***SEEKING PUBLIC’S ASSISTANCE IN HIT AND RUN INVESTIGATION***
January 7, 2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Moonachie NJ , Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Moonachie Police Department are requesting information from the public regarding a hit and run collision which resulted in a pedestrian sustaining fatal injuries.
At approximately 5:50 am on Friday, January 5, 2018, the Moonachie Police Department received a report of a pedestrian lying in the roadway on Route 46 East near the intersection of Industrial Avenue. Upon arriving at the scene, officers observed a deceased male victim lying in the roadway. The victim’s injuries were consistent with having been struck by a motor vehicle. The victim, later identified as Brian P. Rossi (DOB 7/15/1989) of Teaneck, New Jersey, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Evidence at the scene indicates that the victim was struck by more than one vehicle, all of which fled the scene traveling eastbound on Route 46.
Anyone with information regarding this hit and run collision is requested to contact the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit at 201-226-5595, or the Moonachie Police Department at 201-641-9100. All calls will remain confidential.
Washington DC, The Department of Justice today issued a memo on federal marijuana enforcement policy announcing a return to the rule of law and the rescission of previous guidance documents. Since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970, Congress has generally prohibited the cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana.
In the memorandum, Attorney General Jeff Sessions directs all U.S. Attorneys to enforce the laws enacted by Congress and to follow well-established principles when pursuing prosecutions related to marijuana activities. This return to the rule of law is also a return of trust and local control to federal prosecutors who know where and how to deploy Justice Department resources most effectively to reduce violent crime, stem the tide of the drug crisis, and dismantle criminal gangs.
“It is the mission of the Department of Justice to enforce the laws of the United States, and the previous issuance of guidance undermines the rule of law and the ability of our local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners to carry out this mission,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Therefore, today’s memo on federal marijuana enforcement simply directs all U.S. Attorneys to use previously established prosecutorial principles that provide them all the necessary tools to disrupt criminal organizations, tackle the growing drug crisis, and thwart violent crime across our country.”
Ridgefield NJ, NJSP Troop D Turnpike Patrol Division investigated a tractor trailer fire that took place on a ramp associated with the Vince Lombardi Service Area in Ridgefield on Friday afternoon, 01/05. The fire was extinguished by Ridgefield Fire Department personnel. The tractor’s driver escaped the fully engulfed rig unharmed. A heavy duty tow truck removed the charred remains from the roadway.
Fair Lawn NJ , Apparently the “Tax the Rich” philosophy of New Jersey lawmakers only applies to when Trenton taxes the rich and not anyone else . The “Taxing the Rich” mantra has driven the state to fiscal suicide and has become a euphemism for taxing everyone on everything .
Today, in a desperate last ditch attempt to prop up Trenton, Congressman Josh Gottheimer and Governor-elect Phil Murphy have joined together to offer a new Tax Plan for New Jersey. Murphy and Gottheimer’s “Hail Mary” Tax Bill looks to restore State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction by providing a tax deduction for taxpayers who make charitable contributions to their state or other local governments.
The two will be joined by Congressman Bill Pascrell and the mayors of Fair Lawn, Paramus and Park Ridge who all expressed support for the plan and their eagerness to implement it, with state support, in their communities. The Tax Hike Bill took a two-by-four to the State of New Jersey, gutting the State and Local Deduction (SALT), sharply limiting New Jersey’s property tax deductions, and imposing a massive Tax Hike on Jersey families and businesses. The Tax Hike Bill was largely paid for on the backs of New Jersey taxpayers and, according to experts, will bring property values down by as much as twenty percent and send businesses and jobs to other states.
Plan restores the value of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction by providing a tax deduction for taxpayers who make charitable contributions to their state or other local governments. States and local governments can establish or support funds that pay for local services, including schools, law enforcement, and infrastructure. Taxpayers can make “voluntary contributions” to these funds, for which they will receive an offsetting tax credit. The contributions will be deductible for federal tax purposes under existing law, even for those who pay the alternative minimum tax. This structure effectively restores the benefit of the lost state and local tax deduction to the extent of the contributions for most taxpayers who itemize.
The plan also does not to restore any level of fiscal sanity to the state on New Jersey .
