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Passaic County, NJ

Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In
Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In The National Weather Service has shifted its tornado watch across New Jersey and Pennsylvania as Hurricane Debby creeps in. In New Jersey, the tornado watch is in effect through 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9 and covers Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties in North Jersey. In Pennsylvania, the tornado watch is issued in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe, and Bucks counties. The tornado threat for South Jersey has diminished since the initial watch was issued early Friday morning, which has since been canceled. AccuWeather Th…
Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week
Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week The Northeast is in for a wild week of weather. AccuWeather forecasters say episodes of drenching rain and heavy winds are working their way across the country and are expected to arrive in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland on Tuesday, Aug. 6. AccuWeather The above AccuWeather map shows which part of the region will be most impacted by the storms arriving Tuesday afternoon and lasting into the evening. Those include the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, South Jersey, and the Philadelphia and Baltimore areas. Tuesday will be sunny and hot with a high of 90 before storms roll in,…
Increased Snow Projections: 18 Inches Could Fall In Parts Of NJ, PA In Major Storm, NWS Says Increased Snow Projections: 18 Inches Could Fall In Parts Of NJ, PA In Major Storm, NWS Says
Increased Snow Projections: 18 Inches Could Fall In Parts Of NJ, PA In Major Storm, NWS Says The National Weather Service says parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania could see more snow than what was initially predicted due to a shift in the storm track. In an updating briefing published Monday, Feb. 12, the NWS said 12 to 18 inches of snow could fall in parts of Sussex County, NJ and the Pocono Mountains. ALSO SEE: North Jersey School Closed, Delayed Ahead Of Major Winter Storm The weather map shows between 8 and 12 inches expected in parts of Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Essex, Warren, Somerset and Hunterdon counties, where winter storm warnings have been issued. Winter weather a…
Midweek Downpours Expected To Bring 3 Inches Of Rain, Travel Delays To East Coast Midweek Downpours Expected To Bring 3 Inches Of Rain, Travel Delays To East Coast
Midweek Downpours Expected To Bring 3 Inches Of Rain, Travel Delays To East Coast A new storm system tracking along the East Coast is expected to drop several inches of rain on the region in the next two days, meteorologists say. Rainfall is expected to begin along the mid-Atlantic Tuesday night, Dec. 26, and make its way north through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the New York City area on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 27. Flooding and travel delays are to be expected from Virginia to New England, the Passaic, Ramapo and Raritan rivers in New Jersey most likely to experience flooding, according to AccuWeather. This is not good news for municipalities across Passaic County w…
Snow Flurries Fall Across North Jersey: What To Expect, Timing Snow Flurries Fall Across North Jersey: What To Expect, Timing
Snow Flurries Fall Across North Jersey: What To Expect, Timing Parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania were expected to see a dusting of snow Wednesday, Dec. 6. The National Weather Service was showing wintry weather in northwest New Jersey, the Lehigh Valley, and the Poconos, with flurries already falling as of 2 p.m. We can expect to see some light snow showers and flurries throughout the day Wednesday, with the greatest chance across... Posted by US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 Parts of Bergen and Passaic counties were also expected to get light snow Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday afternoo…
Snow Totals Increase In Latest Winter Storm Predictions Snow Totals Increase In Latest Winter Storm Predictions
