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Office of Public Integrity and Accountability

Former Wildwood Mayor Admits To Healthcare Fraud, NJ Attorney General Says Former Wildwood Mayor Admits To Healthcare Fraud, NJ Attorney General Says
Former Wildwood Mayor Admits To Healthcare Fraud, NJ Attorney General Says A former mayor of Wildwood admitted to his role in a healthcare fraud scheme that stole more than $600,000 in government funds, authorities said. Peter Byron, 68, pleaded guilty to three charges on Friday, Sept. 27, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a news release on Monday, Sept. 30. Byron resigned as mayor in September 2023 after he was indicted in the case. According to court documents and statements, Byron, current Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr., and Deputy Mayor Steve Mikulski enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) despite being ineligible. The SHBP is only open…
SLEAZEBAG: NJ Case Worker Admits Groping Clients, Sexting Wank Pics, Threatening To Take Kids SLEAZEBAG: NJ Case Worker Admits Groping Clients, Sexting Wank Pics, Threatening To Take Kids
Sleazebag: NJ Case Worker Admits Groping Clients, Sexting Wank Pics, Threatening To Take Kids It’s about as low as someone who works in child welfare services can go. A now-former case worker with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families admitted groping women he was investigating, sending unwanted masturbation pics and threatening to have children taken from those who didn’t go out with him, authorities said on Friday. Gilberto Ortiz Jr., a 53-year-old bilingual family services specialist, told a mom he was investigating that he’d “help her” if she had a relationship with him, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. Ortiz warned the woman during a home visi…
Grand Jury Backs Detective In Pursuit Crash That Killed Mercer Scooter Rider, 21 Grand Jury Backs Detective In Pursuit Crash That Killed Mercer Scooter Rider, 21
Grand Jury Backs Detective In Pursuit Crash That Killed Mercer Scooter Rider, 21 A Hamilton Township police detective did nothing wrong when he tried to stop a scooter rider from Trenton who was killed moments later in a crash, a state grand jury has found. Francis De La Cruz Abad, 21, was operating a Yamaha scooter near the intersection of Route 33 and Whitehorse-Mercerville Road when Detective Brian Davis, driving an unmarked vehicle, tried to stop him shortly after 9 p.m. May 25, 2021. The reason for the stop wasn't specified. De La Cruz Abad “continued traveling westbound on Route 33 and collided with a Dodge Caravan, whose driver was attempting to turn left into t…
Officer Facing Long Recovery, Suspect In South Jersey Police Shooting ID'd Officer Facing Long Recovery, Suspect In South Jersey Police Shooting ID'd
Officer Facing Long Recovery, Suspect In South Jersey Police Shooting ID'd UPDATE: Authorities identified a civilian killed during a struggle in which a South Jersey police officer was shot as a 24-year-old local resident. Ring video from the Gloucester County neighborhood reportedly captured a significant portion of the incident. Mitchell Negron Jr., 24, first ran and then struggled with Deptford Police Officer Robert Shisler after being approached on dead-ended Delsea Drive shortly after 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 10, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. "Both individuals were shot in the area of Doman Avenue," Platkin said on Sunday. Negron wa…
Civilian Shot At South Jersey Turnpike Rest Stop 'In Presence Of' State Police, US Marshals Civilian Shot At South Jersey Turnpike Rest Stop 'In Presence Of' State Police, US Marshals
Civilian Shot At South Jersey Turnpike Rest Stop 'In Presence Of' State Police, US Marshals A SWAT team was at a New Jersey Turnpike rest stop where state authorities said a male civilian was shot "in the presence of law enforcement." Authorities haven't identified the man, disclosed his condition or specified why and how he was wounded at the Clara Barton Service Area near the turnpike's southernmost in Salem County's Pedricktown shortly after 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28. The incident "involved members of the New Jersey State Police and the United States Marshals Service," a four-sentence release from State Attorney General Matthew Platkin's Office says. No officers reportedly we…
UPDATE: Police-Involved Shooting Death Of South Jersey Man Under Mandatory State Review UPDATE: Police-Involved Shooting Death Of South Jersey Man Under Mandatory State Review