Glen Rock NJ, A BMW SUV slid off of Harristown Road in Glen Rock on Friday, 01/05 and crashed through a fence. No injuries were reported by the vehicle’s adult male driver. Glen Rock Police responded. The seemingly undamaged BMW was removed from its predicament by a hydraulic lift tow truck.
Glen Rock NJ, On January 2, 2018, members of the Glen Rock PD Detective Bureau and a Special Agent from the Office of Inspector General US Postal Service arrested a mailroom clerk from the Ridgewood, NJ Post Office who had been working at the Glen Rock Post Office for stealing gift cards from holiday greeting cards. The incident occurred in October but additional incidents may have occurred throughout the holiday season.
This is an ongoing investigation and members of the public, particularly in the Glen Rock and Ridgewood area, who suspect they may have been the victim of mail theft are encouraged to contact the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General at 1-888-877-7644.
Hackensack NJ, County Offices will be closed to the public on January 4, 2018 due to the inclement weather. First responders and those employees with weather-related duties will report at their scheduled times. Employees of 24/7 operations should follow standard operating procedures. Please check the County website for updates at www.co.bergen.nj.us.
Hawthorne NJ, Hawthorne Fire Chief Joseph Speranza reported that a burst 3-inch water pipe caused “significant” damage at a 3-story multi-tenant commercial/industrial building located at 85 Wagaraw Road, Hawthorne on Wednesday night, 01/03. All Hawthorne FD Fire Companies responded to the location along with a rescue truck from Prospect Park Fire Department. Fire department units in Glen Rock, North Haledon, and Wyckoff were placed on standby in their own quarters until Hawthorne units cleared the scene.
Midland Park NJ, Midland Park Police and Fire Department personnel responded to a motor vehicle crash involving a downed utility pole in front of 445 Godwin Avenue, Midland Park on Wednesday morning, 01/03. A live power line fell onto a NJ Transit commuter bus during the incident. No injuries were apparent.
Ridgewood NJ, Monday night’s rare ‘wolf moon’ had promised to be one of the biggest and brightest supermoons of the year . It delivered as promised and lit up the sky across the United States following its appearance in Europe and Asia.
The New Year supermoon, also known as a ‘wolf moon,’ made particularly stunning appearances from New York to Las Vegas as the sun set on the first day of 2018.
Supermoons happen when a full moon approximately coincides with the moon’s perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth.
Glen Rock NJ, from the Glen Rock Police department , we are just reiterating for 2018;
“We have heard that some people have been questioning the fact that photos of juveniles and others have been taken at police incidents in the past by members of the press or public.
The taking of photographs and/or videos by private citizens and media personnel is permitted within areas open to general public access and occupancy and is permitted under the US Constitution in the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. (Christopher Sharp v. Baltimore City Police Department, et. al.). No citizen has the expectation of privacy when they are in public regardless of their status as a victim, juvenile or offender.
A civilian may video record or photograph a police and public safety activities as long as they:
1. Remain at a reasonable distance;
2. Do not interfere with the duties and responsibilities of police and other public safety personnel;
3. Do not create a safety concern for the officer, a person detained, a victim, other persons or themselves.
A citizen’s right to record police activity is coextensive with that of the press. There should be no burden on an individual’s right to record police activity than they place on members of the press. A citizen does not need “press credentials” to record police officers engaged in the public discharge of their duties.”
Paramus NJ, we picked this up form the Paramus Office of Emergency Management . You may not be near a TV or radio to find out when severe weather is approaching. Learn the different ways you can get alerts and warnings by using the “Be Smart: Alerts and Warnings” guide.
Receiving timely information about weather conditions or other emergency events can make all the difference in knowing when to take action to be safe. Local police and fire departments, emergency managers, the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and private industry are working together to make sure you can receive alerts and warnings quickly through several different technologies no matter where you are–at home, at school, at work, or in the community. For those with access and functional needs, many messages are TTY/TDD compatible and many devices have accessible accommodations. Review this fact sheet to make sure you will receive critical information as soon as possible so you can take action to be safe. Be sure to share this information with your family, friends, and colleagues. And remember to keep extra batteries for your mobile phone or radio in a safe place or consider purchasing other back-up power supplies such as a car, solar-powered, or hand crank charger.
Ho Ho Kus NJ, No injuries were reported by the adult male driver of a silver colored 4-door BMW sedan after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the center divider of Route 17 southbound near Hollywood Avenue in Ho-Ho-Kus on Friday afternoon, 12/29.
