Of Females In Union County: Prosecutors Plumber Admits To Taking Upskirt Videos Of Females In Union County: Prosecutors
Plumber Admits To Taking Upskirt Videos Of Females In Union County: Prosecutors A Red Bank man admitted to recording upskirt videos of more than two dozen women and girls, including some in their homes, authorities said. Christopher Cox, 35, pleaded guilty on Friday, Oct. 4 to second-degree eluding police, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and three counts of third-degree invasion of privacy. Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced the guilty plea in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Investigators said Cox entered the ShopRite supermarket in Shrewsbury just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, and began follow…
Ex-Deputy Mayor Of Newark Admits Taking $25K Bribe In Restaurant Bathroom: Feds Ex-Deputy Mayor Of Newark Admits Taking $25K Bribe In Restaurant Bathroom: Feds
Ex-Deputy Mayor Of Newark Admits Taking $25K Bribe In Restaurant Bathroom: Feds Carmelo Garcia, who previously served as deputy mayor of Newark and one term in the state General Assembly, admitted to taking $25,000 in bribes, federal authorities said.  Garcia, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiring with two Newark business owners to obtain corrupt payments intended to influence and reward him for assisting them with the acquisition and redevelopment of various city-owned properties while serving on the Newark Department Economic and Housing Development, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Between 2017 and 2019, Garcia sought and received significant mone…
NJ Man Heads To Prison For Deadly Botched Robbery In PA NJ Man Heads To Prison For Deadly Botched Robbery In PA
NJ Man Heads To Prison For Deadly Botched Robbery In PA A New Jersey man will spend up to 55 years in a Pennsylvania prison for a murder he and his brother committed during a 2021 robbery, officials say.  Anthony Joel Gamble, 22, previously pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery in October, said the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.  Gamble and his younger brother Joshua David Gamble stabbed 26-year-old Kevin Rosero nearly 30 times before trying to dump his body in a wooded area in Richland Township late on June 17, 2021, prosecutors have claimed.  They were arrested that night whe…
Ring Member Admits Snatching $1.5M Worth Of High-End Vehicles In NJ, Rockland, CT, Long Island Ring Member Admits Snatching $1.5M Worth Of High-End Vehicles In NJ, Rockland, CT, Long Island
Ring Member Admits Snatching $1.5M Worth Of High-End Vehicles In NJ, Rockland, CT, Long Island The last of four men caught stealing more than $1.5 million worth of luxury cars in New Jersey, Rockland County, Long Island and Connecticut took a guilty plea on Thursday, federal authorities announced. Like his pals, Malik Baker, 29, of Vauxhall, NJ, took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in federal court in Newark on Oct. 19 to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and receiving a stolen vehicle that had crossed state lines after being stolen. U.S. District Judge Esther Salas scheduled Baker's sentencing for March 7, 2024. Baker had remained on the sid…
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 …
NJ Dealer Awaiting Trial For Shooting Detectives Gets 13 Years In Federal Drug Takedown NJ Dealer Awaiting Trial For Shooting Detectives Gets 13 Years In Federal Drug Takedown
NJ Dealer Awaiting Trial For Shooting Detectives Gets 13 Years In Federal Drug Takedown A manager of a major New Jersey drug ring who's awaiting trial for shooting two undercover detectives must spend 13 years in federal custody after taking a plea deal from the government in a separate case. Juan Figueroa, 25, was the last of 19 members of the Bloods-related group who were convicted following a federal assault on an open-air drug market in Camden that provided walkup and drive-by service to its customers. Figueroa and two associates were also charged in state court with ambushing two Camden County Police detectives who were investigating the ring, which peddled heroin, crack,…
Federal Fort Lee Fentanyl Bust: Manhattan Man, 64, Could Get 10 Years Without Parole Federal Fort Lee Fentanyl Bust: Manhattan Man, 64, Could Get 10 Years Without Parole
