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Richard Berdnik

Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home
Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home Passaic County voters have chosen Democrat Thomas Adamo as their new sheriff, filling the position left vacant by the late Sheriff Richard Berdnik.  A lifelong Passaic County resident, Adamo won the election with 94,157 votes, while Maria Saracino, a detective captain with the county prosecutor's office, garnered 80,135. The role has been vacant since January when then-Sheriff Richard Berdnik died by suicide in the bathroom of a Clifton restaurant. Adamo’s career reflects his dedication and steady rise within law enforcement. Starting as a corrections officer with the Passai…
NJ Sheriff's Association Cites 'Fortitude, Resoluteness' Of Fallen Passaic Comrade Berdnik NJ Sheriff's Association Cites 'Fortitude, Resoluteness' Of Fallen Passaic Comrade Berdnik
NJ Sheriff's Association Cites 'Fortitude, Resoluteness' Of Fallen Passaic Comrade Berdnik "On behalf of the Sheriffs' Association of New Jersey, President Sheriff Gilbert "Whip" Wilson and its members, we express our sincere condolences for the loss of our dear brother in law enforcement, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik. "Sheriff Berdnik's untimely passing was a shock to us all. He served as a member of the New Jersey Sheriffs Association for fifteen (13) years, where he worked hard to ensure the safety of the Passaic County residents and that the needs of the Passaic County community were addressed.  "Sheriff Berdnik was a man of great character, always mild-mannere…
Passaic Sheriff Berdnik's Death By Suicide 'Unfathomable Loss' For NJ, Attorney General Says Passaic Sheriff Berdnik's Death By Suicide 'Unfathomable Loss' For NJ, Attorney General Says
Passaic Sheriff Berdnik's Death By Suicide 'Unfathomable Loss' For NJ, Attorney General Says Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik died by his own hand on Tuesday in his hometown Clifton, in what the Garden State's attorney general called "an unfathomable loss for New Jersey." Emergency responders rushed to Toro's Turkish Restaurant on Hazel Street a few minutes after 3:30 p.m. Jan. 23. Berdnik had just taken his life in the men's room, the sudden gunshot through the heart startling staff and patrons alike, sources told Daily Voice. Not even 15 minutes earlier, the popular sheriff had posed for cellphone photos. Then he got a phone call with some very unsettling news, reliable so…
STASH HOUSE RAID: Raw Coke, 150 Pills, $22,775 Seized, Three Arrested: Passaic County Sheriff STASH HOUSE RAID: Raw Coke, 150 Pills, $22,775 Seized, Three Arrested: Passaic County Sheriff
Stash House Raid: Raw Coke, 150 Pills, $22,775 Seized, Three Arrested: Passaic County Sheriff Officers in tactical gear safely locked an attack dog into a bathroom as Passaic County detectives raided a Paterson stash house during an operation that netted a third of a pound of raw cocaine, more than 150 illegal pills and $22,775 in cash, authorities said. They also took a BMW and a Hyundai for forfeiture while arresting a second-floor tenant, a fellow city resident and a man from Rockland County, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. Complaints of drug dealing focused the attention of the sheriff’s Bureau of Narcotics detectives on the home at the corner of Knickerbocker and G…
Dealer, Deadbeat Dad, Child-Abusing Caretaker Busted In Raid: Passaic Sheriff Dealer, Deadbeat Dad, Child-Abusing Caretaker Busted In Raid: Passaic Sheriff
Dealer, Deadbeat Dad, Child-Abusing Caretaker Busted In Raid: Passaic Sheriff A dealer, a caretaker accused of child endangerment and a deadbeat dad all living in the same multi-family Paterson home were busted during a raid by Passaic County sheriff's officers, authorities said. Narcotics detectives targeted Shawn E. Nero, 50, who they said was selling heroin and crack from the Harrison Street home between Carroll Street and Rosa Parks Boulevard. Assisted by members of the sheriff's Warrant Squad, Mounted Division and ERT, they waited until Nero left the area, then stopped his car and arrested him on Thursday, Oct. 26, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. …