Snow Totals Increase In Latest Winter Storm Predictions The latest forecast has increased the amount of snow in what's expected to be the first winter storm headed to the region Monday, Feb. 27. Up to eight inches was being predicted as of Monday morning by the National Weather Service, for the areas north of Route 80 in North Jersey and the Poconos.  Parts of Bergen, Passaic, Warren, and Essex counties could see between three and seven inches, while the Route 78 corridor will likely be getting a wintry mix. Hudson and Hunterdon counties are expected to get up to four inches of snow. The Lehigh Valley could still see up to four inches of a…
'Not-For-Human-Use' Implants Given To Patients By PA Criminal Dentist Brothers: Feds 'Not-For-Human-Use' Implants Given To Patients By PA Criminal Dentist Brothers: Feds
'Not-For-Human-Use' Implants Given To Patients By PA Criminal Dentist Brothers: Feds A pair of Montgomery County dentists are accused of giving patients "no -for-human-use" dental implants — among dozens of other criminal charges — in a sweeping indictment unveiled by federal prosecutors Wednesday, Jan. 25. Brothers Bhaskar and Arun Savani are charged with building a "complex criminal enterprise that amassed millions of dollars through multiple fraud schemes," the Justice Department said in a A multi-year investigation into the brothers' vast and labyrinthine business portfolio revealed a well-oiled criminal machine, prosecutors say. According to the indictment, the Sav…
Kids Strangled, Burned, Tortured By Cruel Pennsylvania Aunt: DA Kids Strangled, Burned, Tortured By Cruel Pennsylvania Aunt: DA
Kids Strangled, Burned, Tortured By Cruel Pennsylvania Aunt: DA A 19-year-old Pennsylvania aunt is facing more than 200 criminal charges after authorities say she beat, burned and tortured the four children — three of whom were her nieces and nephews — she was living with over a period of years, authorities announced. Anais Munoz — who was being held in the Passaic County, NJ jail as of Tuesday, Jan. 24 — used a "wide range of implements" to exert control and fear over the four kids, who are currently between 7 and 13 years old, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. Munoz moved into the Chester family's home in 2020, and immediately began the a…
Ex-Trump Stalker Gets 6 Years, No Parole, For Threatening Secret Service Agent, Vets Officer Ex-Trump Stalker Gets 6 Years, No Parole, For Threatening Secret Service Agent, Vets Officer
Ex-Trump Stalker Gets 6 Years, No Parole, For Threatening Secret Service Agent, Vets Officer UPDATE: A former longtime stalker of former President Trump must spend nearly six years in federal prison for threatening to assault a Secret Service agent and "shoot up" an officer at a VA hospital in New Jersey. Frank Monte, 52, of Passaic County, NJ, must serve out just about all of the sentence because there's no parole in the federal court system. Monte, of the Oak Ridge section of West Milford, "repeatedly called the emergency line of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Police at the VA Lyons hospital campus" in Somerset County, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said on Tuesd…
Woman Instructed To Shoot Paterson Victim Misses, 2 Charged With Attempted Murder: Prosecutor Woman Instructed To Shoot Paterson Victim Misses, 2 Charged With Attempted Murder: Prosecutor
Woman Instructed To Shoot Paterson Victim Misses, 2 Charged With Attempted Murder: Prosecutor A Pennsylvania woman and a Newark woman have both been charged with attempted murder after one handed the other a gun, instructing her to shoot at a 31-year-old female victim who was not struck over the weekend in Paterson, authorities said. It started sometime before 3:40 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6 near Wait and Wood streets in Paterson, when Abriyah Griffin, 25, of Newark, gave 31-year-old Lakenya Griffin, of Minersville, PA, the gun and told her to shoot the victim, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. Lakenya fired the weapon but missed the victim, who fled the scene — fol…
Hudson Man Kidnaps, Sexually Abuses Mentally Impaired Woman, Shoves Her From Car: Authorities Hudson Man Kidnaps, Sexually Abuses Mentally Impaired Woman, Shoves Her From Car: Authorities