Update: Police-Involved Shooting Death Of South Jersey Man Under Mandatory State Review The death of a South Jersey man in a confrontation with police is under a mandatory review by an arm of the state Attorney General's Office, authorities said. Daniel Nevius Sr., 55, of Sicklerville, was shot and killed in a wooded area of the Gloucester County town of Deptford on Sunday, Jan. 22. Officers confronted Nevius at a location on Fox Run Road in response to a 911 call shortly before 1:30 p.m., according to a release from NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin's office. They were joined there by New Jersey State Police troopers, neighbors said. A short time later, Deptford Police…
FATAL SHOOTOUT: West New York Gunman Fires Point-Blank At Police, Shot Dead In Exchange (VIDEO) FATAL SHOOTOUT: West New York Gunman Fires Point-Blank At Police, Shot Dead In Exchange (VIDEO)
Fatal Shootout: West New York Gunman Fires Point-Blank At Police, Shot Dead In Exchange (Video) Dramatic footage shows a fully-armed man shooting point-blank at West New York police, then being shot dead himself. The incident is captured in a compilation of police bodycam footage and home surveillance video released late Tuesday, Sept. 6, by Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. Several uniformed officers responding to a domestic dispute at the 59th Street home of Kevin Colindres, 32, of West New York on June 3, 2022 had their body cameras activated, Platkin said. Home security cameras in the neighborhood were working, as well. Bodycam footage video recorded throug…
Current, Former Wildwood Mayors, Commissioner Charged With Scamming Health Benefits Program Current, Former Wildwood Mayors, Commissioner Charged With Scamming Health Benefits Program
Current, Former Wildwood Mayors, Commissioner Charged With Scamming Health Benefits Program The city of Wildwood’s former and current mayor and a city commissioner broke the law – committing “breaches of the public trust” -- by collecting health benefits that they didn’t earn, state authorities said Friday. Wildwood Mayor Peter J. Byron, former Mayor Ernest V. Troiano Jr., and current City Commissioner Steven E. Mikulski were charged criminally for fraudulently participating in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. In order to be eligible for the benefits, they needed to be full-time employees “whose hours of work are…
NJSP Sergeant Justified In Shooting NY State Man During Furious GS Parkway Struggle Over Gun NJSP Sergeant Justified In Shooting NY State Man During Furious GS Parkway Struggle Over Gun
Njsp Sergeant Justified In Shooting NY State Man During Furious GS Parkway Struggle Over Gun A New Jersey State Police sergeant was justified in fatally shooting a New York State man who jumped him and tried taking his gun during a furious struggle on the shoulder of the Garden State Parkway, a grand jury has found. NJSP Staff Sgt. Randall Wetzel ended what had been a series of interactions between Maurice Gordon, 28, of Poughkeepsie, NY and law enforcers in Brick Township, Waretown, Stafford and, ultimately, Bass River in Burlington County, in an encounter two years ago that was captured on video. New Jersey law required a grand jury review of the incident despite the circumstance…
NJ Police Can Now Pursue Stolen Vehicles, AG Says NJ Police Can Now Pursue Stolen Vehicles, AG Says
NJ Police Can Now Pursue Stolen Vehicles, AG Says Police in New Jersey can now pursue stolen vehicle thieves, state Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced on Friday, April 29. Officers and officials at all levels of law enforcement in New Jersey welcomed the news -- with one caveat: A repeal or readjustment of bail reform must be next. Platkin's move, which is effective immediately, reverses a policy update made by his predecessor, Gurbir S. Grewal, in December 2020. "Based upon recommendations from Law enforcement executives, county prosecutors and OPIA (Office of Public Integrity and Accountability) staff, I have dete…
US Marshal Justified In Killing Armed Fugitive In Paterson Wanted For Ex-GF's NYC Murder US Marshal Justified In Killing Armed Fugitive In Paterson Wanted For Ex-GF's NYC Murder
US Marshal Justified In Killing Armed Fugitive In Paterson Wanted For Ex-GF's NYC Murder A U.S. Marshal was justified in killing a fugitive ex-con who fired a shot at him and fellow officers in a Paterson apartment, a New Jersey grand jury has found. A loaded 9mm handgun was found near the body of Malik Canty after he was taken out by members of the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force in a second-floor Hamilton Avenue apartment, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. Canty, a 36-year-old Bloods gang member, was wanted by the NYPD for the brutal beating death of his sometimes-girlfriend on a Harlem street. Canty wasn’t in the front room…
ONLY IN JERSEY: Convicted Paterson Mayor Busted For Illegally Trying To Run Again ONLY IN JERSEY: Convicted Paterson Mayor Busted For Illegally Trying To Run Again
