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Burlington County Prosecutor's Office

FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG
FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG A months-long investigation involving the FBI led to the arrest of 17 drug traffickers in the Philadelphia area and the seizure of illegal guns, drugs, and cash. Vincent Lofton, 60, one of the alleged heads of the trafficking network, was arrested, along with 16 other people at various locations after search warrants were executed Tuesday, April 9, Attorney General Michelle Henry, said. He was arraigned Wednesday and bail was set at $1 million. Investigators served more than a dozen search warrants at homes and on vehicles vehicles, and a financial institution. Others arrested include…
PREDATOR STING: PA Man Expected Sex With Girl, 12, At NJ Hotel, Homeland Security Says PREDATOR STING: PA Man Expected Sex With Girl, 12, At NJ Hotel, Homeland Security Says
Predator Sting: PA Man Expected Sex With Girl, 12, At NJ Hotel, Homeland Security Says A Pennsylvania man who arranged what he thought was sex with a pre-teen in a New Jersey hotel was instead seized by federal agents when he showed up, authorities said Wednesday. Louis Goldenberg, 41 of Philadelphia, "began interacting on a messaging application with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent, who was posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece" last month, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said on Sept. 20. Goldenberg messaged the purported aunt, "continuously expressing interest in having sexual contact," the U.S. att…
LOTTERY LOSERS: South Jersey Scammer Admits Laundering $4M From Innocent Victims LOTTERY LOSERS: South Jersey Scammer Admits Laundering $4M From Innocent Victims
Lottery Losers: South Jersey Scammer Admits Laundering $4M From Innocent Victims A South Jersey man admitted laundering more than $4 million from victims who were tricked into thinking they'd won the lottery. Pablo Estrada, 26, of Florence, received the proceeds through various scams over the course of 2½ years, including one in which victims received an unexpected notification that they'd won a large sum in a lottery, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. They were required to pay fees and expenses, however, before their winnings could be released, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey said. Many fell for the scheme, Sellinger said. Estrada dumped the money into va…
NEW CHARGES: Out-Of-State Woman Held Captive For Year By NJ Man Was Raped, Grand Jury Finds NEW CHARGES: Out-Of-State Woman Held Captive For Year By NJ Man Was Raped, Grand Jury Finds
NEW Charges: Out-Of-State Woman Held Captive For Year By NJ Man Was Raped, Grand Jury Finds UPDATE: A South Jersey man repeatedly raped a woman he'd kidnapped and held hostage during a nearly year-long cross-country trip, state authorities said an ongoing investigation has found. James W. Parrillo Jr., 57, was captured and has remained jailed ever since the woman escaped from a residence in Bass Township and fled to safety at a nearby gas station three months ago, ending a terrifying year in captivity. Parillo originally was charged with first-degree kidnapping, criminal restraint, aggravated assault and strangulation, as well as hindering apprehension, obstruction and refusing to…
$400G GoFundMe Scam: NJ Woman Serving Federal Time Gets 3-Year State Sentence $400G GoFundMe Scam: NJ Woman Serving Federal Time Gets 3-Year State Sentence
$400G GoFundMe Scam: NJ Woman Serving Federal Time Gets 3-Year State Sentence UPDATE: A woman who helped pull a notorious scam that conned 14,000 GoFundMe donors nationwide was nearly 150 miles away when a judge in South Jersey sentenced her to a plea-bargained three years in state prison on Friday, Jan. 6. Katelyn McClure, 32, of Bordentown will be released in July after completing a federal sentence at a low-security prison in Danbury, CT, for scamming well-meaning donors out of $400,000 to purportedly help a homeless veteran. At that point, the year and a day federal sentence will be deducted from her state term and a determination will be made whether she shoul…
Recovering Skinhead Talks Life As Former White Supremacist In NJ Recovering Skinhead Talks Life As Former White Supremacist In NJ
Recovering Skinhead Talks Life As Former White Supremacist In NJ A former white supremacist is coming to Burlington County to speak against hate crimes, authorities said. Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw invites the public to attend the forum on Friday, Dec. 9, where the BCPO will unveil a new initiative aimed at reducing bias and hate crimes in Burlington County. The event – dubbed “Responding to Hate with Hope” – will feature former skinhead gang member Frank Meeink as the keynote speaker, as well as Congressman Andy Kim of New Jersey’s 3rd District.  Meeink's memoir, "Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead," details his transformation,…
NJ Megan's Law Offender Held By Feds In Sex Trafficking Of Missing PA Child, Others NJ Megan's Law Offender Held By Feds In Sex Trafficking Of Missing PA Child, Others
NJ Megan's Law Offender Held By Feds In Sex Trafficking Of Missing PA Child, Others UPDATE: A federal judge ordered the continued detention of a registered South Jersey sex offender who authorities said was caught trafficking a trio of children for sex, including a missing Pennsylvania youngster. Semaj A. Gilmore, 32, of Camden, has been in custody since April 2021. That's when authorities learned that "a missing juvenile from Pennsylvania was being advertised for sexually illicit activities on a website that is often used to advertise acts of prostitution," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. An undercover agent contacted a phone number associated with the ad and end…
