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Elizabeth, NJ

Popular PA BBQ Pitmaster Mike Wister Of NJ Dies From Short Illness Popular PA BBQ Pitmaster Mike Wister Of NJ Dies From Short Illness
Popular PA BBQ Pitmaster Mike Wister Of NJ Dies From Short Illness A Pennsylvania BBQ pitmaster and business owner with roots in New Jersey has died suddenly, according to his obituary posted by Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home. Michael "Mike" C. Wister, 58, originally of Elizabeth, NJ, but most recently of Lansdale, PA, passed away suddenly after a short illness at home on Saturday, Sept. 28, as detailed in his obituary. For 20 years, Mike ran small roadside BBQ stands, then he ran Wister’s Barbecue on Main Street for five years before moving to Broad Street in Lansdale where it's been for over two years, as explained in his obituary.  In his spa…
Stolen NY, NJ Cars Found In Allentown Chop Shop: Lehigh County DA Stolen NY, NJ Cars Found In Allentown Chop Shop: Lehigh County DA
Stolen Cars Found At Allentown Auto Works and Recycling: DA Ten vehicles stolen from locations around New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania were recovered from a chop shop in Allentown — leading to the arrest of the shop's owner on Friday, Sept. 27, according to authorities. Allentown Auto Works & Recycling, owned by Cesar Garcia-Martinez, 34, of Easton, was identified as a chop shop that was dismantling stolen vehicles during an investigation by the Lehigh County Auto Theft Task Force Unit, the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office explained in a release on Monday, Sept. 30. The investigation began when the task force was contacted by Allen…
Driver Hurt After Spinning Out In Wild Tractor Trailer Crash On Route 78: State Police Driver Hurt After Spinning Out In Wild Tractor Trailer Crash On Route 78: State Police
Driver Hurt After Spinning Out In Wild Tractor Trailer Crash On Route 78: State Police Two people were injured including one seriously after a three-vehicle crash involving a pedestrian on Wednesday, May 29 on Route 78 in Hunterdon County, authorities said. A tractor-trailer was parked and unoccupied on the right shoulder on Route 78 West in Lebanon when a Subaru driven by a 60-year-old Northampton, PA woman entered the area and struck the left rear of the truck just after 9 a.m., New Jersey State Police said.  The crash caused the Subaru to spin out and hit a Volkswagen passenger car traveling in the right lane, police said.  As a result of the crash, the tractor-…
52 Arrested In 'Elaborate' Cockfighting Ring In South Jersey: Police 52 Arrested In 'Elaborate' Cockfighting Ring In South Jersey: Police
52 Arrested In 'Elaborate' Cockfighting Ring In South Jersey: Police More than 50 people were arrested after police broke up a large cockfighting ring in Atlantic County, authorities said. Galloway Township police executed a search warrant at a home on the 300 block of South Bremen Avenue on Saturday, Mar. 9, the department said in a news release. When officers arrived, a large group of people were there and many tried to run away before they were detained. Investigators found an "elaborate cockfighting operation" that included a fighting ring, seating for spectators, and several cockfighting kits. About 50 roosters were found in "various degrees of health" …
Thieves Stole 580 Gallons Of Diesel From PA Truck Stop, Say Troopers Thieves Stole 580 Gallons Of Diesel From PA Truck Stop, Say Troopers
Thieves Stole 580 Gallons Of Diesel From PA Truck Stop, Say Troopers Two New Jersey men are accused of stealing hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel in a string of heists at a Berks County truck stop.  Dariel M. Vizcaino, 31, and Dagoberto M. Sosa, 32, are each charged with retail theft and related counts, said state troopers in a release.  Authorities believe the pair took 580 gallons of diesel — or $2,780 worth of fuel — during three separate robberies at the Love's Truck Stop in Hamburg.  Investigators say they used a box truck fitted with 150-gallon saddlebag fuel tanks to haul the diesel away. They also had a "false front" instal…
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 Politico Gets 24 Years, No Parole, For Hiring Hit Men Who Killed, Burned Longtime Associate NJ Politico Gets 24 Years, No Parole, For Hiring Hit Men Who Killed, Burned Longtime Associate
NJ Politico Gets 24 Years, No Parole, For Hiring Hit Men Who Killed, Burned Longtime Associate UPDATE: A New Jersey political consultant was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for hiring two hitmen to kill a longtime associate from Hudson County. Sean Caddle, 45, of Hamburg, will have to serve just about all of the plea-bargained sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Caddle, a former aide to former State Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth), admitted last year that he paid the killers to whack Michael Galdieri, the son of former State Sen. James Galdieri (D-Jersey City) and a prominent figure in local Hudson County politics. Galdieri, 52, who'd worked for…
