Corrections Officer Accepted Money In South Jersey Jail-Smuggling Scheme: Prosecutors Corrections Officer Accepted Money In South Jersey Jail-Smuggling Scheme: Prosecutors
Corrections Officer Accepted Money In South Jersey Jail-Smuggling Scheme: Prosecutors An Atlantic County corrections officer was among three people accused of a scheme to smuggle contraband into the county's jail, authorities said. In a news release, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said 33-year-old Christopher Piccioni of Swedesboro was charged on Monday, May 20. Piccioni is an officer at the Atlantic County Justice Facility. The county prosecutor's office said it learned in January about contraband being smuggled into the jail in Mays Landing. Piccioni was identified as a suspect during a four-month investigation. Investigators said Piccioni conspired wit…
Fugitive Admits To Home Invasion, Kidnapping In Atlantic City: Prosecutors Fugitive Admits To Home Invasion, Kidnapping In Atlantic City: Prosecutors
Fugitive Admits To Home Invasion, Kidnapping In Atlantic City: Prosecutors An Atlantic City man admitted to a home invasion and forcing a victim at gunpoint to withdraw money from an ATM, authorities said. Glen Graves, 33, pleaded guilty on Monday, May 20 to first-degree kidnapping, second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree resisting arrest by flight. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office announced his guilty plea in a news release. Investigators said Graves forced his way into an Atlantic City apartment with a gun on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. He "ransacked" the apartment and forced a resident at gunpoint …
UPDATE: Convicted ‘Bling Bishop’ From Bergen Jailed Ahead Of Sentencing UPDATE: Convicted ‘Bling Bishop’ From Bergen Jailed Ahead Of Sentencing
Update: Convicted ‘Bling Bishop’ From Bergen Jailed Ahead Of Sentencing 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A convicted con man from Bergen County known as the "Bling Bishop" was jailed on Monday after violating terms of his release before this summer's sentencing, federal authorities said. Federal jurors in lower Manhattan convicted Lamor Whitehead of Paramus two months ago of swindling the elderly mom of a parishioner from New Jersey out of her $90,000 life savings, among other counts. They also found him guilty of using ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams in an attempt to extort a business owner into loaning him $500,000 and of lying to hide a second cellphone from FBI agents as the…
Duo Nabbed In String Of Business Burglaries In Toms River, Manchester Township: Police Duo Nabbed In String Of Business Burglaries In Toms River, Manchester Township: Police
Duo Nabbed In String Of Business Burglaries In Toms River, Manchester Township: Police Two men were accused of stealing from several businesses throughout Ocean County, authorities said. Ryan Dautorio, 34, of Jackson Township, and Damian Sanchirico, 36, of Brick Township, were charged with several counts of burglary and theft. The Manchester Township Police Department announced their arrests in a news release on Monday, May 20. Manchester police responded to a reported burglary at All Star Bagel on Route 37 at around 12:24 a.m. on Friday, Apr. 26. Surveillance video showed a suspect shattering the front glass door, running behind the counter, and opening the cash re…
Person Hospitalized After Bus Catches Fire On Garden State Parkway Person Hospitalized After Bus Catches Fire On Garden State Parkway
Person Hospitalized After Bus Catches Fire On Garden State Parkway A person was hospitalized after a bus caught fire on the Garden State Parkway in Monmouth County, authorities said. Troopers responded to the fire in Wall Township at 9:23 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, according to a state police spokesperson.  The transit bus was fully on fire on the southbound side of the parkway near milepost 99. It happened near the exit for Interstate 195 and about a mile south of the Judy Blume Service Area. One passenger suffered minor injuries and was brought to a hospital. No other injuries were reported. State police were investigating the cause of the fir…
23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK 23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK
23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK Federal agents at JFK Airport seized a 23-year-old Taiwanese national who the Justice Department said owned and operated a dark web drug bazaar that produced well over $100 million in sales. The “Incognito Market” created by Rui-Siang Lin enabled its users to anonymously buy and sell drugs around the globe for nearly 3½ years, US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and other federal officials announced on Monday, May 20. Lin -- also known as Ruisiang Lin, 林睿庠, Pharoah, and faro – mastermineded a clandestine e-commerce network where buyers could browse thousands of listings for heroin, LSD, …
Fugitive Caught With Stolen Vehicle In South Jersey: Police Fugitive Caught With Stolen Vehicle In South Jersey: Police
