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NJ Teen Recruited Undercover Agent To Blow Up PSE&G Facilities, Nabbed At Newark Airport: Feds NJ Teen Recruited Undercover Agent To Blow Up PSE&G Facilities, Nabbed At Newark Airport: Feds
NJ Teen Recruited Undercover Agent To Blow Up PSE&G Facilities, Nabbed At Newark Airport: Feds A teenager from Middlesex County is facing federal charges for asking an undercover agent to destroy PSE&G electrical facilities in New Jersey, officials announced this week. Andrew Takhistov, 18, of East Brunswick, was arrested Wednesday, July 10 at Newark Liberty International Airport where he was planning to travel to Paris on his way to Ukraine, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Takhistov is charged with one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct that involved destroying a public service enterprise group circuit breaker and substation, fede…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Fentanyl Dealer Who Rammed Undercover DEA Vehicle In Elizabeth Gets 5 Years, No Early Release Fentanyl Dealer Who Rammed Undercover DEA Vehicle In Elizabeth Gets 5 Years, No Early Release
Fentanyl Dealer Who Rammed Undercover DEA Vehicle In Elizabeth Gets 5 Years, No Early Release 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A fentanyl dealer who rammed a DEA vehicle in a failed attempt to flee a sting in Elizabeth must spend just about five years in federal prison before he'll be eligible for release, authorities said. Miguel Nuñez, 50, and another man were surrounded by Drug Enforcement Administration agents during what they thought would be a fentanyl deal in March 2021, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Nuñez put their vehicle in reverse in an attempt to escape and collided with an agent's car instead, the U.S. attorney said. Nuñez's partner, Jesus Higuera-P…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
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…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
'Altared' State: NJ Sisters Admit Staging Sham Marriages To Keep Non-Citizens In US 'Altared' State: NJ Sisters Admit Staging Sham Marriages To Keep Non-Citizens In US
'Altared' State: NJ Sisters Admit Staging Sham Marriages To Keep Non-Citizens In US UPDATE: Two sisters from Newark admitted obtaining phony marriage licenses and staging bogus wedding ceremonies, receptions and other events in an elaborate scheme to help undocumented non-citizens avoid deportation, federal authorities said. Regina Johnson, 59, and her sister, Andrea Torres, ran the sham scam for nearly three years, recruiting and paying U.S. citizens to pose as spouses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Their clients: non-citizens looking to remain in the country despite the lack of legal status or proper documentation. As part of the fraud, the sisters "…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
NJ Man Who Scouted Landmarks As Terror Targets Gets 12 Years In Federal Prison NJ Man Who Scouted Landmarks As Terror Targets Gets 12 Years In Federal Prison
NJ Man Who Scouted Landmarks As Terror Targets Gets 12 Years In Federal Prison UPDATE: A convicted New Jersey “sleeper agent” for Hezbollah who scoped out potential terrorism targets in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Alexei Saab, a 45-year-old software developer who lived in Morristown, must serve just about all of the sentence delivered in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, May 23, because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Saab kept up appearances as an ordinary American citizen while working for Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO) from 2000 to 2005, federal prosecutors said. Dur…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
FBI Nabs Ex-Soldier From Sussex County Charged With Supporting Syrian Terrorists FBI Nabs Ex-Soldier From Sussex County Charged With Supporting Syrian Terrorists
FBI Nabs Ex-Soldier From Sussex County Charged With Supporting Syrian Terrorists FBI agents arrested a Sussex County woman Wednesday and charged her with supporting a Syrian terrorist group. Maria Bell, a 53-year-old former U.S. Army solider and member of the National Guard, provided money and advice to “fighters based in Syria who were members of various factions fighting the Assad regime,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Bell cited her professional experience in specialized weapons training, offering to provide guidance on operational security issues, weapons purchases and military intelligence, a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark charges. Accord…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
N.J. Congresswoman Joins Call For Trump Impeachment Inquiry N.J. Congresswoman Joins Call For Trump Impeachment Inquiry
N.J. Congresswoman Joins Call For Trump Impeachment Inquiry A congresswoman from North Jersey was one of seven freshman Democrats to pen an op-ed in The Washington Post Monday calling for impeachment proceedings to begin against President Donald Trump.  Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11), whose district is centered in Morris County and includes parts of Passaic, Essex and Sussex counties, was part of a group who are either military veterans or who worked in some other capacity in national security. Sherrill, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, flew helicopters for the Navy.  The lawmakers said in their op-ed that Trump's attempts to get the Ukrainian p…

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by Paul Milo
Police & Fire
Morris County Hezbollah Scout Was Looking For Terror Attack Spots In NYC, Feds Say Morris County Hezbollah Scout Was Looking For Terror Attack Spots In NYC, Feds Say
Morris County Hezbollah Scout Was Looking For Terror Attack Spots In NYC, Feds Say A longtime Hezbollah member from Morristown man has spent the past 22 years scouting terror-attack locations in NYC for the organization, according to new federal indictments against him. Alexei Saab, 42, on Thursday was charged in a nine-count indictment for offenses related to supporting the organization, the U.S. Justice Department announced. A Hezbollah member since 1996, Saab provided the organization with photos and intelligence on landmarks across New York City including the Port Authority, Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building, New York Stock Exchange, New York City…

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by Cecilia Levine
Events
Jason Alexander, John Kerry Part Of Lineup For NJPAC Speakers Series Jason Alexander, John Kerry Part Of Lineup For NJPAC Speakers Series
Jason Alexander, John Kerry Part Of Lineup For Njpac Speakers Series NJPAC's speakers series kicks off in October with a talk by John Kerry, former U.S. Senator, former Secretary of State and the 2004 Democratic nominee for president.  Other speakers include Zanny Minton Beddoes, the editor of The Economist magazine who was named one of the world's most powerful women by Forbes.  Livingston native and Seinfeld star Jason Alexander is also part of the speaker series and is scheduled to appear April 30, 2020.  Rounding out the roster for 2019-2020 are former national security adviser Susan Rice; entrepreneur Peter Diamandis, founder of the XPri…

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by Paul Milo