Accused Motel Strangler Captured In Philly Was Registered Sex Offender: Report Accused Motel Strangler Captured In Philly Was Registered Sex Offender: Report
Accused Motel Strangler Captured In Philly Was Registered Sex Offender: Report A man accused of strangling and stabbing a woman in a Burlington County motel room appears to be a registered sex offender, NJ Advance Media reports. Alexander Rivera, 26, of Merchantville and Philadelphia, was taken into custody without incident on Friday Nov. 4 by the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, on a murder charge and weapons offenses in the Bel-Air Motor Lodge killing of Michelle L. Johnson, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.  Rivera apparently served a prison sentence on child pornography distribution and ch…
BF Of NJ Murder Victim Found Dead In PA: Police BF Of NJ Murder Victim Found Dead In PA: Police
BF Of NJ Murder Victim Found Dead In PA: Police The last person to see a New Jersey woman before she was beaten to death in her home was found dead in Pennsylvania, authorities said. Peter Lestician, 53 — a teacher at South Brunswick High School an area softball coach — had been a person of interest in the death of his girlfriend, Sheila Maguire, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said. Lestician's body was found Friday, Sept. 2 in the front seat of a locked car near an abandoned barn near an ATV trail in Cooper Township in Clearfield County, by two men riding four-wheelers in the area, said Bradshaw alongside …
Federal Convict Who Hatched $400,000 GoFundMe Scam Gets NJ Prison Time, Too Federal Convict Who Hatched $400,000 GoFundMe Scam Gets NJ Prison Time, Too
Federal Convict Who Hatched $400,000 GoFundMe Scam Gets NJ Prison Time, Too UPDATE: A New Jersey man already serving federal prison time for a GoFundMe scheme that conned 14,000 donors across the country out of $400,000 to purportedly benefit a homeless veteran got a state prison sentence, as well. The plea-bargained five-year term approved by a Superior Court judge in Mount Holly on Friday will run at the same time as the 27-month federal sentence that Mark D'Amico of Trenton received in April. The difference is that there's no parole in the federal prison system, which keeps D'Amico in the medium-security United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, PA for more than…
NJ Woman Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet, Ex-BF Gets Federal Prison Time NJ Woman Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet, Ex-BF Gets Federal Prison Time
NJ Woman Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet, Ex-BF Gets Federal Prison Time UPDATE: A New Jersey woman who helped pull a scam that conned 14,000 GoFundMe donors across the country out of $400,000 to purportedly benefit a homeless veteran is headed to federal prison. Katelyn McClure, 32, of Bordentown got a far lighter sentence under the terms of her plea deal with the government than did her former boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, who concocted the cruel scheme. McClure was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Camden on Thursday to a plea-bargained year and a day in a federal penitentiary. D’Amico, the "mastermind," earlier this year got 27 months in a fed pen in exchange …
Ex-BF Who Killed Woman At South Jersey Car Wash Nabbed In Texas: Prosecutor Ex-BF Who Killed Woman At South Jersey Car Wash Nabbed In Texas: Prosecutor
Ex-BF Who Killed Woman At South Jersey Car Wash Nabbed In Texas: Prosecutor The man accused of gunning down his 28-year-old ex-girlfriend at a self-service car wash last week in Burlington County was tracked down in Texas, authorities said. Antonio Burke, 32, has been charged with murder in the death of Cinnaminson's Alicia Stilley in the parking lot of the car wash in the first block of Filmore Street in Palmyra, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Palmyra Police Chief Meghan Campbell. Burke, of Palmyra, was arrested Monday, April 25 during a traffic stop in Dallas, Texas, where he will face a court appearance Tuesday. An in…
Musician Slain In 'Sickening' NJ Shooting That Left Roomie Critical Had Big Instagram Presence Musician Slain In 'Sickening' NJ Shooting That Left Roomie Critical Had Big Instagram Presence
Musician Slain In 'Sickening' NJ Shooting That Left Roomie Critical Had Big Instagram Presence Shock and sadness spread on Friday, April 15 following a double shooting that left a beloved 27-year-old musician dead. Maurice Kobassic —who went by Millah Mack as an artist — posted videos of himself partying to his Instagram story in the hours before he was shot and killed near the entrance of the Fox Meadow Apartment Complex off Route 73 in Maple Shade with a gunshot wound around 3:30 a.m.  Kobassic was pronounced dead at the scene while his 26-year-old roommate was hospitalized in critical condition, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. An autopsy will be performed by Bur…
NJ Man Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet Gets 27 Months, No Parole NJ Man Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet Gets 27 Months, No Parole