NJ Native ID'd After Deadly Multi-Vehicle Crash On Route 30 In PA: Coroner NJ Native ID'd After Deadly Multi-Vehicle Crash On Route 30 In PA: Coroner
NJ Native ID'd After Deadly Multi-Vehicle Crash On Route 30 In PA: Coroner A 45-year-old New Jersey native has been identified as the man killed in a three-vehicle crash on US Route 30 in Pennsylvania, authorities announced on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.  Hassan Burgess Folkes originally from Camden, NJ but most recently from Lancaster, PA died at the scene of the York County crash near the Wrightsville exit at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, 2023, according to the York County Coroner. Hassan was driving west on Rt. 30 when he lost control for an unknown reason, crossing the median, slamming into two other vehicles, and his vehicle landed on its roof in the e…
UPDATE: Aging Career Criminal Gets 16 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico UPDATE: Aging Career Criminal Gets 16 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico
Update: Aging Career Criminal Gets 16 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico An aging Connecticut ex-con would have to turn 90 to taste freedom again after he was sentenced for stabbing a political consultant to death and then torching his Jersey City apartment in a murder-for-hire hit with a longtime crony from Philadelphia. The odds are stacked against George Bratsenis, 74, of Monroe, who reportedly has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. There's also no parole in the federal prison system. Unless he’s granted a compassionate release for health reasons, Bratsenis will have to serve just about all of the plea-bargained 16-year sentence approved by …
UPDATE: Admitted Hit Man From Philly Gets 20 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico UPDATE: Admitted Hit Man From Philly Gets 20 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico
Update: Admitted Hit Man From Philly Gets 20 Years In Bizarre Murder-For-Hire Of NJ Politico A currently incarcerated career criminal from Philadelphia was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the contract killing of a veteran campaign consultant in New Jersey. Bomani Africa, 62, previously admitted accepting payment from former political operative Sean Caddle to whack former associate Michael Galdieri. Galdieri, the 52-year-old son of former State Sen. James Galdieri (D-Jersey City), was stabbed to death in his Jersey City apartment, which was then set on fire, in May 2014. The killing had publicly remained a cold case until January 2022, when Caddle pleaded guilty in U.S…
23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds 23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds
23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds More than 23,000 doses of fentanyl, nearly 30 homemade firearms and a host of parts designed to create fully-automatic machine guns were seized in the takedown of a drug and gun trafficking network run by New Jersey members of the Latin Kings, federal authorities announced. Nine reputed members of the ring were charged with a variety of drug and weapon offenses that include creating and selling private-made firearms (PMFs), more commonly known as “ghost guns," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. PMFs were actually being made on 3D printers at the moment law enforcers raided one of sever…
GOTCHA! Gunman Who Carjacked Couple Captured Thanks To Police Drone: NJ Authorities GOTCHA! Gunman Who Carjacked Couple Captured Thanks To Police Drone: NJ Authorities
Gotcha! Gunman Who Carjacked Couple Captured Thanks To Police Drone: NJ Authorities A gunman who carjacked a couple waiting to pick up food outside an Elizabeth restaurant was captured by police thanks to a Newark police drone that followed their Mercedes to Jersey City, authorities said. Rahmel Belle, 22, of Jersey City, and another man were both wearing masks when they got out of a car behind the couple on Morris Avenue around 7:30 p.m. this past April 23, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. Pointing a grey handgun with a laser at them, Belle ordered the victims out of the Mercedes and took their keys, cellphones and other valuables – as well as $…
Ex-Con Fugitive From NJ Caught With Guns, Drugs, Ammo Faces Lengthy Federal Prison Stretch Ex-Con Fugitive From NJ Caught With Guns, Drugs, Ammo Faces Lengthy Federal Prison Stretch