Fugitive Caught With Stolen Vehicle In South Jersey: Police An Atlantic County man was accused of driving a stolen SUV, authorities said. Martes Robinson of Egg Harbor Township was arrested on Saturday, May 18, the Northfield Police Department said in a news release. An officer stopped him driving a white Chevrolet Trailblazer "with multiple equipment violations" near the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Second Street at around 9:54 a.m. Police said the SUV was reported stolen in Northfield on Friday, May 17. Robinson was also wanted by the Atlantic County Sheriff's Department for not showing up to court on aggravated assault…
DUI Driver Charged In Hit-Run Crash With Pedestrian In Central Jersey: Prosecutor DUI Driver Charged In Hit-Run Crash With Pedestrian In Central Jersey: Prosecutor
DUI Driver Charged In Hit-Run Crash With Pedestrian In Central Jersey: Prosecutor A 31-year-old man from Central Jersey was driving under the influence when he fled the scene of a pedestrian crash, authorities said. Abel Bustos-Medel, 31, of New Brunswick, was charged with assault by auto, leaving the scene of an accident and DUI in the crash, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Vincent Sabo of the New Brunswick Police Department. On Monday, May 20, at approximately 1:25 a.m., New Brunswick police responded to 100 Jersey Ave. for a pedestrian hit and run.  Police found a man, 25, of New Brunswick, who sustained serious&…
NJ Man Convicted Of Raping 12-Year-Old Girl He Met Online, Prosecutors Say NJ Man Convicted Of Raping 12-Year-Old Girl He Met Online, Prosecutors Say
NJ Man Convicted Of Raping 12-Year-Old Girl He Met Online, Prosecutors Say A 22-year-old Piscataway man was convicted on Tuesday, May 14 of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl he'd met online in 2021, authorities said. In July 2021, a 12-year-old girl said she was sexually assaulted in Bound Brook by Lenic Galvan, a man she met on social media, Somerset County Prosecutor John  McDonald said. Galvan arranged for transportation for the girl before he sexually assaulted her, authorities said. Following an investigation and DNA test, Galvan was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and was convicted of sexual assault by contact and endangering th…
MAIL-ORDER METH: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen MAIL-ORDER METH: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen
Mail-order Meth: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen A New Jersey man who shipped more than 100 pounds of crystal meth for sale cross-country through the U.S. mail was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison as part of a plea deal. Michael Venditti, 39, of Camden, was arrested during a controlled delivery of a package in September 2021. It had been intercepted on its way from Calexico, a Southern California town at the Mexican border, federal authorities said. Inspectors got a warrant to open the package after a drug-detection dog reacted to its arrival at a South Jersey postal facility, they said. Inspectors swapped some of the m…
Manchester Township Teen Hospitalized After Crashing Motorbike Into SUV: Police Manchester Township Teen Hospitalized After Crashing Motorbike Into SUV: Police
Manchester Township Teen Hospitalized After Crashing Motorbike Into SUV: Police An Ocean County teen was rushed to the hospital after crashing his motorbike into an SUV, authorities said. Manchester Township police responded to the crash on Commonwealth Boulevard near the intersection with Northampton Boulevard at around 12:46 a.m. on Sunday, May 19, the department said in a news release. Officers found a black 2020 Ford Explorer on fire in the westbound lane of Commonwealth with no one inside it. Police also saw a motorbike under the back of the SUV. Investigators said an 18-year-old Manchester man on the motorbike ran a red light and crashed into the F…
Atlantic City Man Charged With Attempted Murder In Deadly Shooting: Prosecutors Atlantic City Man Charged With Attempted Murder In Deadly Shooting: Prosecutors
Atlantic City Man Charged With Attempted Murder In Deadly Shooting: Prosecutors An Atlantic City man was accused of shooting and killing another man, authorities said. Marlon Chiles II, 26, was arrested on Saturday, May 18, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. Pleasantville police responded to a ShotSpotter activation on West Park Avenue at around 11:32 a.m. on Saturday, May 18. Officers found 31-year-old Andrew Miller of Pleasantville suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was rushed to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Division. The shooting suspect left the area in a Lexus. Chiles was driving the vehicle and he w…
Body Pulled From NJ River ID'd As Woman Who Vanished 14 Years Ago, Family Says Body Pulled From NJ River ID'd As Woman Who Vanished 14 Years Ago, Family Says
Body Pulled From NJ River ID'd As Woman Who Vanished 14 Years Ago, Family Says The family of a New Jersey woman who disappeared finally has some closure. The body recovered along with three cars from the Cooper River in Pennsauken last week has been identified by her daughter as Bernadine Gunner, who went missing in July 2010. AFTER 13 LONG YEARS WE HAVE CLOSURE, MY MOM WAS FOUND 💔😢. SIP MOM I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO FEEL RIGHT NOW…... Posted by Julia Young on Thursday, May 16, 2024 In a Facebook post shared Saturday, May 18, Julia Young says United Search Corps was behind the recovery operation in Pennsauken on Thursday, May 16, in which dive teams …