Federal Fort Lee Fentanyl Bust: Manhattan Man, 64, Could Get 10 Years Without Parole A 64-year-old Manhattan man busted by federal Homeland Security agents for dealing nearly a pound of a drug mixture that contained fentanyl in Fort Lee took a guilty plea Tuesday rather than risk the outcome of a trial. U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo scheduled sentencing for June 21 after Jose Migel Cleto pleaded guilty in Newark on Jan. 31 to distribution and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Cleto could still get 10 years, which has become a federal mandatory minimum for fentanyl trafficking -- a crime that prosecutors and j…
NJ Army Vet Who Supported Syrian Terrorist Lover Gets 3 Plea-Bargained Years In Federal Prison NJ Army Vet Who Supported Syrian Terrorist Lover Gets 3 Plea-Bargained Years In Federal Prison
NJ Army Vet Who Supported Syrian Terrorist Lover Gets 3 Plea-Bargained Years In Federal Prison A U.S. Army veteran from Sussex County must spend more than three years in federal prison for deliberately concealing money and guidance she gave to a Syrian terrorist she'd fallen in love with. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, Maria Bell, 55, must serve out just about all of the plea-bargained 36-month sentence approved by a federal judge in Newark on Tuesday, Jan. 24, Bell, of Hopatcong, offered not only money and military intelligence but the benefit of her experience in specialized weapons training to Syria-based factions fighting the Assad regime, a complaint on…
Armed Robber Admits Role In Multiple Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups In NJ, NY Armed Robber Admits Role In Multiple Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups In NJ, NY
Armed Robber Admits Role In Multiple Liquor, Convenience Store Holdups In NJ, NY UPDATE: A member of a New Jersey-based armed robbery crew copped to holding up five liquor and convenience stores in two states, federal authorities said. Jaime Fontanez, 45, of Elizabeth and two accomplices went on a six-month armed robbery spree beginning in August 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Federal authorities tied the crew to 13 holdups in all in Essex, Union and Middlesex counties, as well as in the Bronx and upstate New York, the U.S. attorney said. The robbers followed a basic script, with two of them going into the business with their faces covered while a wheelm…
Feds: Female Duo Admits Dealing Meth Throughout South Jersey Feds: Female Duo Admits Dealing Meth Throughout South Jersey
Feds: Female Duo Admits Dealing Meth Throughout South Jersey Two women caught trafficking meth through South Jersey took plea deals rather than risk federal prosecution, authorities said. Sherri Craig, 42, of Clementon, New Jersey, and Shannon Foster, 27, of Egg Harbor City, formally agreed on Thursday, Oct. 13, to mandatory five-year minimum sentences -- and possibly more time. All of it must be served because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Several federal agencies teamed up to investigate Craig and Foster, who "regularly" bought methamphetamine from suppliers and conspired with each other, and others, to deal it throughout the so…
$6 MILLION SCAM: Man Admits Role In Nigerian Bank Fraud Network Operating In NJ, PA, MD $6 MILLION SCAM: Man Admits Role In Nigerian Bank Fraud Network Operating In NJ, PA, MD
$6 Million Scam: Man Admits Role In Nigerian Bank Fraud Network Operating In NJ, PA, MD A member of a sophisticated Nigerian-based fraud ring admitted his role in a massive conspiracy that scammed banks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland out of $6 million. Ayanniyi Alayande, 47, of Darby, PA wasn't involved in the crudely constructed "Nigerian prince" emails schemes of the past. He ran with a ring that altered and cashed business checks stolen from the mail, authorities said. Alayande is the first of 12 defendants in the case to take a deal from the government and plead guilty rather than face trial. Members of the highly organized group altered the payee on the checks …
NJ Man Gets Nearly 6 Years In Fed Pen For Downloading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images NJ Man Gets Nearly 6 Years In Fed Pen For Downloading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images