Ex-Con Fugitive From NJ Caught With Guns, Drugs, Ammo Faces Lengthy Federal Prison Stretch Cedric Lewis had been out of state prison all of two months when detectives from the Essex County Sheriff's Office learned that he'd armed himself with a rifle, two pistols and a pair of extended magazines while selling heroin and cocaine. With the heat on, the Bloomfield ex-con headed south. Three months later, deputy U.S. marshals in Atlanta had him in custody. Lewis, 29, will be headed to federal prison for a much longer stretch than before after taking a deal from the government. Lewis pleaded guilty via videoconference with a federal judge in Newark on Thursday, July 28,  to two …
Ex-BF Gets Plea-Bargained 30 Years For Killing NJ Mom, Abducting Son Ex-BF Gets Plea-Bargained 30 Years For Killing NJ Mom, Abducting Son
Ex-BF Gets Plea-Bargained 30 Years For Killing NJ Mom, Abducting Son UPDATE: A New Jersey man who admitted killing his former girlfriend, kidnapping their young son and fleeing to Tennessee last summer was sentenced to a plea-bargained 30 years in state prison, authorities said. Tyler Rios, 28, must serve 25½ years before he’ll be eligible for parole under the deal brokered with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office for killing 24-year-old Yasemin Uyar, taking his son with him as he drove her body to Tennessee in the trunk of her car and dumping the corpse in a field there on July 8, 2021. That means he’d still be in his early 50s when he’s eventually releas…
Major Drug Trafficker Admits Shipping 40 Pounds Of Heroin From Cali To NJ On Car Carrier Major Drug Trafficker Admits Shipping 40 Pounds Of Heroin From Cali To NJ On Car Carrier
Major Drug Trafficker Admits Shipping 40 Pounds Of Heroin From Cali To NJ On Car Carrier UPDATE: A major drug trafficker from Somerset County who led investigators on a high-speed chase admitted moving massive amounts of heroin into New Jersey, federal authorities said. Authorities targeted William T. Bouza, 45, of Watchung, in early 2019 after intercepting 33 pounds of heroin stashed in a secret compartment of a Mercedes shipped on a car carrier to New Jersey from California, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Bouza was waiting for the drugs in Union but bolted after sensing something fishy, an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Newark says. The following mont…
Five From NJ Charged With Pocketing More Than $1M From Aircraft Equipment Scam Five From NJ Charged With Pocketing More Than $1M From Aircraft Equipment Scam
Five From NJ Charged With Pocketing More Than $1M From Aircraft Equipment Scam A crew of con artists from New Jersey swindled more than $1 million from businesses nationwide that thought they were buying aircraft equipment and replacement parts, state authorities charged. For five years, the thieves cut deals online for the purported sale of specialized equipment, including airline ground support parts and hydraulic jacks, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. As soon as the payments arrived, members of the crew either made a bunch of cash withdrawals or slid the money into a Somerset County accomplice's account, Platkin said. The buyers got bup…
More Students Come Forward In NJ Drama Teacher’s Child Sex Case, Total Reaches Six More Students Come Forward In NJ Drama Teacher’s Child Sex Case, Total Reaches Six
More Students Come Forward In NJ Drama Teacher’s Child Sex Case, Total Reaches Six UPDATE: Five more male students have come forward since a retired drama teacher and theater director at a New Jersey middle school was accused last year of sexually abusing another youngster, authorities announced. Ronald E. Wells, 70, of Summit originally was arrested in June 2021 for allegedly fondling a student after luring him to a private third-floor room at the Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School in 2016, authorities said at the time (SEE: Retired Union County Middle School Theater Director Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student). A joint investigation by Summit police and detectiv…
Career Criminal From Connecticut, 73, Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire Of Jersey City Politico Career Criminal From Connecticut, 73, Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire Of Jersey City Politico
Career Criminal From Connecticut, 73, Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire Of Jersey City Politico A hardened ex-con from Connecticut admitted that he and a longtime criminal pal from Philadelphia stabbed a political consultant to death and then torched his Jersey City apartment in a murder-for-hire attack. George Bratsenis, 73, of Monroe, CT said he and his partner were paid to whack Michael Galdieri, the son of former State Sen. James Galdieri (D-Jersey City) and a prominent figure in local Hudson County politics. Bratsenis and the other killer, Bomani Africa, 61, were hired by onetime political operative Sean Caddle, who’d been an aide to former State Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) a…
NJ: Elderly Siblings With 8th-Grade Educations Swindled In $500,000 Investment Scam NJ: Elderly Siblings With 8th-Grade Educations Swindled In $500,000 Investment Scam