Beachwood Driver, 32, Airlifted In Toms River Rollover Crash On Garden State Parkway (UPDATE) Beachwood Driver, 32, Airlifted In Toms River Rollover Crash On Garden State Parkway (UPDATE)
Toms River Garden State Parkway Crash Details One person was airlifted in a crash on the Garden State Parkway in Ocean County on Sunday, May 19, authorities said. A Honda passenger car and Ford pickup truck were both heading south when the two collided near milepost 83.8 around 3:30 p.m., New Jersey State Police Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron said. The crash caused the Ford to run off the right side of the roadway and overturn in Toms River, Lebron said. The Honda driver, a 32-year-old Beachwood resident, was airlifted with serious injuries while the driver and passenger of the Ford suffered minor injuries. 2 medevac helicopters have landed…
SEXTORTION: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000 SEXTORTION: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000
Sextortion: Out-Of-State Fugitive Freed After NJ Senior Looking For Love Loses $20,000 A fugitive from Maryland charged with sextorting a New Jersey senior out of $20,000 online after getting him to take compromising selfies was immediately freed by a judge after surrendering to police. Posing as a woman, Ali H. Maman, 59, of Frederick, MD, communicated with an elderly Glen Rock resident through Instagram and WhatsApp, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. The victim was convinced to share the risqué photos, then was contacted by someone else who demanded a $20,000 bank wire transfer in exchange for not posting them online, Ackermann said. The victim wired the money last July to…
George Washington Bridge Climber, Not Protestors, Jams NYC-Bound Traffic For Hours George Washington Bridge Climber, Not Protestors, Jams NYC-Bound Traffic For Hours
George Washington Bridge Climber, Not Protestors, Jams Nyc-bound Traffic For Hours Police expected a protest that would throw the George Washington Bridge into chaos on Saturday and got something else entirely. A 24-year-old climber partially caused massive delays when he started climbing the Manhattan tower's south side shortly before noon May 18. What began as half-hour backups quickly stretched to more than 90 minutes on both levels during one of the busiest times of the average GWB weekend. All eastbound lanes were eventually closed at one point as Port Authority and NYPD emergency services officers with rappelling ropes and other rescue gear eventually got him down …
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A confessed member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, NJ, must serve a little over two years before he'll be eligible for release because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Jackson was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. One of Jackson's associates told detectives t…
Scooter Rider Killed By SUV On Route 1 Survived By Son, Wife, Campaign Says Scooter Rider Killed By SUV On Route 1 Survived By Son, Wife, Campaign Says
Scooter Rider Killed By SUV On Route 1 Survived By Son, Wife, Campaign Says Support is on the rise for the family of a 22-year-old man struck and killed by a vehicle on Route 1 in Edison. Raul Montoya-Chavez, of Edison, was hit in the southbound center lane of Route 1 at about 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15 as he tried to cross at Plainfield Avenue, Edison police said. Montoya-Chavez died of his injuries at an area hospital, police said. The 61-year-old Rahway man driving the SUV had a green light and is not expected to be charged, police said. A GoFundMe page raised for his funeral expenses had raised more than $3,400 as of press time. The page was laun…
Atlantic City Man Killed Teen Pedestrian In Hit-And-Run Crash: Police Atlantic City Man Killed Teen Pedestrian In Hit-And-Run Crash: Police
Atlantic City Man Killed Teen Pedestrian In Hit-And-Run Crash: Police An Atlantic City man was accused of killing a teen pedestrian in a hit-and-run crash, authorities said. Everette Williams, 52, was arrested on Thursday, May 16, the Absecon Police Department said in a news release. He was facing charges in the deadly crash on Route 30 West on Saturday, Feb. 17. Officers responded to the crash just east of Turner Avenue and near the Executive Lodge motel at around 9 p.m. A 17-year-old boy died from his injuries. Investigators said the driver of a white 2015 Jeep Compass didn't stop and left the victim without any help. The U.S. Marshal Task F…
South Jersey Men Admit To Assaulting Juvenile Corrections Officers: Prosecutors South Jersey Men Admit To Assaulting Juvenile Corrections Officers: Prosecutors