Only IN Jersey: Convicted Paterson Mayor Busted For Illegally Trying To Run Again People told former Paterson Mayor Joey Torres that he couldn't run for mayor again after being convicted of corruption in office. He wasn't listening, though. That changed on Friday, March 11, when state authorities announced that they'd charged Torres, 63, with criminal contempt. “State law provides that any person convicted of a crime involving their public office will be forever barred from holding another public position in New Jersey,” Acting New Jersey Attorney General Platkin said. “To promote public trust and integrity in government, we must ensure that this law and the court orders…
NJ Correctional Officer Admits Assaulting, Breaking Wrist Of Detainee, 16, With No Cause NJ Correctional Officer Admits Assaulting, Breaking Wrist Of Detainee, 16, With No Cause
NJ Correctional Officer Admits Assaulting, Breaking Wrist Of Detainee, 16, With No Cause UPDATE: A retiring New Jersey correctional officer admitted breaking the wrist of a detainee during an unprovoked attack at a state facility for juvenile offenders, authorities said. Lt. Edward Day, 52, of Paulsboro, assaulted the 16-year-old without cause or justification at the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission's medium-security facility in Bordentown on Oct. 25, 2020, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. The boy had his arms handcuffed behind his back during a transfer from his room to another location at the facility when Day "grabbed the victim’s ankle from …
Officer-Involved Shooting At Apartment Complex Near Princeton Undergoes State Review Officer-Involved Shooting At Apartment Complex Near Princeton Undergoes State Review
Officer-Involved Shooting At Apartment Complex Near Princeton Undergoes State Review A knife-wielding man was shot and killed by law enforcement officers at a Plainsboro housing complex, state authorities said. The shooting occurred on Ravens Crest Drive at the Crest at Princeton Meadows Apartment Complex off Plainsboro Road between Routes 1 and 130 during what witnesses said began as the serving of an eviction notice around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16. "Law enforcement officers, including members of the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office, were outside a residence when they encountered the decedent," Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. "During …
Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection
Grand Jury: Police Justified Shooting Fleeing Driver Who Pointed Gun On NJ Highway Intersection UPDATE: Police were justified in shooting a fleeing motorist when he pointed a gun at them at a convergence of highways in Wayne, a state grand jury has found. Bradley G. Pullman, 48, of Queens is seen on dashcam video pointing the gun out of his Lexus sedan following a high-speed chase that ended at the “spaghetti bowl” intersection of Route 46, 23 and 80 near the Willowbrook Mall. The video was among the evidence reviewed by the grand jury, along with witness testimony, reports and autopsy results, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. Grand jury reviews are mandated p…
NJ Correctional Officer Charged With Raping Female Inmate NJ Correctional Officer Charged With Raping Female Inmate
NJ Correctional Officer Charged With Raping Female Inmate A correctional officer from Jersey City was arrested Wednesday and charged with raping an inmate at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. Tyrell Harris-McLaughlin, 28, was charged with sexual assault and official misconduct in connection with the Sept. 16 incident at the troubled Union Township state prison, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck and Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson said in a joint release. The charges were filed during an investigation by Bruck’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Off…
South Jersey Man Killed In Police Shooting Had Reported Gunman On His Property, AG Says South Jersey Man Killed In Police Shooting Had Reported Gunman On His Property, AG Says
South Jersey Man Killed In Police Shooting Had Reported Gunman On His Property, AG Says UPDATE: A South Jersey man who was killed in a police-involved shooting last month had called 911 to report a trespasser on his property wielding a gun, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck revealed Wednesday. Two Mantua Township police officers responded to a 911 call at the Elm Avenue home of Charles Sharp III, 49, shortly after 1:30 a.m. Sept 14, Bruck said. Sharp had called police to report that several people were trespassing on his property, including someone armed with a gun, the attorney general said. He was shot by one of the officers when they encountered him outs…
Officer Cleared In Shooting NJ Shore Man Who Rushed Him With Knife At Scene Of Fatal Stabbing Officer Cleared In Shooting NJ Shore Man Who Rushed Him With Knife At Scene Of Fatal Stabbing