NJ Man Gets Nearly 6 Years In Fed Pen For Downloading Hundreds Of Child Porn Images A Union County man is headed to federal prison for nearly six years for downloading more than 600 images of child sexual abuse. Joseph Hinksmon, 42, of Cranford, will have to serve just about all of the 70-month plea-bargained sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Hinksmon was arrested by the FBI after downloading the videos and photos during a two-week period in July 2019, authorities said. Rather than go to trial, the former NJIT academic scholar took a deal from the government, pleading guilty via videoconference with a U.S. District Court judge in Newark in e…
Bergen County Woman Pleads Guilty To Death By Auto In DWI Crash That Killed Hudson County Man Bergen County Woman Pleads Guilty To Death By Auto In DWI Crash That Killed Hudson County Man
Bergen County Woman Pleads Guilty To Death By Auto In DWI Crash That Killed Hudson County Man A Bergen County woman pleaded guilty to first-degree death by auto in connection with the DWI crash that killed a 66-year-old man on school property in Sept. 2019, authorities said. Denisse Ortega, of New Milford, entered the plea during a Thursday hearing that was attended by the family of the victim, Mario Santamaria Sr., Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said in a release. Ortega, 36, was behind the wheel of a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder driving north on JFK Boulevard in North Bergen when she crashed into a 2012 Nissan Altima driven by Santamaria, who was heading west on 76th Street on S…
Pair Admit Violent Gunpoint Carjacking Of Female Uber Driver In Newark Pair Admit Violent Gunpoint Carjacking Of Female Uber Driver In Newark
Pair Admit Violent Gunpoint Carjacking Of Female Uber Driver In Newark An accused carjacker admitted Monday that he helped a gunman drag an Uber driver from her car and throw her to the ground in Newark before they drove off with the vehicle. Rakeem McNair, 21, of Roselle, took a guilty plea in federal court in Newark less than two weeks after an accomplice, city resident Raquin Tanner, 25, confessed to his own role in the Aug. 13, 2019 carjacking. The victim was in the driver’s seat of her parked car on Summer Avenue in Newark around 11 o’clock that night when three thugs approached, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said. Video surveillance shows Tanner ap…
Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree
Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree An ex-con from Newark told a federal judge on Thursday that he was the getaway driver in a string of overnight convenience store and gas station robberies in Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, Morris and Union counties. Meshach Whagar, 31, admitted during a video-conferenced plea hearing that he was the wheelman during the 20 predawn holdups in November and December of 2017, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. It included robberies in Lodi, Mahwah, Elmwood Park, Clifton, Hoboken, Bayonne, Kearny, Parsippany, Rockaway, Morris Plains, West Orange, East Brunswick, South River, Edison, …
Man Admits To NJ, NY Bank Robbery Spree Man Admits To NJ, NY Bank Robbery Spree
Man Admits To NJ, NY Bank Robbery Spree An Essex County man on Friday admitted to a bank robbery spree across New York and New Jersey. Myron Anderson, 40, of Newark, pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said in a statement. The robberies occurred between October 2018 and January 2019. Anderson admitted to the following bank robberies: Myron Anderson admitted to the above bank robberies.U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito In each robbery, Anderson walked into the banks with a hat pulled down closely over his eyes to…
Jersey Shore Therapist Admits Hiring Hitman To Bash In Ex-BF's Face, Make Him 'Not So Cute' Jersey Shore Therapist Admits Hiring Hitman To Bash In Ex-BF's Face, Make Him 'Not So Cute'
Jersey Shore Therapist Admits Hiring Hitman To Bash In Ex-BF's Face, Make Him 'Not So Cute' An Atlantic County therapist admitted in federal court Tuesday that she paid someone she thought was a hit man $4,000 to assault her ex-boyfriend. “He needs his pretty little face bashed in, that’s what I really want,” Diane Sylvia, 60, of Somers Point, told a former mobster who was a patient of hers, the FBI said. The onetime wiseguy went straight to the FBI instead. He introduced Sylvia – then a licensed clinical social worker with a private mental health counseling practice in Linwood -- to an undercover agent posing as an enforcer-for-hire, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “I reall…