Hudson Man Kidnaps, Sexually Abuses Mentally Impaired Woman, Shoves Her From Car: Authorities A Kearny man kidnapped a mentally incapacitated Paterson woman he’d met online, had sex with her in his car, a nearby park and his apartment, then shoved her out of the vehicle when he realized her family was following him, authorities charged. A four-month manhunt ended when Horus G. Nunez-Velazquez, 35, was captured in Pennsylvania, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim M. Baycora said in a joint announcement on Friday. Nunez-Velazquez “met the (32-year-old) woman online, picked her up from her residence and took her to a nearby park and subsequentl…
MOSQUE ATTACK: Intruders Pelt Paterson Worshippers With Rocks MOSQUE ATTACK: Intruders Pelt Paterson Worshippers With Rocks
Mosque Attack: Intruders Pelt Paterson Worshippers With Rocks Congregants were praying at a mosque in Paterson when three intruders suddenly burst in and threw rocks at them, authorities confirmed. One of the assailants held the door for the other two after nearly 100 worshippers had gathered at the Islamic Congregation of North Jersey on Preakness Avenue -- one of five services held each day -- shortly after 8:30 p.m. Monday. Two people were hit, but neither was seriously injured, authorities said Thursday. Mosque officials said they had no choice but to begin locking the doors after this week's bias attack, which followed another involving an intr…
Retired NJ Youth Supervisor, 78, Busted For Sharing Porn Of Kids Two To 8 Years Old Retired NJ Youth Supervisor, 78, Busted For Sharing Porn Of Kids Two To 8 Years Old
Retired NJ Youth Supervisor, 78, Busted For Sharing Porn Of Kids Two To 8 Years Old A retired New Jersey youth employee supervisor collected and shared child pornography that included images of victims as young as two years old, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said. Richard W. Smith, 78, of the Haskell section of Wanaque, emailed some of the images to himself, the sheriff said Friday. Berdnik said Smith, who runs a private car service, was busted by members of his Internet Crime Against Children Task Force during a raid of his second-floor apartment on Thursday. Smith remained held in the Passaic County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Process…
'Drop The Gun!' Video Shows Paterson Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect In Foot Chase 'Drop The Gun!' Video Shows Paterson Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect In Foot Chase
'Drop The Gun!' Video Shows Paterson Police Officer Shooting Fleeing Suspect In Foot Chase Footage from the body camera of a Paterson police officer who shot a fleeing suspect during a foot chase was released by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes on Friday. "Drop the gun!" Officer Jerry Moravek shouts several times as he chases Khalif Cooper, 28, down John Street around 3:30 a.m. June 11. Suddenly, two shots ring out and Cooper falls face down in the street. Moravek handcuffs Cooper, who repeatedly says, "I don't got no gun." "Shots fired," the officer says into his radio. "Send ALS [Advanced Life Support] and supervisors. Send ALS." Moravek repeatedly asks for an ambul…
Woman Charged With Threatening To Blow Up Passaic County School Woman Charged With Threatening To Blow Up Passaic County School
Woman Charged With Threatening To Blow Up Passaic County School A real estate agent was arrested after she threatened to blow up a Passaic County grammar school, authorities said Friday. Veronika L. Callirgos, 35, allegedly “became irate” during a phone conversation with an administrator at Prospect Park School No. 1 on Wednesday – a day after 19 children and two teachers were shot and killed at a school in Uvalde, Texas. Callirgos said she was going to go to No. 1 school “and beat up the children,” Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Prospect Park Police Chief Ammen Matari said in a joint announcement. She “also stated she was going to blow up the s…
Tears Flow For NJ Mom, Non-Profit Founder Who Fought Fiercely For Kids With Disabilities Tears Flow For NJ Mom, Non-Profit Founder Who Fought Fiercely For Kids With Disabilities