Drug Buyer Attacks Detectives, Out-Of-Town Dealer Caught With Loaded Gun: Passaic Sheriff Drug Buyer Attacks Detectives, Out-Of-Town Dealer Caught With Loaded Gun: Passaic Sheriff
Drug Buyer Attacks Detectives, Out-Of-Town Dealer Caught With Loaded Gun: Passaic Sheriff A 50-year-old man who was busted buying drugs from a Little Ferry driver in Paterson fought with Passaic County sheriff's officers before he was subdued, authorities said. The dealer who sold him the drugs, they said, is an ex-con who had a gun in his car. Both are now facing serious charges. Working from a tip, Bureau of Narcotics detectives watched as Andre Morales, 36, sold some drugs to Luis Santos, 50,  near the corner of Marshal and Slater streets from his 2012 Chevy Cruze, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. The detectives grabbed each of them at separate locations m…
HOOKED: 16 Busted, $35K Seized In Passaic Sheriff’s Countywide Prostitution Raids HOOKED: 16 Busted, $35K Seized In Passaic Sheriff’s Countywide Prostitution Raids
Hooked: 16 Busted, $35K Seized In Passaic Sheriff’s Countywide Prostitution Raids Sixteen arrests were made and $35,840 in alleged profits seized by Passaic County sheriff's detectives during a two-day series of prostitution raids at massage parlors and hotels countywide, authorities said. Key “pay-to-play” locations for illegal sex were pinpointed in Clifton, Paterson, Passaic, Wayne, and Woodland Park, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. Nearly all were chosen for the quality-of-life operations following citizens’ complaints, the sheriff said. Various units from his department supplied the detectives, Berdnik said. These included his Bureau of Narcotics, Int…
Paterson Man, 63, Busted For Dealing Coke Paterson Man, 63, Busted For Dealing Coke
Paterson Man, 63, Busted For Dealing Coke A 63-year-old Paterson man was caught selling cocaine from a local bar, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. Detectives from the sheriff's Bureau of Narcotics conducted simultaneous searches of the vehicle and Keen Street basement apartment of Julio C. Arista, as well as of Quilvio's Bar & Liquors on Main Street, on Thursday, Aug. 3, Berdnik said. They were assisted by members of the sheriff's Fugitive Warrant Squad, patrol officers and the K-9 unit, he said. They seized over half an ounce of cocaine -- worth about a thousand dollars on the stree -- and $637 in alleged proceeds…
Busy Dealer Nabbed With Coke, Smack, Cash: Passaic County Sheriff Busy Dealer Nabbed With Coke, Smack, Cash: Passaic County Sheriff
Busy Dealer Nabbed With Coke, Smack, Cash: Passaic County Sheriff A dealer from Woodland Park was nabbed with nearly a quarter pound of cocaine, a dozen bundles of heroin and more after detectives watched him in action, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. The sheriff's narcotics detectives stopped Edwin Olmedo, 34, as he drove on Route 23 in Wayne mid-afternoon Friday, April 21. Warranted searches turned up nearly four ounces of coke, the bundles of heroin, Xanax and Oxycodone pills and $1,391 in suspected drug cash, the sheriff said on Saturday. The detectives also arrested two Little Falls men whom Berdnik said Olmedo was seen selling to in se…
Sheriff: Driver In $200,000 Paterson Cocaine Pickup Had Her Two Young Kids With Her Sheriff: Driver In $200,000 Paterson Cocaine Pickup Had Her Two Young Kids With Her
Sheriff: Driver In $200,000 Paterson Cocaine Pickup Had Her Two Young Kids With Her A Newark woman had her two young children with her when Passaic County sheriff's officers busted her and a companion who'd just collected a four-pound package of cocaine worth $200,000 in Paterson, authorities said. Sheriff Richard Berdnik said his detectives were watching as Gisela Arroyo Valentin, 35, pulled up to a targeted location in a Honda Civic and David Ventura, 39, of Paterson got out in the middle of the afternoon. Valentin waited while Ventura entered a building and then emerged a short time later with the cocaine, the sheriff said. Ventura was reaching for the front passenger …