NJ Man Who Pulled $400,000 GoFundMe Scam With Homeless Vet Gets 27 Months, No Parole UPDATE: A South Jersey man who concocted a GoFundMe scheme with his then-girlfriend that conned 14,000 donors across the country out of $400,000 to purportedly benefit a homeless veteran is headed to federal prison. Mark D’Amico, 42, formerly of Bordentown, must serve just about all of his plea-bargained 27-month sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. He also must pay restitution and undergo gambling, drug and mental-health counseling under the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden on Friday, April 1. Three years of supervision will als…
Details Released In NJ Stabbing Death Of Animal Lover & Beloved 'Guard Dog' Details Released In NJ Stabbing Death Of Animal Lover & Beloved 'Guard Dog'
Details Released In NJ Stabbing Death Of Animal Lover & Beloved 'Guard Dog' A 25-year-old Evesham man was arrested in the deadly stabbing of a 26-year-old man and his beloved dog "Django" after showing up to an emergency room for treatment early Saturday, Feb. 5, authorities said. Donovan G. Hollingsworth and the victim, Thomas Pierson III, got into a fight at a residence in the Olympus Apartments on Baker Boulevard around 9:15 a.m., Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. Hollingsworth stabbed Pierson and the dog Django, a King Corso, then fled, according to Coffina. Police found Pierson dead in the apartment and Django dead on a stairwell landing. Holl…
South Jersey Woman Found Beaten To Death, Person Of Interest Nabbed In Philly: Prosecutor South Jersey Woman Found Beaten To Death, Person Of Interest Nabbed In Philly: Prosecutor
South Jersey Woman Found Beaten To Death, Person Of Interest Nabbed In Philly: Prosecutor A 38-year-old woman from Burlington County was found bludgeoned to death in her bed, authorities said. A "person of interest" has been arrested in Philadelphia in connection with thefts from the woman, but no homicide charges have been filed, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. Melissa Malcolm, 38, was found dead after Mount Laurel police entered her home to conduct a wellness check at approximately 12:30 p.m. Wednesday because she did not show up for work, Coffina said. Coffina and Mount Laurel Township Police Chief Stephen Riedener said Thursday that Malcolm's d…
NJ Man Admits Hatching $400,000 Homeless GoFundMe Scam NJ Man Admits Hatching $400,000 Homeless GoFundMe Scam
NJ Man Admits Hatching $400,000 Homeless GoFundMe Scam The mastermind of a GoFundMe scheme that conned 14,000 donors across the country out of $400,000 to purportedly benefit a homeless veteran admitted in federal court in New Jersey on Monday that he and his ex-girlfriend pocketed most of the money. Mark D’Amico, 42, formerly of Bordentown, admitted concocting a bogus feel-good story about the supposed victim coming to the rescue of Katelyn McClure after she ran out of gas on Route 95 on her way home to New Jersey from Philadelphia. Both McClure and the homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., were in on the scheme, authorities said. Together, D’Am…
Philadelphia Man Gets 8 Years For Deadly Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Crash In NJ Philadelphia Man Gets 8 Years For Deadly Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Crash In NJ
Philadelphia Man Gets 8 Years For Deadly Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Crash In NJ A 24-year-old man from Philadelphia was sentenced to eight years in a New Jersey State Prison for a five-car crash that left one person dead, authorities said. Brandon Moore pleaded guilty in September to vehicular homicide  and assault by auto in connection with the Dec. 8 incident in Burlington County, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. Moore lost control of his Dodge Charger while driving aggressively and pursuing a Jeep Grand Cherokee being driven by Jonathan Ramos, 29, of Philadelphia, Coffina said. Ramos and Moore were heading west toward the bridge and, after…
Philly Man Gets 6 Years In NJ State Prison For Fatal High-Speed Crash On Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Philly Man Gets 6 Years In NJ State Prison For Fatal High-Speed Crash On Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
Philly Man Gets 6 Years In NJ State Prison For Fatal High-Speed Crash On Tacony-Palmyra Bridge A Philadelphia man who was driving at a high rate of speed on the Tacony-Palmyra bridge has been sentenced to six years in New Jersey state prison for his role in causing a five-car collision that killed one of the drivers, authorities said. Jonathan Ramos, 29, of Philadelphia pleaded guilty in July to leaving the scene of a fatal accident as well as traffic summonses for speeding and driving with a suspended license, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. Ramos was sentenced Wednesday by Superior Court Judge Philip E. Haines. A co-defendant, Brandon Moore, 24, also o…
Man Airlifted In Willingboro Parking Lot Shooting Man Airlifted In Willingboro Parking Lot Shooting
Man Airlifted In Willingboro Parking Lot Shooting A man was airlifted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot in Willingboro Monday night, authorities said. The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Willingboro Town Center on Route 130 around 5:30 p.m., the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said. The victim was taken by ambulance to Virtua Willingboro Hospital, then airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he under went surgery. No arrests had been made as of 9:45 p.m.