Tears Flow For NJ Mom, Non-Profit Founder Who Fought Fiercely For Kids With Disabilities North Jersey single mom Joanne Bastante-Howard worked tirelessly for years to help provide critical resources for kids who, like her young son, John, have Down syndrome. Bastante-Howard, a former advertising and marketing whirlwind, was personally responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help obtain critical medical, education and therapeutic services for those in need through the non-profit she founded, America's Special Kidz (A.S.K.). Parents of children with a wide range of circumstances -- including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, and mitochondrial disease…
ROAD RAGE: NYC Man Charged With Shooting NJ Driver Off Route 80 Captured By State Police, Feds ROAD RAGE: NYC Man Charged With Shooting NJ Driver Off Route 80 Captured By State Police, Feds
Road Rage: NYC Man Charged With Shooting NJ Driver Off Route 80 Captured By State Police, Feds GOTCHA! A broad-daylight road-rage shooting on Route 80 led to the capture of a Manhattan man by federal marshals and New Jersey State Police, authorities said. Lamont Griffin, 22, opened fire and struck the 39-year-old driver from Newark twice in the area of Route 20 off the eastbound highway around 3:30 p.m. March 2, they said. The wounded victim was taken in a private vehicle to the A+ Urgent Care treatment center in Clifton before being transferred to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick…
Alleged Police Brutality Victim From Paterson Arrested After Eluding, Resisting, Sheriff Says Alleged Police Brutality Victim From Paterson Arrested After Eluding, Resisting, Sheriff Says
Alleged Police Brutality Victim From Paterson Arrested After Eluding, Resisting, Sheriff Says An alleged Paterson police brutality victim fled a traffic stop and then scuffled with Passaic County sheriff's officers who tracked him down at a nearby deli, authorities said. Osamah Alsaidi, 21, was stopped for an unspecified violation on Madison Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said. Alsaidi "argued with the officer and then fled the scene in the vehicle," the sheriff said. Officers spotted the vehicle outside the Grab & Go Deli and found Alsaidi inside the Getty Avenue store, Berdnik said. They had to subdue him "after he trie…
‘Inventing Anna’: Fake German Heiress In Netflix Show Spent Time 'On ICE' In Bergen County Jail ‘Inventing Anna’: Fake German Heiress In Netflix Show Spent Time 'On ICE' In Bergen County Jail
‘Inventing Anna’: Fake German Heiress In Netflix Show Spent Time 'On ICE' In Bergen County Jail A convicted con woman featured in the Netflix series “Inventing Anna” spent time in the Bergen County Jail before being transferred to a federal detention center just across the border in New York State, where she's awaiting a deportation hearing. Anna Sorokin, who came to the United States in 2013, scammed unwitting victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by posing as a German heiress named Anna Delvey. Using a fake name and claiming she was worth a fortune, Sorokin suckered banks, hotels and some of Manhattan's wealthy elite. She was trying to secure a $25 million loan to start a…
Man Admits Role In NJ/NY Network That Laundered $27M For International Drug Cartels Man Admits Role In NJ/NY Network That Laundered $27M For International Drug Cartels
Man Admits Role In NJ/NY Network That Laundered $27M For International Drug Cartels The takedown of a New Jersey and New York network that laundered more than $27 million for Central and South American drug cartels has produced another guilty plea, federal authorities announced. Gilberto Martinez, 33, formerly of Clifton, "cleaned" more than $1 million himself, both by buying and directing others to buy cashier's checks using drug money, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Morristown police helped the DEA and IRS crack the case, in which more than 1,000 cashier’s checks were bought, he said. The buyers typically were paid a fee of $150 to $200 for each check…
GOTCHA! Teaneck Fugitive Accused Of Running Sex Trafficking Ring Captured At Newark Airport GOTCHA! Teaneck Fugitive Accused Of Running Sex Trafficking Ring Captured At Newark Airport