UPDATE: Body Of Missing Man, 78, Recovered From Passaic River UPDATE: Body Of Missing Man, 78, Recovered From Passaic River
Update: Body Of Missing Man, 78, Recovered From Passaic River A body recovered from the Passaic River was that of a 78-year-old Woodland Park man reported missing on Labor Day, authorities confirmed. Fire department boats were summoned to the Hillery Street Bridge in Totowa, where a large number of police and Passaic County sheriff's officers had gathered around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7. Around 11 a.m., responders said, the operation became a body recovery. A little over a half-hour later, Paterson firefighters brought the body ashore at the Veterans Memorial Park boat ramp off McBride Avenue in the city. The New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office …
Motorcyclist Killed In Woodland Park Crash ID'd Motorcyclist Killed In Woodland Park Crash ID'd
Motorcyclist Killed In Woodland Park Crash ID'd A motorcyclist who was killed in a weekend crash in Woodland Park was identified Monday as a 42-year-old local resident. The single-vehicle crash occurred when the motorcycle left the roadway on Rifle Camp Road outside the Garrett Park Estates shortly before 10:25 p.m. Sunday, responders said. The Passaic County Sheriff's Office responded along with the West Paterson First Aid Squad. Javier Sanchez was later pronounced dead at St. Joseph's University Medical Center, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Sheriff Richard Berdnik said in a joint announcement late Monday afternoon. …
Passaic Sheriff: Fugitive Ex-Con Who Ran From Detectives Caught With Stolen Gun, Drugs, More Passaic Sheriff: Fugitive Ex-Con Who Ran From Detectives Caught With Stolen Gun, Drugs, More
Passaic Sheriff: Fugitive Ex-Con Who Ran From Detectives Caught With Stolen Gun, Drugs, More Noontime temperatures in Paterson were way too high for a man to be pulling a ski mask over his face, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. Jeziel Cabral Rodriguez, 32, began tipping away as detectives from his fugitive squad approached a group gathered in front of a Park Avenue grocery store, the sheriff said. Then he took off on foot. Rodriguez darted down a driveway on nearby Carroll Street, then hopped into a parked Chevy Malibu -- where the detectives found him, Berdnik said. He was carrying dozens of bags of oxycodone, cocaine and pot, as well as $487 in suspected drug-dealin…
DRUG HAUL: 10 Pounds Of Meth, 18,000 Oxy Pills, More Seized By Passaic Sheriff's Detectives DRUG HAUL: 10 Pounds Of Meth, 18,000 Oxy Pills, More Seized By Passaic Sheriff's Detectives
Drug Haul: 10 Pounds Of Meth, 18,000 Oxy Pills, More Seized By Passaic Sheriff's Detectives A Paterson woman who was caught carrying nearly 5,000 oxycodone pills during a traffic stop led Passaic County sheriff's detectives to 13,200 more pills, 10 pounds of meth, $49,480 in drug cash and more, authorities said. The seized drugs, which included three pounds of pot and nearly three-quarters of coke, would fetch $500,000 if sold on the street, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. Berdnik's detectives were assisting the DEA earlier this month when they identified Lina Muniz-Cubillos, 26, the sheriff said on Tuesday, May 24. She was carrying 4,990 oxy pills during a traffic …
UPDATE: Body Of 15-Year-Old Drowning Victim Recovered In Passaic County Reservoir UPDATE: Body Of 15-Year-Old Drowning Victim Recovered In Passaic County Reservoir
