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Somerset County Prosecutor's Office

Secret Rutgers Drug Network Exposed: Seven Arrested In Undercover Bust, Prosecutors Say Secret Rutgers Drug Network Exposed: Seven Arrested In Undercover Bust, Prosecutors Say
Secret Rutgers Drug Network Exposed: Seven Arrested In Undercover Bust, Prosecutors Say A covert social media network used by Rutgers University students to buy and sell drugs led to seven arrests following a months-long investigation, authorities said. The seven were arrested as part of the "Operation RU Pharm" investigation, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said in a news release on Thursday, Dec. 5. The undercover operation exposed a private social media network used by Rutgers students to distribute and purchase drugs. Investigators said they uncovered the online platform created by a former Rutgers student. Dealers posted menus of drugs for students w…
DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada
DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada After 27 years, authorities announced an arrest in a major Bridgewater cold case murder. Robert Creter, a 60-year-old Winnipeg, Manitoba resident was charged with the murder of Tamara "Tammy" Tignor, 23, of Newark,  Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said Monday, Dec. 2. Bridgewater police received a 9-1-1 call reporting the discovery of Tignor's body by a Bridgewater resident on a dirt access road that ended in a cul-de-sac off Gilbride Road near Washington Valley Park on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1997, McDonald said. An autopsy determined her death to be a homicide, authorities sai…
Ex-Con Driving On 2 Flats Found With Gun, Hollow-Point Bullets At NJ School: Cops Ex-Con Driving On 2 Flats Found With Gun, Hollow-Point Bullets At NJ School: Cops
Ex-Con Driving On 2 Flats Found With Gun, Hollow-Point Bullets At NJ School: Cops A 49-year-old Burlington Township ex-convict was found with a loaded gun and drugs at a Somerset County school one early-morning this week, authorities said. Police in Franklin Township were notified around 6:10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, that someone was driving on two flat tires on the property of a local private school, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Arriving officers found Quincy K. Clark coming out of the bushes with his hands in his pockets, they said. Officers conducting the investigation found a high-capacity ammunition magazine on Clark, and a more extensive sea…
Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor
Dad Convicted In Route 287 Road Rage Shooting With Youngsters In Car: Prosecutor A 41-year-old Middlesex County dad has been convicted of multiple charges in a road rage shooting on a Route 287 exit ramp in May 2023, authorities said. While driving in heavy traffic on Easton Avenue in Franklin Township by the Route 287 exit ramp, Gerald Chapman pulled alongside the victim's car and struck the passenger side mirror with his left hand, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. Chapman then drove behind and around to the driver's side of the vehicle, pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at the car, striking the driver's window and the rear driver's side door while …
Body Of NJ Resident, 31, Pulled From Car Submerged In River After Crash: Prosecutor Body Of NJ Resident, 31, Pulled From Car Submerged In River After Crash: Prosecutor
Body Of NJ Resident, 31, Pulled From Car Submerged In River After Crash: Prosecutor The body of a 31-year-old man was pulled from a vehicle that had plunged into the Delaware Raritan Canal over the weekend, police said. Police were called to Canal and Grouser roads on Saturday, Aug. 24 around 12:25 p.m. after a kayaker saw a 2024 Honda Civic in the river, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The body of the sole occupant, a 31-year-old Skillman man, was pulled from the vehicle, which was removed from the water by Mike's Towing and Recovery, McDonald said. An investigation found that the Honda had been heading west on Grouser Road when he entered the inte…
Kids Sexually Assaulted In NJ Church Bathroom, Police Say Kids Sexually Assaulted In NJ Church Bathroom, Police Say
Kids Sexually Assaulted In NJ Church Bathroom, Police Say A 68-year-old Plainfield man has been charged with sexually assaulting two minors in a church in North Plainfield last month, authorities said. On Sunday, June 23, at 4:38 p.m., police responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a sexual assault of a minor earlier that day, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and North Plainfield Chief of Police William Parenti said.  Pierre Joseph, the suspect, was detained at the church while they awaited police, authorities said While Joseph was transported for questi…
Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty In Double-Fatal Off Duty DWI Wreck In New Jersey, Prosecutor Says Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty In Double-Fatal Off Duty DWI Wreck In New Jersey, Prosecutor Says
Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty In Double-Fatal Off Duty DWI Wreck In New Jersey, Prosecutor Says A 30-year-old former police officer has pleaded guilty to charges filed in connection with a double-fatal wreck he caused while off duty last summer, authorities announced. Amitoj Oberoi, 29, of Somerset, was employed as an Edison police officer at the time of the accident on Route 27 in Franklin Township that killed Carlos Perez-Gayan, a 24-year-old Somerset resident, and Victor Cabrera-Francisco, a 20-year-old North Brunswick resident, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Oberoi pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated, authorities said. His …
NJ Driver, 33, In Deadly Hit-Run Made U-Turn Before Returning: Prosecutor NJ Driver, 33, In Deadly Hit-Run Made U-Turn Before Returning: Prosecutor
NJ Driver, 33, In Deadly Hit-Run Made U-Turn Before Returning: Prosecutor A Flemington man has been arrested in a deadly pedestrian crash, authorities in Somerset County said. Andres Estaban Silva, 33, was in a 2019 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck heading north on Veterans Memorial Drive and turning left onto Somerset Street in Somerville, when he struck a 72-year-old resident on Friday, April 26 around 6:10 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Following the crash, Silva made a U-turn and fled east on Veterans Memorial Drive, McDonald said. It wasn't long before he returned to the scene and parked in a lot on Somerset Street near the crash site…
NJ Field Hockey Coach Sent Sexually Explicit Texts To 17-Year-Old Girl: Prosecutor NJ Field Hockey Coach Sent Sexually Explicit Texts To 17-Year-Old Girl: Prosecutor
NJ Field Hockey Coach Sent Sexually Explicit Texts To 17-Year-Old Girl: Prosecutor A 39-year-old Flemington field hockey coach was arrested on Thursday, March 28, and charged with sending one of his players, a 17-year-old girl, sexually explicit texts, authorities said. Brett Clay, a travel field hockey coach employed by Centercourt Field Hockey in Mount Olive, exchanged the text messages with the teen, a Bridgewater resident, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said. Clay began sending illicit text messages in late December 2023, at one point offering her money in exchange for her sending him sexually explicit images, said McDonald alongside Chief of Count…
Arrest Made In Fatal Stabbing Of 27-Year-Old Woman At NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutors Arrest Made In Fatal Stabbing Of 27-Year-Old Woman At NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutors
Arrest Made In Fatal Stabbing Of 27-Year-Old Woman At NJ Apartment Complex: Prosecutors A 27-year-old Somerville man was arrested on Sunday, Feb. 4, and charged with fatally stabbing Maryrose Fealey last week, authorities said. David Shroitman was charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence, and hindering apprehension, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Maryrose Fealey Facebook Fealey, a Somerville resident was found by Somerville police responding to a 911 call, outside a residential complex on North Bridge Street around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, McDonald said alongside Somerset County Prosecuto…
Driver In High-Speed Pursuit From NJ Swim Club Headed To Prison Driver In High-Speed Pursuit From NJ Swim Club Headed To Prison
Driver In High-Speed Pursuit From NJ Swim Club Headed To Prison A 22-year-old Plainfield man was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday, Jan. 12 after pleading guilty to leading police on a pursuit in Somerset County that damaged multiple police vehicles in October 2022, authorities said. At 3:51 p.m. on Oct. 24, 2022, Berkeley Heights Police responded to the parking lot at the Brook Hill Swim Club in Watchung for a report of vehicles driving recklessly and revving their engines at a high volume, Somerset District Attorney John McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Watchung Borough Chief o…
NJ Man Promised Victims Luxury Cars, Instead He Kept Their $202K: Cops NJ Man Promised Victims Luxury Cars, Instead He Kept Their $202K: Cops
NJ Man Promised Victims Luxury Cars, Instead He Kept Their $202K: Cops A 32-year-old Rahway man has been arrested after he was given more than $200,000 to purchase luxury vehicles that the victims never received, authorities said. Jonathan Najarro, who ran J and J Auto Sound and Security Corporation, became the center of an investigation last October, when the victims reported he had $202,920 of their money, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The theft occurred between July 2022 and October 2022 in Somerville, said McDonald alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Somerville…
NJ Woman Tried Killing Child: Prosecutor NJ Woman Tried Killing Child: Prosecutor