Gotcha! Teaneck Fugitive Accused Of Running Sex Trafficking Ring Captured At Newark Airport A fugitive from Bergen County wanted for running a massive sex-trafficking ring in North Jersey, Rockland and New York City was captured trying to re-enter the United States from Colombia, authorities confirmed. Birmania “Nancy” Rincon, 62, a Colombian national living in Teaneck, was among the ringleaders of a crew that forced dozens of women into prostitution, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. She was in the wind, however, when authorities seized 21 defendants during a series of early-morning raids at 19 homes and other locations in Bergen and Hudson counties exactly two weeks ag…
DUMB CRIMINAL FILE: Gunman Botches Robberies Of Mail Carriers In Bergen, Passaic, Feds Charge DUMB CRIMINAL FILE: Gunman Botches Robberies Of Mail Carriers In Bergen, Passaic, Feds Charge
Dumb Criminal File: Gunman Botches Robberies Of Mail Carriers In Bergen, Passaic, Feds Charge A 20-year-old Paterson man was arrested after he tried and failed to rob postal carriers in Bergen and Passaic counties at gunpoint on the same day, federal authorities said. Yeniser Cruz Perez was carrying a gun when he approached one of the U.S. Postal Service carriers in the area of Brownstone Court and Wyckoff Avenue in Wyckoff on Jan. 20, 2020 and demanded the master key used to open mail collection boxes and apartment panels, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. The only problem: The worker didn't have one, Sellinger said. That same day, he said, Cruz Perez approached another USPS…
Grand Jury Backs North Jersey Police Officer Who Shot Fleeing Driver Trying To Kill Him Grand Jury Backs North Jersey Police Officer Who Shot Fleeing Driver Trying To Kill Him
Grand Jury Backs North Jersey Police Officer Who Shot Fleeing Driver Trying To Kill Him UPDATE: A Riverdale police officer was justified in shooting a fleeing suspect who slammed a vehicle into his patrol car, pinning him, following a pursuit that ended in Passaic County, a grand jury has found. Officer Andrew Duffy had tried to stop Michael Rivera, 32, of Newark, who "jumped into a vehicle and started it" following a shoplifting at the Home Depot on northbound Route 23 the morning of Jan. 23, 2020, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said Tuesday. Duffy tried but couldn't get the keys out of the ignition, then fell back as the Acura SUV sped off, he said. "Pol…
Authorities: Paterson Tenant Kills Roommate With Rock Authorities: Paterson Tenant Kills Roommate With Rock
Authorities: Paterson Tenant Kills Roommate With Rock A Paterson man bashed his roommate in the head with a rock, killing him, authorities said Tuesday. The victim – initially identified only by the initial M.B. – was found face down on the living room floor of the 12th Avenue apartment he shared with Raymond Menafield, 40, at 6:20 a.m. Sunday. He had a large gash in the back of his head, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora said in a joint announcement. The victim was pronounced dead 20 minutes later, they said. Menafield killed him during some type of dispute, Valdes and Baycora said. He w…
3rd Suspect Charged In Cold-Blooded Killing Of Paterson Man Gunned Down In Front Of His Mom 3rd Suspect Charged In Cold-Blooded Killing Of Paterson Man Gunned Down In Front Of His Mom
3rd Suspect Charged In Cold-Blooded Killing Of Paterson Man Gunned Down In Front Of His Mom A third arrest was made nearly two weeks ago in the cold-blooded ambush killing a 22-year-old Paterson man in front of his mother last Fourth of July weekend, authorities announced Monday. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora didn’t explain why they waited nearly two weeks to announce the arrest of Dashawn A. Rhoden, 22, in the shooting death of Juan Garcia, 28 last July 3. They'd done the same earlier Monday when they announced the capture of a suspect in another murder case,  Garcia was gunned down in front of his mother in a targeted…
Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective
Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective Services are scheduled this coming Saturday for a Paterson man who was shot and killed last week in a confrontation with city police detectives. Witnesses insist that Thelonious “RaRa” McKnight, 25, was gunned down in cold blood last Wednesday night after detectives chased him down an alley in a mixed-use neighborhood of multi-family homes and businesses near the Passaic River New Jersey's top law enforcer, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck, said that a 9mm handgun was found near McKnight's body. Investigators had made an arrest there hours earlier and were looking fo…
