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Bergen County Prosecutor's Office

Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar
Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar Authorities who’ve charged four men with the brutal murder of a man outside a Garfield bar last month turned to the public for help finding a fugitive gang member from Pennsylvania who sources said repeatedly stabbed the victim in the chest. Ricky “Angel” Vargas, 35, of East Stroudsburg, PA, and his four companions confronted Richard Franceschi, 31, of Hawthorne outside JoJo's Bar & Grill on Monroe Street before dawn this past Feb. 4, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Vargas had a knife and co-defendant Jayson William Rivera, 23, also of East Stroudsburg, had a handgun, the pr…
Philadelphia Driver Arrested Rt 46 Hit-Run In NJ: Police Philadelphia Driver Arrested Rt 46 Hit-Run In NJ: Police
Philadelphia Driver Arrested Rt 46 Hit-Run In NJ: Police Authorities arrested a tow truck driver from Philadelphia who they said kept on going after hitting and seriously injuring a 67-year-old pedestrian crossing Route 46 six weeks ago. Naser Abu Ali, 20, was driving a 2014 Ford transit van that hit Elizabeth Crum as she crossed at the light on Route 46 (Winant Avenue) in Ridgefield Park on Sept. 24, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Crum, of Ridgefield Park, was taken by ambulance to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, where she was treated for serious bodily injuries, the prosecutor said. Meanwhile, detectives from Musella’s Major Cri…
Couple From PA Charged In Computer Repair Scam That Conned Victims In NJ, Elsewhere Couple From PA Charged In Computer Repair Scam That Conned Victims In NJ, Elsewhere
Couple From PA Charged In Computer Repair Scam That Conned Victims In NJ, Elsewhere A Pennsylvania man whose wife was charged with a computer scam that allowed her to siphon money out of unsuspecting victims’ accounts had a similar scheme going, Bergen County authorities announced. Kuleep Sethi, 66, was arrested by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office on theft, conspiracy and money laundering charges earlier this week -- five months after they busted his wife, Mona, for the same thing. The Furlong, PA couple scammed victims not only in New Jersey but throughout the world, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The thieves “created the belief that vic…
NJ Celebrity Hairstylist Charged With Trafficking Child Porn, Worked On 'Mrs. Maisel,' More NJ Celebrity Hairstylist Charged With Trafficking Child Porn, Worked On 'Mrs. Maisel,' More
NJ Celebrity Hairstylist Charged With Trafficking Child Porn, Worked On 'Mrs. Maisel,' More A Bergen County hairstylist to the stars is charged with trafficking more than 450 child sex abuse images, authorities said. Daniel Koye, 40, of Rutherford, was seized by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on Jan. 28 in Atlanta after detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office obtained a warrant for his arrest, they said. He's been held since then in the Clayton County Jail in Jonesboro, GA pending extradition to New Jersey, records show. Authorities began looking for Koye following a warranted search at his Ettrick Terrace apartme…
PHOTOS: Suspect Shot During DEA Operation In NJ PHOTOS: Suspect Shot During DEA Operation In NJ
Photos: Suspect Shot During DEA Operation In NJ One suspect was hospitalized and three others were taken into custody Tuesday afternoon after a shooting in Fort Lee, witnesses said. Members of a DEA task force out of Newark were conducting an operation when gunfire erupted on Whiteman Street off Lemoine Avenue near the Whiteman Park Plaza around 1:30 p.m., knowledgeable law enforcement sources told Daily Voice. At least 20 rounds had been fired, some of which struck a Toyota sedan that slammed head-on into a utility pole. Two DEA agents were believed to have discharged their weapons. The wounded suspect is tended to on Whiteman Str…
Rapper Critically Injured, Companion Stable In NJ Shooting Rapper Critically Injured, Companion Stable In NJ Shooting
Rapper Critically Injured, Companion Stable In NJ Shooting UPDATE: An ex-con from the Bronx shot rapper “Lil TJay” and a companion during a robbery attempt in Edgewater, authorities said. Mohamed Konate, 27, was being held Wednesday evening pending extradition to Bergen County to face charges that include attempted murder, armed robbery and weapons charges, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced shortly before 8 p.m. Konate shot Tione Jayden "Lil Tjay" Merritt, 21, of the Bronx multiple times, leaving him with life-threatening injuries, and wounded Antoine Boyd, 22, also of the Bronx, at the Promenade a short distance south of the George …
PA Man Burglarized 6 Morris County Businesses In 3 Months, Prosecutor Says PA Man Burglarized 6 Morris County Businesses In 3 Months, Prosecutor Says