NJ Woman Tried Killing Child: Prosecutor A New Jersey woman has been charged with trying to kill a child, authorities announced. Alfonsina Anguita, 21, of Manville, became the center of an investigation after a 3-year-old child was hospitalized on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The child had signs of physical abuse and strangulation, McDonald said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Manville Borough Police Department Officer-In-Charge Lieutenant Craig Jeremiah. "Further medical examination revealed patterns and …
69-Year-Old Repeat Child Porn Collector From NJ Gets Ten Years, No Parole 69-Year-Old Repeat Child Porn Collector From NJ Gets Ten Years, No Parole
69-Year-Old Repeat Child Porn Collector From NJ Gets Ten Years, No Parole A 69-year-old ex-con from New Jersey who'd previously avoided prison time for collecting child porn must spend the next decade behind bars for doing it again. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, John Schulenburg of Basking Ridge will have to reach his 79th birthday in decent health before he'll taste freedom again. Schulenburg was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 10, to the mandatory 10-year minimum that U.S. law requires for a repeat offender as part of a plea bargain, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Had he gone to trial and been convicted, Schulenbu…
Hostage Emerges Screaming, With Stab Wounds After 4-Hour SWAT Standoff In NJ: Prosecutor Hostage Emerges Screaming, With Stab Wounds After 4-Hour SWAT Standoff In NJ: Prosecutor
Hostage Emerges Screaming, With Stab Wounds After 4-Hour SWAT Standoff In NJ: Prosecutor Police have released details and made an arrest in a nearly five-hour SWAT standoff involving a hostage Friday, Nov. 10 in Somerset County. Police received 9-1-1 calls saying a man later identified as Alonzo D. Blakey, 50, was holding a female relative against her will in his apartment on Columbia Drive in Finderne, around 7:20 a.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Blakely was threatening to harm himself and the victim when Bridgewater police arrived, McDonald said alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., Bridgewate…
Arsonist Found Unconscious After Setting Fire To His NJ Apartment: Prosecutor Arsonist Found Unconscious After Setting Fire To His NJ Apartment: Prosecutor
Arsonist Found Unconscious After Setting Fire To His NJ Apartment: Prosecutor A 40-year-old arsonist was found unconscious after setting a fire that ignited a Somerset County apartment, authorities said. Dashawn Holmes, a tenant in an East Main Street building in Somerville, was found unconscious by firefighters responding to the alarm set off just before midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 25, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Holmes was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The Somerville Fire Marshall responded to the scene and determined the fire to be suspicious in nature, said McDonald alongside Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of…
NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn
NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn A data analyst from Somerset County admitted in federal court in Trenton on Thursday that he trafficked videos and other images of child pornography. Marcevan Manasse, 28, of Somerville, was nabbed following an undercover operation, authorities said. Detectives accessed five video files and 11 images containing child sexual abuse from an IP address at Manasse’s home, a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Trenton says. The files included “multiple visual depictions of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults” that he ended up sharing over the course of more than two ye…
DWI Off-Duty Officer Charged In Double-Fatal Somerset County Crash, Victims IDd: Prosecutor DWI Off-Duty Officer Charged In Double-Fatal Somerset County Crash, Victims IDd: Prosecutor
DWI Off-Duty Officer Charged In Double-Fatal Somerset County Crash, Victims IDd: Prosecutor An off-duty Edison police officer was charged with vehicular homicide in connection with one of the two double-fatal crashes that occurred in Somerset County over the weekend, authorities announced. Amitoj Oberoi, 29, of Somerset, was charged with two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide, as well as DWI, and several motor vehicle violations, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said Wednesday, Aug. 30. Oberoi is employed as an Edison police officer and was off-duty at the time of the crash, the prosecutor said. Oberoi was driving a 2007 Audi Q7 heading southbound on Somerset St…
NJ Mom Pushes For New Law After Bus Monitor Charged In 6-Year-Old Daughter's Death NJ Mom Pushes For New Law After Bus Monitor Charged In 6-Year-Old Daughter's Death
NJ Mom Pushes For New Law After Bus Monitor Charged In 6-Year-Old Daughter's Death A New Jersey mother is pushing for a new law following the death of her 6-year-old special needs daughter, which led to the arrest of a bus monitor. Fajr A. Williams was apparently strapped incorrectly when her bus went over a series of bumps on Monday, July 17, as Daily Voice previously reported citing the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office. Fajr, 6, died in July 2023 on the school bus.Najmah Nash Fajr's bus monitor, Amanda Davila, 27, of New Brunswick, had fastened the harness of the girl's wheelchair too tight, blocking her airway, authorities said.  Davila was charged with manslau…