Officer Cleared In Shooting NJ Shore Man Who Rushed Him With Knife At Scene Of Fatal Stabbing A local police officer was justified in shooting a Jersey Shore man who charged at him with a knife at a murder scene while yelling "just kill me!" a grand jury has found. Charles Tsakiris, 38, opened the door of his Walnut Street home in Farmingdale with the knife in his right hand at 10:45 p.m. Oct. 18, police bodycam footage shows. Farmingdale doesn’t have its own police force, so a Howell Township police officer responded to a 911 call of a "person claiming to be dying after being stabbed by his brother," according to police records. Tsakiris was clad only in briefs as he opened his do…
OBSESSION: NJSP Trooper Headed To Prison For Stalking Female Driver OBSESSION: NJSP Trooper Headed To Prison For Stalking Female Driver
Obsession: Njsp Trooper Headed To Prison For Stalking Female Driver A New Jersey state trooper will be sentenced to a year without parole in state prison and lose his job after admitting that he stalked a female driver while on duty and disabled his dashcam to cover it up. Trooper Michael Patterson, 30, had pulled the victim over twice and then followed her home to hit on her, an indictment returned by a grand jury in Trenton had charged. Patterson took a deal from prosecutors and pleaded guilty Monday in Superior Court in New Brunswick to tampering with public records rather than risk trial, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. In exch…
Video Released Of Atlantic City Bicyclist Struck, Killed In Police Car Crash Video Released Of Atlantic City Bicyclist Struck, Killed In Police Car Crash
Video Released Of Atlantic City Bicyclist Struck, Killed In Police Car Crash State authorities released surveillance video from up the street of a bicyclist struck and killed in a crash with an Atlantic City police car. The officer was “responding to a routine call for service in a marked patrol vehicle, with no lights or siren activated” when the crash occurred in the intersection of Arkansas and Arctic avenues around 8:30 p.m. June 18, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. Everett Stern, 63, was riding past traffic stopped at a red light when the police cruiser entered the intersection and his bicycle slammed into the driver’s side, Bruck said. …
Grand Jury: Trenton PD Had To Shoot To Stop Man Pointing Gun Grand Jury: Trenton PD Had To Shoot To Stop Man Pointing Gun
Grand Jury: Trenton PD Had To Shoot To Stop Man Pointing Gun Trenton police were justified in shooting a man who pointed an airsoft gun at them, a grand jury has found. Two separate 911 calls of a suicidal man threatening to harm himself came in to police on March 14, 2019, state Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. The responding officers were joined by two others who’d been called to the same North Olden Avenue more than four hours earlier, he said. “If you come in here, I’ll shoot you,” Jason Williams, 42, told the officers, Bruck said. “Concerned for Mr. Williams’ safety, officers opened the door to check on him,” the attorney general…
Grand Jury: Police Didn't Cause Death Of Fleeing Route 80 Driver Struck By Tractor-Trailer Grand Jury: Police Didn't Cause Death Of Fleeing Route 80 Driver Struck By Tractor-Trailer
Grand Jury: Police Didn't Cause Death Of Fleeing Route 80 Driver Struck By Tractor-Trailer Montville police did nothing wrong during a traffic stop on Route 80 in which the driver suddenly ran onto the highway, where he was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer, a grand jury has found. Kevin Cruz, 25, of Black River, NY, was pronounced dead shortly after being struck on the westbound side of the interstate highway around 2:30 a.m. Aug. 22, 2019. Cruz – formerly of the Bronx -- was speaking with a lieutenant and two backup officers when he ran into the roadway and was struck, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck (inset photo above) said Tuesday. SEE: Tractor-T…
Driver Who Set Himself On Fire During Bayonne Police Pursuit Dies Driver Who Set Himself On Fire During Bayonne Police Pursuit Dies
Driver Who Set Himself On Fire During Bayonne Police Pursuit Dies UPDATE: A driver who set himself on fire while being pursued by Bayonne police has died, authorities said. Officers in an unmarked vehicle activated their lights and siren in an attempt to pull over the as-yet unidentified driver for several violations in the area of 54th Street and Broadway shortly before 11 p.m. July 13, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. The driver kept going, heading west on 50th Street before eventually turning down dead-ended 52nd Street, he said. Officers approached the vehicle after he stopped and repeatedly ordered him out, Bruck said. The d…
HEROES: Officers Justified In Gunning Down Heavily Armed Irvington Killer, Grand Jury Finds HEROES: Officers Justified In Gunning Down Heavily Armed Irvington Killer, Grand Jury Finds