PA Man Burglarized 6 Morris County Businesses In 3 Months, Prosecutor Says A Pennsylvania man is behind bars on allegations that he burglarized half a dozen Morris County businesses — including a retail and convenience store, restaurant, and three gas stations — over the course of three months, authorities announced. Kenneth K. Cook, 48, was charged with various counts of theft, burglary, criminal mischief, and conspiracy, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said in a release with local officials on Tuesday, June 7. Cook, of Allentown, is accused of smashing a glass door and stealing up to 80 cigarette packs from a store in Randolph on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021.…
GUILTY: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY GUILTY: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY
Guilty: Kidnapping Rapist Who Cancelled Plea Deal Convicted In Rampage Through PA, NJ, NY An ex-con who kidnapped and raped his ex-girlfriend in Pennsylvania, torched a used car dealership in Paterson and crashed a stolen SUV into police cars on either side of the George Washington Bridge rolled the dice and lost. After originally pleading guilty to several charges, Luis Figueroa, 41, withdrew his plea and took his chances with federal jurors in Newark. They ended up convicting him following a two-week trial. So now, instead of the 26-year deal that he originally accepted from the government, Figueroa could be sentenced to nearly 50 years in federal prison. The rampage had an “…
Suicidal NJ Man Who Turned Up In ER Charged With Shooting Bronx Uncle Dead Suicidal NJ Man Who Turned Up In ER Charged With Shooting Bronx Uncle Dead
Suicidal NJ Man Who Turned Up In ER Charged With Shooting Bronx Uncle Dead UPDATE: A Fair Lawn man accused of shooting his uncle dead in the Bronx earlier this month was being held on Riker’s Island after being extradited to New York from New Jersey to face justice, authorities said. Jonathan Mejia, 24, was brought from the Bergen County Jail to Bronx Criminal Court, where he was formally charged Wednesday with murder, manslaughter and weapons possession. Prosecutors said Mejia shot Daniel Valdez, 43, in victim's home near West 234th Street in the borough's Kingsbridge section after an argument got physical on May 2. Valdez had let Mejia in, then was shot in the …
Bronx Pair Nabbed In Pair Of Violent North Jersey Carjackings Bronx Pair Nabbed In Pair Of Violent North Jersey Carjackings
Bronx Pair Nabbed In Pair Of Violent North Jersey Carjackings A pair of violent Bergen County carjackings – one that produced a 110 mph pursuit and another that left a driver wounded – both involved a Bronx man who’s now in custody, authorities said. Authorities have moved to extradite Dariel Perez-Grullon and an accused associate, Luis Guzman-Encarnacion, both 22, to New Jersey to face charges. The first incident literally began and ended in minutes after a 31-year-old livery driver had his Lexus E350 taken by gunpoint outside a home on Pascack Road in Washington Township shortly before 1 a.m. March 23. Paramus police spotted the vehicle soon after …
Nephew Held In Bronx Man's Slaying After Turning Up At NJ Emergency Room Nephew Held In Bronx Man's Slaying After Turning Up At NJ Emergency Room
Nephew Held In Bronx Man's Slaying After Turning Up At NJ Emergency Room A Fair Lawn man was being held in New Jersey in connection with the shooting death of his uncle in the Bronx. Detectives with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office began investigating after Jonathan Mejia, 24, showed up at the emergency room at Hackensack University Medical Center with his mother on Tuesday, May 3, ranking law enforcement sources confirmed. The suspect's mother "reported that Mejia may have shot and killed his uncle in the Bronx" the night before -- in what's formally known as avunculicide -- and had become suicidal, one of them told Daily Voice. "She reported he did …
Brooklyn Resident, 20, Captured, Charged In NJ Mall Shooting Brooklyn Resident, 20, Captured, Charged In NJ Mall Shooting
Brooklyn Resident, 20, Captured, Charged In NJ Mall Shooting New Jersey State Police seized a 20-year-old Brooklyn resident who they said shot a man during a robbery attempt at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford earlier this month. The NYPD and members of a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force helped detectives from the New Jersey State Police Troop “B” Criminal Investigation Office and the NJSP Fugitive Unit capture Anwar Stuart at his home on Monday, April 25, authorities said. Stuart is charged with attempted murder, attempted robbery, conspiracy, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the April…
A North Jersey police sergeant is accused of swiping $100,000 from local PB A North Jersey police sergeant is accused of swiping $100,000 from local PB