South Jersey Men Admit To Assaulting Juvenile Corrections Officers: Prosecutors Two Atlantic County men admitted to assaulting two juvenile corrections officers, authorities said. Bilal Rex, 20, of Atlantic City, and Samir Abdullah, 21, of Galloway, pleaded guilty on Thursday, May 16 to third-degree aggravated assault on a corrections employee. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office announced their guilty pleas in a news release. Investigators said Rex and Abdullah assaulted two corrections officers while they were held in the Harborfields Youth Detention Center on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. Prosecutors said they're recommending three-year prison sentences for Rex a…
Fire Destroys 95-Year-Old Woman's 'Cherished Home' Along Jersey Shore Fire Destroys 95-Year-Old Woman's 'Cherished Home' Along Jersey Shore
Fire Destroys 95-Year-Old Woman's 'Cherished Home' Along Jersey Shore The Monmouth County home of a 95-year-old woman and her son was destroyed by a fire, according to a fundraising campaign. A GoFundMe page said Theresa and James Sangillo's home on Morris Avenue in Spring Lake caught fire on Saturday, May 11. More than $7,500 had been raised from at least 41 donations as of Friday, May 17. The GoFundMe's creator Diana DeMarco said Theresa's late husband Eugene built the home about 50 years ago. "This cherished home holds decades of memories, where Theresa raised her children, Michael and James, and where her own mother peacefully passed away at the remarkab…
Plainfield Man Sentenced For DWI Crash That Injured Seven: Somerset County Prosecutor Plainfield Man Sentenced For DWI Crash That Injured Seven: Somerset County Prosecutor
Plainfield Man Sentenced For DWI Crash That Injured Seven: Somerset County Prosecutor A 24-year-old Plainfield man was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday, May 10, for a DUI crash that left seven people injured last June. Jose Cruz Villanueva-Izaguirre was behind the wheel of a 2004 Honda Civic and collided with a Kia Sedona after driving at high speed through a red light on June 11, 2023, at 2:09 a.m., Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said. Villanueva-Izaguirre, as well as his passengers — two adults and a teen — were seriously injured in the crash, authorities said. One passenger was found unresponsive in the back seat, suffering from near-fatal i…
NJ Police Chief Admits Coverup of Sex Affair With Subordinate NJ Police Chief Admits Coverup of Sex Affair With Subordinate
NJ Police Chief Admits Coverup of Sex Affair With Subordinate A retired New Jersey police chief admitted trying to cover up a sexual affair with a subordinate, authorities said. Andrew Kudrick, 50, will be banned for life from public employment and will receive probation instead of prison time in exchange, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Kudrick, of Farmingdale, lied to Howell Township officials about the affair and “threatened to launch an improper internal affairs investigation” of a captain who called him on it, the attorney general said. A confrontation between the chief’s wife and his alleged mistress during a 2021 retirement party …
Man Awaiting Prison Sentence Shot, Killed Another Man In South Jersey: Prosecutors Man Awaiting Prison Sentence Shot, Killed Another Man In South Jersey: Prosecutors
Man Awaiting Prison Sentence Shot, Killed Another Man In South Jersey: Prosecutors An Atlantic County man was accused of killing another man while waiting to be sentenced to prison, authorities said. Kalief Lyons, 35, of Galloway Township, was arrested on Saturday, May 10, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Thursday, May 16. He was facing charges in the shooting death of 38-year-old Baseem Taliaferro of Galloway. Pleasantville police responded to a ShotSpotter alert of several shots fired at 9 West Pleasant Avenue at around 11:02 p.m. on Friday, May 9. Officers found Taliaferro inside a first-floor apartment with a gunshot wound to his …
NJ Postal Worker Admits Spending $54,000 On USPS Credit Cards NJ Postal Worker Admits Spending $54,000 On USPS Credit Cards
NJ Postal Worker Admits Spending $54,000 On USPS Credit Cards A post office worker in South Jersey admitted going on a $54,000 personal spending spree, buying power tools, gift cards, groceries and more with U.S. Postal Service plastic. Austin T. Mahan, 44, of Cape May Court House, was working at the Sea Isle and Somers Point facilities when he used postal service credit cards at retail stores in and around New Jersey over a six-month period beginning in 2022, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. "These purchases included thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards as well as various home décor items, home renovation materials, power and handhel…
Police ID Electric Scooter Rider Struck, Killed On Route 1 Police ID Electric Scooter Rider Struck, Killed On Route 1
Police ID Electric Scooter Rider Struck, Killed On Route 1 A 22-year-old man on an electric scooter was struck and killed along Route 1 in Edison, authorities said. Raul Montoya-Chavez, of Edison, was hit in the southbound center lane of Route 1 at about 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15 as he tried to cross at Plainfield Avenue, Edison police said. Montoya-Chavez died of his injuries at an area hospital, police said. The 61-year-old Rahway man driving the SUV had a green light and is not expected to be charged, police said.