Update: Body Of 15-Year-Old Drowning Victim Recovered In Passaic County Reservoir UPDATE: The body of a 15-year-old boy from Paterson who drowned in a Passaic County reservoir while swimming with friends was recovered Sunday morning, authorities said. "We've notified the family," Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark said after members of the Passaic County sheriff's Search & Recovery SCUBA Team found the body shortly before 10:30 a.m. It was in the area of the Great Notch Reservoir off Old Rifle Camp Road on Garrett Mountain in Woodland Park where his friends had seen him go under -- about 15 to 20 feet from shore -- around 3:45 p.m. Saturday, the mayor said. Tempera…
UPDATE: Body Of 15-Year-Old Drowning Victim In Passaic County Reservoir Recovered UPDATE: Body Of 15-Year-Old Drowning Victim In Passaic County Reservoir Recovered
Update: Body Of 15-Year-Old Drowning Victim In Passaic County Reservoir Recovered UPDATE: The body of a 15-year-old boy from Paterson who drowned in a Passaic County reservoir while swimming with friends was recovered Sunday morning, authorities said. "We've notified the family," Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark said after members of the Passaic County sheriff's Search & Recovery SCUBA Team found the body shortly before 10:30 a.m. It was in the area of the Great Notch Reservoir off Old Rifle Camp Road on Garrett Mountain in Woodland Park where his friends had seen him go under -- about 15 to 20 feet from shore -- around 3:45 p.m. Saturday, the mayor said. Tem…
Passaic: Reckless Haledon Driver Who Fled In Aborted Paterson Pursuit Surrenders Passaic: Reckless Haledon Driver Who Fled In Aborted Paterson Pursuit Surrenders
Passaic: Reckless Haledon Driver Who Fled In Aborted Paterson Pursuit Surrenders A reckless driver who sped from a Passaic County sheriff's officer who was prevented from chasing her surrendered several days later to face charges, authorities said. The officer witnessed Vanessa S. Englishman, 22, of Haledon blowing a red light at Belmont Avenue at West Broadway, nearly hitting a truck whose driver was trying to make a turn, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. Englishman's 2013 Hyundai Elantra "continued through the intersection at a high rate of speed, posing an imminent threat to the safety of pedestrians and motorists," Berdnik said. The officer activated hi…
Passaic Sheriff's Narcs Seize 970 Heroin Folds, 4 Oz Of Coke, 5 Lbs Of Pot, Bust Two Passaic Sheriff's Narcs Seize 970 Heroin Folds, 4 Oz Of Coke, 5 Lbs Of Pot, Bust Two
Passaic Sheriff's Narcs Seize 970 Heroin Folds, 4 Oz Of Coke, 5 Lbs Of Pot, Bust Two Passaic County sheriff's detectives seized 970 heroin folds, a quarter-pound of cocaine and five pounds of pot packaged for sale while arresting two men. Bureau of Narcotics members looking to arrest Detravio Saylor, 36, for an earlier drug deal stopped him as he drove from his Prospect Park apartment on North 6th Street to the Paterson border, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Bernik said. In his car they found the coke and pot, along with drug paraphernalia and $980 in proceeds, all of which was seized, Berdnik said. The detectives also arrested Hasan Whitaker, also 36, of Paterson, who the…
Paterson Ex-Con Who Served Time In Shooting Death Of Girl, 12, Busted Selling Drugs Paterson Ex-Con Who Served Time In Shooting Death Of Girl, 12, Busted Selling Drugs
Paterson Ex-Con Who Served Time In Shooting Death Of Girl, 12, Busted Selling Drugs A Paterson ex-con who was involved in the shooting death of a 12-year-old city girl was busted on drug charges. Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said detectives from his Narcotics Bureau watched as Jeffrey Ellerbee -- who'd only just been released from state prison this past March -- sold heroin to a couple at the corner of Vernon Avenue and East Second Street on Tuesday. The investigators stopped the couple's car and arrested them a short distance away, then grabbed Ellerbee, 28, outside his Lakeview Avenue home, the sheriff said. After getting his consent, they searched the home an…
Sheriff: Paterson Ex-Con Nabbed With 2,450 Heroin Folds While Talking To Parole Officers Sheriff: Paterson Ex-Con Nabbed With 2,450 Heroin Folds While Talking To Parole Officers