A North Jersey police sergeant is accused of swiping $100,000 from local PB A Northvale police sergeant is accused of embezzling more than $75,000 from local PBA accounts. Sgt. Charles J. “CJ” Amorosso, 35, “made cash withdrawals and transferred money out of multiple PBA (Police Benevolent Association) bank accounts without authorization,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Tuesday, April 26. Detectives from Musella’s office charged Amorosso with theft on Monday following an investigation stemming from a Feb. 25 complaint, the prosecutor said. BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE PRESS RELEASE: Northvale Police Sergeant Charged With Theft Of PBA Funds Am…
KIDNAPPING: Abducted NJ Man Rescued By NYPD, Feds Seize Trio KIDNAPPING: Abducted NJ Man Rescued By NYPD, Feds Seize Trio
Kidnapping: Abducted NJ Man Rescued By Nypd, Feds Seize Trio Federal authorities have charged three New York City men with kidnapping a Fort Lee resident and holding him for ransom. A judge ordered Albert Ferrelli, 50, and Chiahao Lee, 30, both of Queens, and Fa Deng, 42, of Staten Island detained following a brief hearing in U.S. District Court in Newark on Thursday, April 7. The kidnapper sent the victim’s wife a photograph showing the victim with his hands bound and his eyes and mouth duct-taped while demanding $680,000 following the Tuesday night abduction, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. New York City police officers resc…
Detectives: NJ Woman's Killer Slipped Out, Circled Back After Daughter Woke Detectives: NJ Woman's Killer Slipped Out, Circled Back After Daughter Woke
Detectives: NJ Woman's Killer Slipped Out, Circled Back After Daughter Woke A Paterson gang member now charged with killing a Leonia woman in the garden apartment she shared with her daughter ran out when he heard the girl wake up, then circled back as if he was just arriving, investigators said. Nile Diakos, 35, was recorded on phone calls and in texts admitting that he killed Alicia Arnone by stabbing her in the neck and chest last Saturday, March 26, according to court papers. Authorities originally charged her former live-in boyfriend, Andrae Daniels of Lodi, with killing Arnone, 35. But new information emerged that led them to drop murder charges against him…
NJ Man Charged With 20 Guns, 15 Rifles, Grenade Launcher — All Stolen NJ Man Charged With 20 Guns, 15 Rifles, Grenade Launcher — All Stolen
NJ Man Charged With 20 Guns, 15 Rifles, Grenade Launcher — All Stolen A Moonachie auto detailer wanted by federal authorities was caught with 20 stolen handguns, 15 stolen rifles, a stolen grenade launcher – and sports memorabilia that wasn't his, either, authorities said. Abdel W. Shileh, a 35-year-old Palestinian national, faces a staggering 81 counts involving the possession of stolen weapons, armed burglary and other offenses, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Detectives from Musella's Narcotics Task Force watched late last week as Shileh met with a pair of gun buyers -- Michael Hayes, 31, of Jersey City and Turron Ward, 43, of Irvington – at h…
UPDATE: Woman Who Shot, Killed Sister In NJ Captured By State Police UPDATE: Woman Who Shot, Killed Sister In NJ Captured By State Police
Update: Woman Who Shot, Killed Sister In NJ Captured By State Police UPDATE: A 27-year-old Florida woman was charged with murder for killing her younger sister with a point-blank gunshot to the head in their mother's Little Ferry home, authorities said. Angielly Dominguez, 27, was headed south on the New Jersey Turnpike in her boyfriend's Ford Mustang early Tuesday evening, March 22, when State Police nabbed her in Cherry Hill, nearly 90 miles from the scene of the sororicide, law enforcement sources confirmed. There were five guns in the trunk of the vehicle, which her boyfriend had reported stolen along with the weapons, they said. Dominguez had driven …
GOTCHA! NJ Fugitive Wanted For Sex Trafficking Captured At Newark Airport GOTCHA! NJ Fugitive Wanted For Sex Trafficking Captured At Newark Airport
Gotcha! NJ Fugitive Wanted For Sex Trafficking 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…
Responders: NJ Mom Catches Husband's Friend Sexually Assaulting Daughter, 2 Responders: NJ Mom Catches Husband's Friend Sexually Assaulting Daughter, 2
Responders: NJ Mom Catches Husband's Friend Sexually Assaulting Daughter, 2 A Little Ferry mom caught a friend of her husband's sexually assaulting the couple's 2-year-old daughter in the child's bedroom, authorities said. Franklin Gomez Paredes, 28, of Moonachie pulled up his underwear and pants as both the mother and father chased him out of their home around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, responders said. Paredes, who didn't have a car, fled on foot, they said. He was arrested at his home a short time later. The child's father was asleep when the mother noticed the door to the bedroom where her daughter slept open. On the bed she saw Paredes on top of the naked child, res…