Dad Drowns After Saving Three Kids In Somerset County River Dad Drowns After Saving Three Kids In Somerset County River
Dad Drowns After Saving Three Kids In Somerset County River A 42-year-old dad has died a hero. UPDATE: Police ID Dad Who Drowned Saving Kids In Millstone River The South River dad went into the Millstone River and brought his children, ages 8, 11, and 13 to shore, around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, Franklin Township police said. He, however, struggled to maintain his balance. Thus began a search for the victim, as his children were treated at the scene and released without further medical attention. Members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office dive team found the man's body just before 5:30 p.m. His name was being withheld p…
Former NJ Man Sexually Abused Girls Ages 8 To 15 Then Relocated To Texas, Police Say Former NJ Man Sexually Abused Girls Ages 8 To 15 Then Relocated To Texas, Police Say
Former NJ Man Sexually Abused Girls Ages 8 To 15 Then Relocated To Texas, Police Say A 41-year-old Texas man has been arrested on accusations he sexually abused two minors in Somerset County. Janakiraman Somasundaram sexually assaulted one victim, a girl, who was between the ages of 8 and 11 at the time of the incidents, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. A second victim told detectives she was sexually abused by Somasundaram when she was 15, McDonald said. Both instances happened in Raritan. Somasundaram was subsequently charged with various counts of second-degree sexual assault, third-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and fourth-degree c…
NJ Dealer Charged Federally With Selling Mix Of Fentanyl, Heroin That Killed User: Authorities NJ Dealer Charged Federally With Selling Mix Of Fentanyl, Heroin That Killed User: Authorities
NJ Dealer Charged Federally With Selling Mix Of Fentanyl, Heroin That Killed User: Authorities A Somerset County man was seized by federal agents who charged him with selling a mix of fentanyl and heroin that killed a user in Plainfield. Officers responding to the victim’s home found two wax folds containing both drugs and bearing a unique stamp, which they linked to Thomas Kane Miller, 38, of Somerset, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Investigators learned that the victim and Miller had arranged to meet shortly before the October 2022 overdose, the U.S. attorney added. Miller had also been found 10 days earlier with several wax folds of the same drugs with the same stamp, Selli…
NJ Track Star Killed In 3-Car Somerset County Crash NJ Track Star Killed In 3-Car Somerset County Crash
NJ Track Star Killed In 3-Car Somerset County Crash Authorities have identified the victim of a fatal Somerset County crash as a 23-year-old high school graduate and track star. Mario Heslop, of New Brunswick, was behind the wheel of a 2013 Infiniti Q50S heading eastbound in the left lane of Hamilton Street when he crossed the centerline around 5:30 p.m. in Franklin Township on Monday, June 19, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Heslop struck a westbound vehicle in the left lane, at the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue, McDonald said. The second vehicle, driven by a Hillsborough resident, was then struck from the rear by a th…
NJ Worker Killed By Heavy Machinery Accident: Police NJ Worker Killed By Heavy Machinery Accident: Police
NJ Worker Killed By Heavy Machinery Accident: Police A 62-year-old Ocean County man was killed in an apparent worksite accident in Hillsborough early on Wednesday, May 31, authorities said. The man, whose identity was not released, was found as Hillsborough Township Police responded to a call regarding an accident involving heavy machinery at a site on Willow Road around 7:25 a.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His cause and manner of death are pending further investigation but appear to be the result of a workplace accident, McDonald added. Assisting agencies include the Som…
ATTEMPTED MURDER: NJ Man Shot Car Twice In Road Rage Incident Near 287 Ramp, Prosecutor Says ATTEMPTED MURDER: NJ Man Shot Car Twice In Road Rage Incident Near 287 Ramp, Prosecutor Says
Attempted Murder: NJ Man Shot Car Twice In Road Rage Incident Near 287 Ramp, Prosecutor Says A Somerset County driver has been charged with attempted murder after becoming “irate” and firing two rounds at another vehicle during a road rage incident earlier this month, authorities announced. Gerald S. Chapman, 39, of Ulysses Road in Somerset, was charged with first-degree attempted murder and second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said Tuesday, May 23. Investigators say Chapman “became irate” during a road rage incident on Easton Avenue near the 287 ramp in Franklin Township around 4:50 p.m. on Friday, May 5. …
