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73°
Monday, jun 15
News
Feds: Essex
Osha
Inspector, Brother Caught On Wire Shaking Down Hudson Job Site Contractor
An OSHA officer from Bloomfield and his brother conspired to extort a general contractor at a North Bergen work site, said federal authorities who tapped one of their meetings. Assigned to investigate the alleged misuse of an extension ladder, Alvaro Idrovo, 44, told the contractor he was violating OSHA regulations for not having the necessary safety training certificates for his workers to be on ladders, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Idrovo told the owner he’d be “subject to exorbitant fines and possible arrest” if he didn’t obtain the certificates, which he said were available throu…
Police & Fire
Lake Hopatcong Man Threatened Victim Into Sending Thousands Of Dollars Online, Police Say
A Lake Hopatcong man was charged with extortion after threatening to hurt someone if he failed to send him money over the internet, authorities said. Jonathan Ortiz, 22, told the victim he'd face serious bodily injury if he didn't send him money through a transfer service, Franklin police said. As a result, the victim -- who met Ortiz on a social networking application around two years ago -- subsequently sent Ortiz thousands of dollars, police said. Ortiz was subsequently arrested and charged with theft by extortion. He was released in accordance with the New Jersey Bail Reform Act.
Police & Fire
Former Passaic Mayor Samuel 'Sammy' Rivera Dies
Former Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera has died in a nursing home in Pennsylvania, current Mayor Hector Carlos Lora confirmed Friday. He was 73. A cause of death wasn't immediately disclosed. "As a city we extend our condolences to the Rivera family on the passing of former Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera," Lora wrote. "I still speak to people today who share stories of how he helped them personally and how much he cared about people. "Many in our community can remember his approach to cleaning up the streets of violent crimes and how visible he was in Passaic," the mayor said. Born in Caye…
Police & Fire
Piscataway Dad Accused Of Masterminding Sex Cult In College Dorm
A Piscataway man who moved into his daughter’s dorm has been charged with sex trafficking and extortion The 60-year-old is accused of subjecting his daughter's classmates at Sarah Lawrence College “to sexual and psychological manipulation and physical abuse,” according to an indictment unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York. Lawrence Ray, also known as Lawrence Grecco, was charged with extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor, conspiracy and trafficking, two counts of use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity and money laundering…
Police & Fire
Bergen College Student Charged With Child Porn Blackmail Following Raid
A 23-year-old Dean's List student tried to blackmail a victim using child pornography, said New Jersey State Police who arrested him during an early-morning raid at his Closter home. Pritkumar Patel, who recently attended Berkeley College, remained held Thursday in the Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing. He's charged with: Cyber harassment by sending or posting obscene material with the intent to harm or cause fear; Criminal coercion through the threat of exposure or ridicule (blackmail); Extortion; Child endangerment by storing and/or maintaining child pornography; Sexual con…
Police & Fire
Hudson County Health Official Admits Taking Bribes
An official with the Hudson County Office of Aging Tuesday pleaded guilty to extortion in a scheme to funnel work to a firm that provides home health aides for the elderly and disabled, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Myrtha Nicholas, a 61-year-old Jersey City resident, entered into an arrangement with a home health care company in June 2016 in which an executive with the company would pay Nicholas $500 for each client referred to the company. The executive was identified as a confidential witness for the government. A few months later, on Aug. 4,. 2016, she received a $600 pay…
Police & Fire
Former Hudson County Official Accused Of Taking Bribes
A Jersey City woman who worked for Hudson County’s Office on Aging took bribes to funnel patients in need of health aides to a businessperson who turned out to be a witness for the government, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey said. Myrtha Nicolas, 61, was charged last week with extortion under color of official right. She was released on a $100,000 bond. Nicolas served as a referral coordinator who connected disabled patients with companies that provide health aides as part of an effort by the state to help patients live independently. In June 2016, a self-employed executive of a ho…
Police & Fire
Waldwick Contractor Admits Paying Tens Of Thousands In Kickbacks For No-Show Paterson MUA Jobs
A Paterson-based contractor from Waldwick admitted in federal court Wednesday that he paid kickbacks in exchange for work – much of it for work that was never done -- from the now-defunct Paterson Municipal Utilities Authority. Anthony Cacciola, 47, told a U.S. District Court judge in Newark that he conspired with then-MUA commissioner Erik Lowe to jack up the cost of contracts for fence installation and repair. He said he then kicked back the padded thousands to Lowe, who, exercising control over the MUA’s infancies, steered more contracts his way. Near the end of the scheme, U.S. Attorne…
News
Man Admits Extorting Professional Morris County Athlete With Naked Photos, Report Says
A man pleaded guilty to extorting a Morris County-based professional athlete with naked and sexually explicit photos, the DailyRecord reports. Patrick M. Avognon Jr. was represented by a public defender and tested positive for marijuana at federal court in Newark Monday, when he admitted to demanding $5,600 from the athlete and threatening to post nude photos of him to a website if he failed to do so, the article says. The victim, who was not identified, was forced to hire a lawyer and a private investigator, who turned evidence of the extortion over to law enforcement, DailyRecord say…
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