Prosecutor: NJ Boy, 14, Driving Stolen Car Shot Dead By PA Man Prosecutor: NJ Boy, 14, Driving Stolen Car Shot Dead By PA Man
Prosecutor: NJ Boy, 14, Driving Stolen Car Shot Dead By PA Man Two people have been charged in the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy at a New Jersey gas station over the weekend. Tamir Phillips, 22, of Bensalem, PA, and Chelsea Holman, 29, of Willingboro, NJ, were arrested in the death of Jesse Everett on Aug. 21, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday. Phillips was charged with first degree murder and weapons offenses while Holman was slapped with hindering apprehension and obstruction of justice. Everett, 14, was apparently driving a 2014 Honda Civic reported stolen by the owner that day, according to Burlington Coun…
14-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead At South Jersey Gas Station 14-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead At South Jersey Gas Station
14-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead At South Jersey Gas Station A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed while in a car getting gas at a South Jersey service station Saturday, authorities said. Willingboro police were called to the Phillips 66 on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive around 3 p.m. on reports of a shooting, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Willingboro Township Public Safety Director Kinamo Lomon said. The victim, Jesse Everett, had been transported in a private vehicle to Virtua Willingboro Hospital, then airlifted to Cooper University Medical Center in Camden, where he was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m., authorities said. More th…
Philly Men, Teen Girl Charged In South Jersey Drive-By Shooting Philly Men, Teen Girl Charged In South Jersey Drive-By Shooting
Philly Men, Teen Girl Charged In South Jersey Drive-By Shooting Members of the U.S. Marshals Service captured a Philadelphia man and a teenage girl in connection with a South Jersey shooting last March, while one other suspect remains at large, authorities said. Antonio Rivera, 18, and the girl -- whose name is being withheld because she is a minor -- were charged in the March 4 shooting that injured a 23-year-old Pennsylvania man, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Riverside Township Police Chief William T. Eliason said. Billy Pirela, 22, was also charged in the incident and is considered to be a fugitive, authorities said.  Rive…
Ex-Con, Teen Nabbed In Double Shooting That Killed Alleged South Jersey Drug Dealer Ex-Con, Teen Nabbed In Double Shooting That Killed Alleged South Jersey Drug Dealer
Ex-Con, Teen Nabbed In Double Shooting That Killed Alleged South Jersey Drug Dealer A South Jersey ex-con and teenager were captured by members of the U.S. Marshals and a regional task force for their roles in a home invasion robbery and shooting that left one woman dead last year, authorities said Wednesday. Semaj T. Pittman, 21, of Willingboro and a teenager from Evesham were charged with murder, robbery other related offenses in the February 2020 incident that killed 22-year-old Karla Winkler and injured her 24-year-old Philadelphia boyfriend, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. Police responding to The Arbors apartments in Maple Shade on reports of a …
Philadelphia Drivers Charged In Fatal 100 MPH Race Across Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Philadelphia Drivers Charged In Fatal 100 MPH Race Across Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
Philadelphia Drivers Charged In Fatal 100 MPH Race Across Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Two men from Philadelphia have been charged with multiple offenses in connection with a fatal high speed hit-and-run crash on the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, authorities said. The men were racing each other at more than 100 mph, causing a five-car collision in late December, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Burlington County Bridge Commission Public Safety Director Patrick J. Reilly. Jonathan Ramos, 28, of East Louden Street, was charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal accident causing Death while driving with a suspended license and endangering a…