Paterson Ex-Con Sent To Fed Pen For Nearly 5 Years For Selling Revolvers, Pistols, Rifles, Ammo Paterson Ex-Con Sent To Fed Pen For Nearly 5 Years For Selling Revolvers, Pistols, Rifles, Ammo
Paterson Ex-Con Sent To Fed Pen For Nearly 5 Years For Selling Revolvers, Pistols, Rifles, Ammo UPDATE: An ex-con from Paterson who'd already done state prison time for a gun conviction is headed to federal prison for nearly five years for selling 16 weapons smuggled into New Jersey. Rather than face trial, Floyd “HK” Henry, 36, took a deal from the government, pleading guilty via videoconference with a federal judge in Newark last summer to gun selling, as well as being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammo. Henry sold two semi-automatic rifles, three revolvers and 11 semi-automatic pistols – as well as over 100 rounds of ammunition -- when ATF agents arrested him in S…
HERO: Rookie TSA Officer Revives Choking Baby At Newark Airport HERO: Rookie TSA Officer Revives Choking Baby At Newark Airport
Hero: Rookie TSA Officer Revives Choking Baby At Newark Airport A 2-month-old boy had stopped breathing and was red-faced when a young mother at the Newark Airport security checkpoint screamed for help. TSA Officer Cecilia Morales had barely been on the job two months when she heard the commotion at Terminal C and began shouting instructions. "They just kept passing the baby around probably because they were panicking," Morales's fiancé told Daily Voice. Morales, a Newark resident who's been an EMT in North Jersey more than a decade, then vaulted a checkpoint conveyer belt, took the child and placed him face down on her arm, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farb…
Fatality Confirmed In Multi-Alarm Paterson Blaze That Destroys One Home, Threatens Others Fatality Confirmed In Multi-Alarm Paterson Blaze That Destroys One Home, Threatens Others
Fatality Confirmed In Multi-Alarm Paterson Blaze That Destroys One Home, Threatens Others UPDATE: Authorities on Saturday confirmed the death of a resident in a late-night Paterson house fire that responders said could have been much worse. Firefighters moved quickly to keep the four-alarm Lafayette Street blaze from spreading, snuffing the threat such a fire posed to the neighborhood of tightly bunched wood-frame houses barely two blocks from the Passaic River. Paterson's bravest responded to a call of a fire with people possibly trapped at 103 Lafayette Street shortly after 11 p.m., Deputy Fire Chief William Henderson said. Firefighters found heavy flames on the second floor,…
Wayne Man Strangles Roommate With Bare Hands, Authorities Say Wayne Man Strangles Roommate With Bare Hands, Authorities Say
Wayne Man Strangles Roommate With Bare Hands, Authorities Say A Wayne man strangled his older roommate with his bare hands during an argument in their condo, said authorities who charged him with murder. Frank Rance, 38, was arrested at the Hinchman Avenue condo off Ratzer Road by police who tried in vain to save Frank Majuri, 60, before he died shortly after midnight Saturday, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Wayne Police Chief Jack McNiff said in a joint announcement. Officers had gone to the home on a call of a domestic dispute shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday, Valdes and McNiff said. The officers “were able to deescalate the matter …
Feds: NJ Ex-Con Who Served Time For Scamming Charities Charged With $1.35M Investor Ripoff Feds: NJ Ex-Con Who Served Time For Scamming Charities Charged With $1.35M Investor Ripoff
Feds: NJ Ex-Con Who Served Time For Scamming Charities Charged With $1.35M Investor Ripoff A compulsive gambler from Passaic County who went to federal prison for three years for ripping off organizations that benefit schoolchildren and people with life-threatening illnesses went right back to scamming after he got out, federal authorities charged. This time, Gregory Ciccone, 43, of Woodland Park orchestrated a scheme that defrauded investors of $1.35 million, much of which he used to buy a $54,330 BMW, clothes, wine and more, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Ciccone told the 22 victims that he operated companies that reserved blocks of rooms of luxury hotels that then…