NJ: Elderly Siblings With 8th-Grade Educations Swindled In $500,000 Investment Scam A former investment adviser swindled four elderly New Jersey customers out of $529,780 that he used for gambling, meals and car payments, state authorities said. Three of the victims conned by Mario E. Rivero, Jr. were elderly siblings who had eighth-grade educations, couldn't speak or read English and had "diminished capacity," Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Monday, March 14. Rivero -- who'd known the siblings for more than 10 years before becoming their financial professional -- told them and others that their money "would be invested in his mother's and fr…
Feds: Hit Man From Philly Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire For NJ Political Operative Feds: Hit Man From Philly Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire For NJ Political Operative
Feds: Hit Man From Philly Admits Committing Murder-For-Hire For NJ Political Operative A Philadelphia resident admitted Wednesday that he was one of the two hit men paid by a onetime New Jersey political operative to kill a former associate. Bomani Africa, 61, who has a criminal history that includes convictions for robbery and drug-related crime, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire via videoconference with a federal judge in Newark, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger announced. People immediately began wondering who the hired killers were after Sean Caddle, 44, admitted on Tuesday that he paid them to whack Michael Galdieri, the son of forme…
MURDER FOR HIRE: NJ Political Operative Admits Paying Hit Men To Kill Longtime Associate MURDER FOR HIRE: NJ Political Operative Admits Paying Hit Men To Kill Longtime Associate
Murder FOR Hire: NJ Political Operative Admits Paying Hit Men To Kill Longtime Associate A New Jersey-based political consultant admitted Tuesday that he hired two hitmen to kill a longtime associate from Hudson County who had worked for him on various election campaigns, federal authorities said. Sean Caddle, 44, a former aide to former State Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) paid the killers -- one from Connecticut, the other from Pennsylvania -- to get rid of Michael Galdieri, the son of former State Sen. James Galdieri (D-Jersey City) and a prominent figure in local Hudson County politics. Galdieri, 52, was stabbed to death in May 2014 before his Jersey City apartmen…
Pagans Shoot At Hells Angel On NJ Turnpike After Baseball Bat Bar Brawl, Feds Charge Pagans Shoot At Hells Angel On NJ Turnpike After Baseball Bat Bar Brawl, Feds Charge
Pagans Shoot At Hells Angel On NJ Turnpike After Baseball Bat Bar Brawl, Feds Charge Two high-ranking members of the Pagans who were beaten with baseball bats in a barroom brawl sought revenge by shooting at one of the Hells Angels on the New Jersey Turnpike, federal authorities charged. Larry "Savage" Ortiz, 31, of Elizabeth, and Junius "Jayo" Aquino, aka 38, of Vauxhall, were in a Verona bar when they were attacked on Oct. 21, 2020, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. A week later, the pair shot at an associate of the rival biker gang "in retaliation for the Verona assault," an indictment returned by a grand jury in Newark charges. The indictment retur…
Fugitive Wanted For NJ Bank, Convenience Store Robberies Captured On Route 80 In Nebraska Fugitive Wanted For NJ Bank, Convenience Store Robberies Captured On Route 80 In Nebraska
Fugitive Wanted For NJ Bank, Convenience Store Robberies Captured On Route 80 In Nebraska An Elizabeth fugitive wanted for robbing a bank and two convenience stores in New Jersey at gunpoint was captured following a high-speed stolen car chase on Route 80 in Nebraska, federal authorities said Friday. Dayshawn Brimfield, 30, was carrying evidence of his deeds when he crashed and was taken into custody by state troopers on the westbound interstate near Lincoln on April 25, NE, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. He was later extradited to New Jersey and brought before a federal judge via videoconference on Friday. Brimfield became a fugitive after robbing a TD …
Feds: Southern Couple Ran Guns Later Seized In Crimes Into NJ Feds: Southern Couple Ran Guns Later Seized In Crimes Into NJ
Feds: Southern Couple Ran Guns Later Seized In Crimes Into NJ Three guns recovered in separate crimes in Elizabeth were bought by a South Carolina woman who smuggled them into New Jersey with a convicted felon as her partner, federal authorities charged. One of the weapons traced to Christina Lanette Williams and Fuquan Haafiz Ali Bowers was found at the scene of a shooting, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael A. Honig said. Another was seized from a juvenile, while the third was recovered from a convicted felon, she said. A federal magistrated judge in South Carolina released both Williams and Bowers on $25,000 unsecured bond following thei…