Brother Of NJ Bank Robber ‘Crazy Mike’ Arrested On Identical Charges: Prosecutor Brother Of NJ Bank Robber ‘Crazy Mike’ Arrested On Identical Charges: Prosecutor
Brother Of NJ Bank Robber ‘Crazy Mike’ Arrested On Identical Charges: Prosecutor The brother of accused Millstone bank robber “Crazy Mike” was arrested on identical charges, authorities announced on Wednesday, April 5. Ryan Gaboff, 37 of Millstone, was charged with second-degree counts of robbery and conspiracy in connection with the robbery of a bank on Route 27 in Franklin Township on Aug. 22, 2022, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said in a release. His brother, Michael, nicknamed "Crazy Mike,” evaded police for nearly three months with the help of family members, 66-year-old Alan Gaboff, 60-year-old Sharon Gaboff, and 23-year-old Jesse Gaboff, each of who…
Bandana-Wearing Masturbator Spotted On Homeowner's Somerset County Lawn Bandana-Wearing Masturbator Spotted On Homeowner's Somerset County Lawn
Bandana-Wearing Masturbator Spotted On Homeowner's Somerset County Lawn A Somerset County resident complained of a man in a bandana masturbating on his front lawn, authorities said. Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald and other officials said similar indecent exposure crimes were reported last year in Hillsborough Township. The latest incident occurred on Meadowbrook Drive during the evening hours of Wednesday, March 22, McDonald said. At approximately 10:15 p.m., Hillsborough Township Police were dispatched to Meadowbrook Drive on a report of indecent exposure involving an unknown white man. Responding Officers canvassed the area but were unsuccessfu…
NJ Coach, Teacher Sentenced For Sexual Assault Of Student NJ Coach, Teacher Sentenced For Sexual Assault Of Student
NJ Coach, Teacher Sentenced For Sexual Assault Of Student A former teacher and coach has been sentenced to four years in New Jersey State Prison for sexually assaulting a student, authorities said. Matthew Rennie, 29, of Ringoes, in Hunterdon County, was sentenced on Friday, March 17, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald. Rennie was arrested on Oct. 6, 2021, after a 17-year-old girl reported to Franklin Township Police that she was sexually assaulted by Rennie, who is employed at a private educational institution in Somerset County, McDonald said. McDonald did not name the institution in Franklin Township. The victim dis…
NJ Man In Bathroom For Suspicious Amount Of Time Found With Heroin, Cocaine: Prosecutor NJ Man In Bathroom For Suspicious Amount Of Time Found With Heroin, Cocaine: Prosecutor
NJ Man In Bathroom For Suspicious Amount Of Time Found With Heroin, Cocaine: Prosecutor Police conducting a welfare check on a 45-year-old Somerset County man who had been in the bathroom for too long was found with 13 wax folds of heroin, a small amount of cocaine and a glass pipe, authorities said. A Route 202 business called police on Tuesday, Feb. 7 to check on a man — later identified as James A. Michael of Branchburg — who had been in the bathroom for more than an hour around 8:55 p.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. That's when they found Michael, who had an outstanding warrant out of Middlesex County for failure to appear in court. Michael was …
PSE&G Worker Killed, Suspect Dead In Somerset County: Prosecutor PSE&G Worker Killed, Suspect Dead In Somerset County: Prosecutor
PSE&G Worker Killed, Suspect Dead In Somerset County: Prosecutor An employee at PSE&G was fatally shot before the suspect — a former worker — apparently died by suicide in Somerset County, authorities said. Gary T. Curtis, 58, of Washington, is believed to have shot Russell D. Heller, 51, of Milford, around 7 a.m. at the company's headquarters on Weston Canal Road, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Emergency Medical Personnel from an area Trauma Center responded to the scene where Heller was pronounced dead. Curtis was found by detectives having suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 10:20 a.m., in a parking lot in Bridgewate…
Feds: Convicted Child Porn Collector From Somerset County, 67, Admits Doing It Again Feds: Convicted Child Porn Collector From Somerset County, 67, Admits Doing It Again
Feds: Convicted Child Porn Collector From Somerset County, 67, Admits Doing It Again A 67-year-old Somerset County man previously convicted of collecting child porn faces a minimum 10-year federal prison sentence after admitting on Monday that he'd done it again, federal authorities said. John Schulenburg of Basking Ridge shared images with what turned out to be an undercover detective in July 2019, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Investigators raided Schulenburg's home four months later, seizing a computer that Sellinger said "contained hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including images of prepubescent children." Schulenburg was previously convi…