NJ Lawyer, 79, Attacked In Office, IT Worker Charged With Attempted Murder NJ Lawyer, 79, Attacked In Office, IT Worker Charged With Attempted Murder
NJ Lawyer, 79, Attacked In Office, IT Worker Charged With Attempted Murder An IT worker was charged with attempted murder after a 79-year-old attorney was beaten in his Fair Lawn office, authorities said. Associates said Friday that Ira J. Levine was out of the intensive care unit following Tuesday’s attack, in which he was struck with what Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella described as a “wooden baton.” His accused assailant, Mohammad Ramadan, 34, of Rochelle Park remained held in the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack on charges that also include aggravated assault causing serious bodily…
RECOGNIZE IT? Driver Killed In Fiery Leonia Crash May Have Been Chased (w/VIDEO) RECOGNIZE IT? Driver Killed In Fiery Leonia Crash May Have Been Chased (w/VIDEO)
Recognize IT? Driver Killed In Fiery Leonia Crash May Have Been Chased (w/Video) A driver who was killed in a fiery overnight crash in Leonia may have been trying to flee another motorist, authorities said. Leonia police released a video showing both cars racing down Jones Road moments before the first car crashed into a tree and burst into flames Ridgeland Terrace near the intersection of Nordhoff Drive at 4:47 a.m. Saturday (see below). They were still trying to identify the victim – but also the driver of the other vehicle, as well, Leonia Police Chief Scott Tamagny said. Occupants of the second car got out at the crash scene, then got back into the four-door sedan…
NJ Man Dies By Suicide In Lawnmower Blades NJ Man Dies By Suicide In Lawnmower Blades
NJ Man Dies By Suicide In Lawnmower Blades A troubled Bergen County man apparently died by suicide using a running lawn mower, authorities said. Responders didn't initially know the circumstances after a relative found the 33-year-old Fair Lawn man's body in his backyard Monday afternoon. Then they discovered that he'd left a note before sticking his head inside the machine. The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office was notified, the Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification collected evidence and the Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office collected the body. The various agencies will work with Fair Lawn police to reac…
NJ Prosecutor: Did Cyber-Predator Ask Your Kid For Nude Pics, Sex Talk? NJ Prosecutor: Did Cyber-Predator Ask Your Kid For Nude Pics, Sex Talk?
NJ Prosecutor: Did Cyber-Predator Ask Your Kid For Nude Pics, Sex Talk? Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella asked parents to check whether their children were contacted by an out-of-state man who created various identities to have sex chats with a local pre-teen whom he tried to extort into sending him pornographic images. Cyber Crimes Unit detectives found that “several different online personalities engaged the same child victim in separate conversations, some of which contained sexually explicit content and dialogue,” Musella said. All of the social media accounts used to contact the Bergen County child were controlled by Jason J. Campbell, a 31-year-old s…
Prosecutor: Florida Cyber-Predator Preyed On NJ Pre-Teen, Possibly Others Prosecutor: Florida Cyber-Predator Preyed On NJ Pre-Teen, Possibly Others
Prosecutor: Florida Cyber-Predator Preyed On NJ Pre-Teen, Possibly Others Detectives from Bergen County seized a security guard in Florida who they said created various identities to have sex chats with a local pre-teen whom he tried to extort into sending him pornographic images. Cyber Crimes Unit detectives found that “several different online personalities engaged the same child victim in separate conversations, some of which contained sexually explicit content and dialogue,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday. All of the social media accounts used to contact the Bergen County child were controlled by Jason J. Campbell, 31, of Orlando, the pr…
NJ Teacher Accused Of Making 'Terrorists' Remark To Student Suspended, Police Notified NJ Teacher Accused Of Making 'Terrorists' Remark To Student Suspended, Police Notified
NJ Teacher Accused Of Making 'Terrorists' Remark To Student Suspended, Police Notified UPDATE: A high school teacher accused of telling an Arab-American student "we don't negotiate with terrorists" when he sought a homework extension has been suspended, officials with the Ridgefield School District in Bergen County confirmed. Another Ridgefield Memorial High School teacher and classmates witnessed the teacher's comment to Mohammed Zubi, a 17-year-old Muslim senior who's captain of the varsity soccer team, according to the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ). "I didn't mean it like that," the teacher reportedly told the boy afterward, the…