Sheriff: Paterson Ex-Con Nabbed With 2,450 Heroin Folds While Talking To Parole Officers A Paterson ex-con paroled just months ago is headed back to state prison after Passaic County sheriff’s detectives busted him with 2,450 heroin folds, authorities said. Keith Hill Jr., 28, was actually talking with his parole officers when the investigators pulled up and arrested him outside his home, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. Hill had served 18 months of a combined three-year sentence for a trio of convictions out of Passaic County involving conspiracy assault, threats and a drug count before he was released this past Jan. 4, state records show. Last Thursday, detective…
Passaic Sheriff: Clifton Man Trafficked Child Porn Passaic Sheriff: Clifton Man Trafficked Child Porn
Passaic Sheriff: Clifton Man Trafficked Child Porn A Clifton man was caught trafficking child porn, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said Sunday. Detectives from the sheriff's Internet Crime Against Children Task Force arrested James K. Delillo Jr., 30, after finding images of child sexual abuse sent via an alias email account, Berdnik said. They also seized electronic devices at his Greglawn Drive home that were being analyzed for additional evidence, the sheriff said. Delillo was sent to the Passaic County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson on charges of possession, maintaining and dis…
Passaic Sheriff: Passenger Reaches For Loaded Gun In Paterson Stop, Driver Armed, Too Passaic Sheriff: Passenger Reaches For Loaded Gun In Paterson Stop, Driver Armed, Too
Passaic Sheriff: Passenger Reaches For Loaded Gun In Paterson Stop, Driver Armed, Too Both a Paterson driver and his passenger were carrying loaded guns when a pair of Passaic County sheriff’s officers stopped them, authorities said. Officers Peter Pelle and Angelo Calabro stopped the black Chrysler van North Main Street for several traffic violations, Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. As he exited the van, front-seat passenger Dontre Williams, 19, suddenly reached into his jacket, Berdnik said. Calabro immediately grabbed Williams, patted him down and pulled a 9mm Taurus G3c semi-automatic handgun from the jacket, Berdnik said. As Calabro took him into custody, Pelle grabbed …
Passaic Sheriff's Officers Capture Paterson Ex-Con Charged With Attempted Murder Passaic Sheriff's Officers Capture Paterson Ex-Con Charged With Attempted Murder
Passaic Sheriff's Officers Capture Paterson Ex-Con Charged With Attempted Murder Passaic County sheriff’s officers captured a Paterson ex-con who they said slashed another man’s neck. The 59-year-old victim flagged down a county sheriff’s officer on Grand Street just after noon Thursday, authorities said. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center with a large cut on his neck and was expected to survive, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, and Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said Friday. Sheriff’s officers arrested Hector Santiago, 54, and charged him with attempted murder various weapons offenses, including being a convicted felon in possessi…
Virtual Promotions: 24 Passaic Police Officers, Firefighters Sworn To New Posts Via Zoom Virtual Promotions: 24 Passaic Police Officers, Firefighters Sworn To New Posts Via Zoom
Virtual Promotions: 24 Passaic Police Officers, Firefighters Sworn To New Posts Via Zoom It wasn't the NFL draft, although it looked somewhat like it when two dozen promoted Passaic police officers and firefighters were sworn in to their new positions Monday via Zoom. Mayor Hector Carlos Lora presided over the unprecedented virtual ceremony, during which 19 police officers and five firefighters were officially promoted amid the coronavirus pandemic. The firefighters were delayed but made it to the show after responding to a four-alarm fire on Dayton Avenue during which they and their Clifton colleagues rescued a 4-year-old girl and her mother, Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost. S…