Wanted Woman Used Sister's Identity During Stolen Vehicle Arrest In Atlantic City: Police Wanted Woman Used Sister's Identity During Stolen Vehicle Arrest In Atlantic City: Police
Wanted Woman Used Sister's Identity During Stolen Vehicle Arrest In Atlantic City: Police An Atlantic County woman was accused of using her sister's identity when she was arrested in a stolen vehicle investigation, authorities said. Caitlin Rainey, 33, of Northfield, was arrested on Sunday, May 12. The Atlantic City Police Department issued a news release on Thursday, May 16 to update the original information it released about the arrest on Tuesday, May 14. An officer found an empty and stolen minivan on the first block of Tennessee Avenue at around 6:57 p.m. on Sunday. Shortly before police arrived, surveillance video showed two people leaving the minivan, which had been report…
Camden Ex-Con Who Left Gun In Atlantic City Hotel Room Sentenced: Prosecutors Camden Ex-Con Who Left Gun In Atlantic City Hotel Room Sentenced: Prosecutors
Camden Ex-Con Who Left Gun In Atlantic City Hotel Room Sentenced: Prosecutors A Camden man will spend several years in prison after he was convicted of leaving a gun in an Atlantic City hotel room, authorities said. Quadir Webb, 31, was sentenced on Wednesday, May 15 to 10 years in state prison, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. He'll be eligible for parole after serving five years. A jury found Webb guilty on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, second-degree certain persons not to possess a handgun, fourth-degree possession of hollow point bullets, and fourth-degree possession of a large capaci…
Unregistered Machine Guns Found In Raid, Jersey Shore Man Facing Federal Charge: Prosecutor Unregistered Machine Guns Found In Raid, Jersey Shore Man Facing Federal Charge: Prosecutor
Unregistered Machine Guns Found In Raid, Jersey Shore Man Facing Federal Charge: Prosecutor An Atlantic County man was given a new federal charge after he was accused of having unregistered machine guns and modified firearms, authorities said. Michael James, 30, of Somers Point, was charged on Wednesday, May 15 with possessing unregistered machine guns and other firearms, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced in a news release. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine under the National Firearms Act.  Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted two packages with suspected drugs addressed to James' home in February, acco…
UPDATE: Newark Woman, 21, Gets Dozen Years For Jersey City Robbery Spree, Clerk Shooting UPDATE: Newark Woman, 21, Gets Dozen Years For Jersey City Robbery Spree, Clerk Shooting
Update: Newark Woman, 21, Gets Dozen Years For Jersey City Robbery Spree, Clerk Shooting 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 21-year-old Newark woman is headed to federal prison for 12 years for her role in a violent robbery spree in Jersey City in which a fast-food clerk was shot in the chest. Siobhan Chandler will have to serve at least a decade before she'll be eligible for release because there's no parole in the federal prison system.Chandler had hoped for leniency when she took a deal from the government and admitted she was with ex-con Rodney Williams when he robbed a gas station and store at gunpoint and then shot a restaurant clerk during a third holdup last Nov. 14 Police captured bo…
Disturbing Video Shows Infant Being Abused By 37-Year-Old NJ Woman, Police Say Disturbing Video Shows Infant Being Abused By 37-Year-Old NJ Woman, Police Say
Disturbing Video Shows Infant Being Abused By 37-Year-Old NJ Woman, Police Say Police have announced the arrest of a New Jersey woman seen in a disturbing video being circulated on social media. Multiple people called Trenton police on Wednesday, May 15, to report the video in which Vivian M. Harrell, 37, abuses an 8-week-old child, the department said. Harrell is seen covering an infant’s face, possibly blocking its airway, and speaking to the child in a vulgar and derogatory way, authorities said. Harrell was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. The Division of Child Protection and Permanency is …