Drunk Driver Charged In Death Of Man Beaten, Dumped Outside Famous NJ Strip Club Drunk Driver Charged In Death Of Man Beaten, Dumped Outside Famous NJ Strip Club
Drunk Driver Charged In Death Of Man Beaten, Dumped Outside Famous NJ Strip Club UPDATE: A Fort Lee driver was charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a Fair Lawn man outside the Satin Dolls nightclub on Route 17 in Lodi. Bryan Wood, 35, was drunk when his 2020 BMW M8 struck 38-year-old Marko Guberovic shortly after 3:30 a.m. May 22, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Five Ridgefield Park men – two of them brothers – had left the victim in the southbound highway’s fast lane after beating him during a dispute outside the club made famous as the "Bada Bing" in the legendary TV show "The Sopranos," the prosecutor said. Guberovic was then struck and drag…
Prosecutor: Alleged Kidnap Victim Of Instagram Influencer Took $100,000 Payoff To Change Story Prosecutor: Alleged Kidnap Victim Of Instagram Influencer Took $100,000 Payoff To Change Story
Prosecutor: Alleged Kidnap Victim Of Instagram Influencer Took $100,000 Payoff To Change Story The twisting tale of a Wayne man allegedly kidnapped by Instagram influencer “Jay Mazini” took another turn when Bergen County authorities charged him with taking a $100,000 bribe to back off his story. Amjad Mashal, 29, was arrested outside his business in Clifton, where detectives also found drugs, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday. The trouble began when “Mazini” – whose real name is Jebara Igbarra -- picked up Mashal at the 7-Eleven on Palisade Avenue in Fort Lee on March 15, authorities said at the time. Igbarra, of Edgewater, had cultivated a reputation for distribu…
Owner, Husband, Employees Busted In Raid On DIY Pot 'Dispensary' In NJ Owner, Husband, Employees Busted In Raid On DIY Pot 'Dispensary' In NJ
Owner, Husband, Employees Busted In Raid On DIY Pot 'Dispensary' In NJ Authorities raided a DIY storefront pot dispensary in Bergen County that they said was operated by a local couple who sold marijuana and THC products to the general public without a license. Jaime Costanzo, who was listed as the owner/operator, and her husband, Michael Delmoral, both 40 of Wallington, were busted after detectives posing as customers bought pot and other items at THC JARZ on River Road in Garfield, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Monday afternoon. Also arrested were two store cashiers, he said. Detectives from Musella’s Narcotic Task Force, along with police from…
Woman's Body Found In Barrel On NJ Street Was Carted Out Of NYC Building Woman's Body Found In Barrel On NJ Street Was Carted Out Of NYC Building
Woman's Body Found In Barrel On NJ Street Was Carted Out Of NYC Building UPDATE (AUG. 28): A man now jailed in Bergen County was seen entering a Manhattan building with a New York City escort a full week before her remains were found dumped on a quiet local street, court papers show. READ MORE.... ****** PREVIOUS STORY: An escort from Connecticut whose body was found stuffed into a barrel on a quiet Bergen County street reportedly died in a luxury Manhattan high-rise, then was rolled out the door on a luggage rack and driven off in a rental van. The victim, whose naked body was found in a 55-gallon drum just off Teaneck Road in Ridgefield Park last Friday morn…
COLD CASE: Killer Of NY Teen In Notorious NJ Motel Got Away COLD CASE: Killer Of NY Teen In Notorious NJ Motel Got Away
Cold CASE: Killer Of NY Teen In Notorious NJ Motel Got Away The morning was relatively warm for December when the body of a slain 18-year-old Rockland County girl was found at an infamous Route 17 motel in Bergen County. Someone killed Rosetta Jean-Baptiste by “mechanical asphyxiation” -- similar to what happened to George Floyd.  Only this was 28 years ago. Her parents didn’t know it, but Jean-Baptiste was also pregnant with a boy who was close to full term. He died, as well. The killer was never found. Members of a special cold case unit made up of investigators from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police are still h…
NY Delivery Driver Gets Four Years In Prison For Seeking Sex With NJ 'Girl' NY Delivery Driver Gets Four Years In Prison For Seeking Sex With NJ 'Girl'
NY Delivery Driver Gets Four Years In Prison For Seeking Sex With NJ 'Girl' A takeout food delivery driver from Westchester who was arrested when he showed up at a Bergen County home for sex with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl was sentenced Friday to four years in state prison. Jacob Smith, 28, used the name “LaidbackJay” to connect on the online app with what turned out to be an undercover detective posing as an underage girl. Smith ended up becoming one of seven men from New York State taken into custody after travelling to the house being used by local and state authorities in what was known as “Operation Home Alone.” Before showing up, Smith “expressed…