Ho-Ho-Kus Police and Fire Department units responded, with traffic control assistance provided by Waldwick Police. The wrecked vehicle was removed from the highway by a flatbed tow truck. Traffic on Route 17 southbound north of Ho-Ho-Kus was backed up for miles due to the incident.
Hackensack NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced the arrest of KWANELLE PARKER (DOB: 09/11/1991; single; unemployed) of 644 Coster Street, Bronx, New York on Check Fraud, Theft by Deception, and Conspiracy charges. Specifically, PARKER was issued a summons on Thursday, December 21, 2017. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti,
In August 2017, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office received a complaint from the County of Bergen’s financial officers regarding the fraudulent production and deposit of checks which were made to appear as if they were issued from a Bergen County payroll account. Along with the checks, it was determined that illicit wire activity had also occurred, which brought the total theft amount to over $50,000.00.
During the course of the investigation, it was determined that Kwanelle PARKER had worked in concert with Daleska DILLERVA, Anthony PEGUERO, and others to deposit the fraudulent checks into co-conspirators’ accounts and then withdraw the illicit funds before the forgeries and deception were uncovered. The arrest of PARKER is the result of an ongoing investigation during which DILLERVA and PEGUERO had been arrested and charged on September 19, 2017.
Kwanelle PARKER was charged with one count of Issuing or Passing Bad Checks, with a value greater than $1,000 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5, a 3rd degree crime; one count of Theft by Deception, with a benefit greater than $500 but less than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4a, a 3rd degree crime, and two counts of Conspiring with Daleska DILLERVA and Anthony PEGUERO to Commit the Issuing or Passing of Bad Checks and Theft by Deception, each a 3rd degree crime. PARKER is scheduled to appear in Central Judicial Processing Court at 9:00 a.m. on January 10, 2018.
Prosecutor Grewal states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Paramus NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced the arrest of ANTHONY B. SAVINO (DOB: 03/29/1965; married; and employed as an attendant) of 62 Newton Street, Staten Island, New York on fraud charges. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti.
In October 2017, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office received a complaint from representatives of the Bergen County Utilities Authority regarding an employee, Anthony B. SAVINO, who they believed had violated New Jersey Civil Service and employment regulations by obtaining employment with a public entity using a fraudulent New Jersey residential address.
During the course of the investigation, it was determined that, in 2013, SAVINO obtained a New Jersey driver’s license using a fraudulently obtained mailing address in Bergen County, New Jersey even though, at the time, he resided in Staten Island, New York. Using the New Jersey driver’s license as proof of residence, SAVINO applied for and obtained employment with the Bergen County Utilities Authority (“BCUA”). At the time of his application, employment at the public entity required applicants and non-exempt employees to maintain their primary residence in New Jersey as per the residency requirements of the New Jersey First Act. SAVINO maintained the fraudulently obtained address while employed at the BCUA and, in fact, changed his residency to a second, fraudulently obtained address in November 2017. Upon receiving a position with the BCUA, SAVINO applied for and obtained health insurance benefits by completing an insurance application on which he reported the fraudulent information.
On Friday, December 22, 2017, Anthony B. SAVINO was arrested in Paramus, New Jersey and issued a summons. Upon his release from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, SAVINO was turned over to the Port Authority Police Department on an unrelated matter. He was wanted by the Port Authority Police Department in reference to a theft of services investigation which was initiated as a result of 343 EZ-Pass violations committed utilizing an EZ-Pass account and vehicles to which he had access.
Anthony B. SAVINO was charged by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with one count of Insurance Fraud, N.J.S.A. 2C:21-4.6(a), a 3rd degree crime; and one count of Falsifying Records, N.J.S.A. 2C:21-4(a), a 4th degree crime. SAVINO was released pending his first appearance in Bergen County Central Judicial Processing Court on January 10, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.
SAVINO was charged by the Port Authority Police Department and issued a summons for one count of Theft of Services, in an amount greater than $500 but less than $75,000, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-8(a), a 3rd degree crime. SAVINO was released pending his first appearance in Bergen County Central Judicial Processing Court on January 5, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.
Prosecutor Grewal states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Grewal would like to thank the Port Authority Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