Heroes: Officers Justified In Gunning Down Heavily Armed Irvington Killer, Grand Jury Finds A New Jersey grand jury has cleared a trio of hero police officers from Irvington who gunned down a rifle-wielding man after he'd killed an unarmed civilian and wounded two of them. Kaizen Crossen, 39, had shot and killed Jason Caudle, a father of two, point-blank in the chest when responding officers confronted him in the 300 block of Myrtle Avenue on Aug. 8, 2019, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Thursday. Crossen, who was wearing an Army fatigue vest filled with ammunition, exchanged gunfire with the officers before shots to his shoulder and thigh brought him down, Grewal sai…
New Jersey AG Releases Bodycam Video Of Knife-Wielding Bayonne Man Shot Dead By Police New Jersey AG Releases Bodycam Video Of Knife-Wielding Bayonne Man Shot Dead By Police
New Jersey AG Releases Bodycam Video Of Knife-Wielding Bayonne Man Shot Dead By Police VIDEO: New Jersey's chief law enforcement official on Tuesday released video from three different body cameras that he said captured the shooting death by Bayonne police of a knife-wielding man in his home. Uniformed officers had gone to the West 1st Street home on a 6:30 a.m. call of a domestic disturbance on June 7, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. Video shows them being met by a woman whom sources said was the mother of Lee Waskiewicz, 47, with whom she lived. She escorts the officers in and calls Waskiewicz down from the third floor. Seeing police, Waskiewicz  goes "…
Police Bodycam Footage Shows Arrest Of Trenton Man Who Died Weeks Later At Hospital Police Bodycam Footage Shows Arrest Of Trenton Man Who Died Weeks Later At Hospital
Police Bodycam Footage Shows Arrest Of Trenton Man Who Died Weeks Later At Hospital New Jersey's chief law enforcement official on Thursday released police bodycam footage of the arrest of a 64-year-old Trenton man who died 18 days later in the hospital. Joseph Ahr Sr., 64, was already being restrained by three police officers when a fourth pepper-sprayed him in the face last July 6, video released by state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal shows. “I can’t breathe,” Ahr says over and again, both before and after the officers got him up and sat him handcuffed on the front steps of his Monmouth Street house following a seconds-long struggle. They had responded there followi…
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…
Married State Police Couple Lied About Jersey Shore Bar Brawl, NJ Attorney General Charges Married State Police Couple Lied About Jersey Shore Bar Brawl, NJ Attorney General Charges
Married State Police Couple Lied About Jersey Shore Bar Brawl, NJ Attorney General Charges Video shows that a married New Jersey State Police detective couple lied when they claimed they weren’t involved in a North Wildwood bar fight early last year, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Thursday. Detective Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Ogden, 52, and Detective Sgt. Dorothy Ogden, 46, both of Hammonton, received summonses Thursday charging them with falsifying or tampering with records, Grewal said. Video from the bar shows Gregory Ogden pushing people and trying to get at a man who bouncers were escorting out of the Exit 6 bar on Feb. 20, 2020, the attorney general said. Ogen is seen…
Indictment: NJSP Trooper Put Female Motorist In Fear By Stopping Her Twice, Following Her Home Indictment: NJSP Trooper Put Female Motorist In Fear By Stopping Her Twice, Following Her Home
Indictment: Njsp Trooper Put Female Motorist In Fear By Stopping Her Twice, Following Her Home A New Jersey state trooper accused of pulling over a female motorist twice and then following her home to hit on her was indicted Thursday by a grand jury in Trenton. Michael Patterson, 29, of Bayonne first the victim for an unspecified offense on the New Jersey Turnpike on Jan. 28, 2020, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. After letting her go with a warning, Paterson “conducted a second, unwarranted stop of her vehicle a few minutes later when she exited the Turnpike at Exit 11….in order to make unwanted advances on the woman,” Grewal said. Patterson “put the victim in fear by …
Three Prison Officers Charged Criminally In Vicious Beating Of Inmates At NJ Women’s Prison Three Prison Officers Charged Criminally In Vicious Beating Of Inmates At NJ Women’s Prison
Three Prison Officers Charged Criminally In Vicious Beating Of Inmates At NJ Women’s Prison One of three correctional police officers charged with severely beating and pepper-spraying inmates at New Jersey’s notorious women’s prison last month punched one of them in the face 28 times, state authorities said Thursday.  And it was all caught on video, they said. Sgt. Amir Bethea, Sgt. Anthony Valvano and Officer Lisando “Luis” Garcia were all charged with official misconduct for what Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal described as a vicious and unrelenting attack on several inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Hunterdon County beginning shortly before mid…