Murder, Kidnapping Indictment Returned Against NJ Man Accused Of Killing Ex-GF, Abducting Son Murder, Kidnapping Indictment Returned Against NJ Man Accused Of Killing Ex-GF, Abducting Son
Murder, Kidnapping Indictment Returned Against NJ Man Accused Of Killing Ex-GF, Abducting Son UPDATE: The next step in the high-profile prosecution of an East Orange man accused of killing his former girlfriend and kidnapping their young son this summer was taken when a Union County grand jury indicted him on murder and other charges, authorities said. The six-count indictment returned by grand jurors in Elizabeth also charges Tyler Rios, 27, with desecrating the remains of 24-year-old Yasemin Uyar of Rahway after killing her. Authorities began searching for Uyar and Sebastian Rios on July 8 after he didn’t show up for daycare and she didn't arrive for scheduled work shifts. Tyler…
Mom Of Abducted NJ Boy Found Dead In Tennessee Mom Of Abducted NJ Boy Found Dead In Tennessee
Mom Of Abducted NJ Boy Found Dead In Tennessee UPDATE; A New Jersey mom who’d gone missing after she and her 2-year-old son were abducted by the child’s father was found dead in Tennessee, authorities confirmed Sunday. The family of 24-year-old Yasmine Uyar of Rahway first disclosed the news late Saturday. Young Sebastian Rios had been found unharmed at a family member's home in Monterey, Tennessee, late Friday. Here's how it went: FBI, Local Law Enforcers Nab NJ Fugitive, Rescue Boy, Find Mom’s Body His father, Tyler Rios, 27, of Highland Park was also captured, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Rahway Police Dep…
Feds: Online NJ 'Romeo' Conned Woman Out Of $300,000 Feds: Online NJ 'Romeo' Conned Woman Out Of $300,000
Feds: Online NJ 'Romeo' Conned Woman Out Of $300,000 She met him on an Internet word game, then gave him her heart. Before she knew it, he’d taken more than $300,000 of her money. And she didn’t even know who her online Romeo really was. Eseosa Obaseki, 36, of Linden, was trying to dodge justice when FBI agents grabbed him this week at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, authorities said. Obaseki used a bogus persona to reach out to the Washington State victim in late winter/early spring of 2019, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Their online exchanges continued for a couple of months before Obaseki “convinced [her] of his rom…
US Marshals Capture NJ Man Wanted On Murder Charge In Pennsylvania US Marshals Capture NJ Man Wanted On Murder Charge In Pennsylvania
US Marshals Capture NJ Man Wanted On Murder Charge In Pennsylvania An Elizabeth man wanted on murder charges was captured by members of the US Marshals Service in Pennsylvania, authorities said Wednesday. Michael Rogers, 23, is accused of shooting 32-year-old Antwoine Thompson on April 26, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo, Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca, and city Police Director Earl Graves said. Thompson was rushed to the hospital after being shot near Second and Bond streets, and died later that day, authorities said. Meanwhile, Rogers was identified as a suspect and charged June 10. He was arrested without incident in Wilkes…
Feds, Locals Smash Burglary Crew That Targeted Asians In NJ, PA Feds, Locals Smash Burglary Crew That Targeted Asians In NJ, PA
Feds, Locals Smash Burglary Crew That Targeted Asians In NJ, PA A second-story burglary crew whose methods were based on “stereotype and opportunity” worked from a hit list of more than 50 homes owned by Asians in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, federal authorities charged Tuesday. Local, state and federal law enforcement authorities who teamed up to smash the ring found notes in the defendants’ cars “containing the home addresses of individuals of Asian descent with derogatory descriptive terms to identify the ethnicity of the homeowners,” Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael A. Honig said. Crew members got those addresses by breaking into the vict…
NJ: State Prison ‘Hit Squad’ Run By Latin King Targeted Inmates, Corrections Investigators NJ: State Prison ‘Hit Squad’ Run By Latin King Targeted Inmates, Corrections Investigators
NJ: State Prison ‘Hit Squad’ Run By Latin King Targeted Inmates, Corrections Investigators Members of a state prison hit squad assembled by a Latin Kings leader beat one fellow inmate and were about to attack another when corrections officials got wind of their plans, New Jersey's top law enforcement officer said Thursday. Working from the outside, Frank “Lafay” Blake, 33, of Hillside recruited eight inmates for his shank-armed crew at various correctional facilities, including Northern State Prison in Newark and New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. Blake, the reputed leader of the Elizabeth chapter of the Almighty Latin King and Queen…