Category: Bergen County

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N.J. medical bribe scheme reached grand scale

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MAY 26, 2015, 10:39 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2015, 10:42 PM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The first hint of the vast bribery scheme came with the arrests of a North Jersey doctor and three businessmen who, authorities said, found a way to turn a diagnostic lab with offices in Parsippany and Garfield into a virtual gold mine.

Two years later, federal prosecutors in Newark have racked up convictions of 38 people, including 25 doctors from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, in what is believed to be one of the largest — if not the largest — laboratory bribery prosecutions in the United States, both in terms of money and the number of physicians caught with their hands out.

“To our knowledge, this is the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in the same case,” U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said last week.

By the numbers

25 doctors and one physician’s assistant pleaded guilty to |accepting bribes.
16 of the doctors live in New Jersey; seven in New York; and two in Connecticut. The physician’s assistant is also from New Jersey.
12 other defendants who worked at Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services have pleaded guilty.
The amount of bribes pocketed by |individual doctors ranged from $10,500 to $1.8 million.
In return for bribes, the doctors referred over $100 million in blood tests to the lab.
So far, 12 doctors have been sentenced to terms ranging from one year of probation, for a cooperator, to more than three years in federal prison and fines of up to $75,000.
The government is seeking a combined forfeiture of more than $87 million from the 38 defendants, including $50 million from former BLS owner and president David Nicoll and $25 million from his brother, Scott Nicoll.

“It shows how pervasive this practice can be. It has also made people in the profession sit up and take notice and made the deterrent message that much louder,” he said.

In recent weeks two doctors, one weeping and both remorseful, have been sentenced after helping prosecutors catch others in cases that add to the broadening panorama of corruption.

And it’s not over. Additional arrests of doctors who profited from the scheme are anticipated, prosecutors say.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-medical-bribe-scheme-reached-grand-scale-1.1342843

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Schepisi readies herself for brain aneurysm operation, looks to future

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WESTWOOD – With a smile, state Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi (R-39) said it best before she hits the operation table next week. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)

Schepisi readies herself for brain aneurysm operation, looks to future | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis

 

UPDATE

Schepisi recovering from successful brain surgery

https://savejersey.com/2015/05/update-schepisi-recovering-from-successful-brain-surgery/

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Today we remember the loss of the heroic men and women who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom and liberty

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May 25.2015

Rep Scott Garrett

Today we remember the loss of the heroic men and women who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom and liberty. We owe our way of life to their courage. Their willingness to fight is the reason why we live in a country free from tyranny and oppression.

In honor of Memorial Day, I’m happy to announce that the Oversight and Government Reform Committee this week passed my bill to rename the United States Post Office building located at 1 Walter Hammond Place in Waldwick, NJ the “Staff Sergeant Joseph D’Augustine Post Office Building.” This action clears the way for this important legislation to be passed by the House of Representatives and sent to President Obama for his signature.

As you may know, Staff Sergeant Joseph D’Augustine, a 2001 Waldwick High School graduate, was killed in action in the Helmand province of Afghanistan on March 27, 2012. He gave his life while protecting his fellow men and women in uniform. Renaming the Waldwick Post Office after a hometown hero would be a fitting tribute to this brave young man.

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Electric Daisy Carnival music festival lights up Meadowlands Sports Complex

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MAY 23, 2015, 9:38 PM    LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015, 9:52 PM
BY NICHOLAS PUGLIESE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

EAST RUTHERFORD — The atmosphere surrounding MetLife Stadium was certainly carnivalesque: Men in neon suits walked past tutu-clad women whirling hula hoops. A giant grasshopper mounted on pogo sticks flitted through crowds. And enough skin was on display to make the Shore jealous.

To add to the sensory overload, Saturday’s event shook with pulsating, bass-heavy music blaring from enormous columns of speakers.

It was the soundtrack of America’s nightclubs and raves — electronic dance music, or EDM.

The Meadowlands Sports Complex is playing host this weekend to the “New York” incarnation of the Electric Daisy Carnival, the biggest electronic music festival on the East Coast that runs for two days and boasts a line-up of nearly 100 popular DJs such as Armin van Buuren, Calvin Harris and Bassnectar.

As many as 100,000 were expected to attend over the two days.

“It’s literally the craziest weekend of the year every year,” said Christian Runza, a 19-year-old aspiring DJ from Old Tappan. “Every set you’re going to see someone you love.”

The outlandish outfits are part and parcel of an EDM culture that prizes self-expression above all else.

“You come out here to be anyone you want to be or anything you want to be,” said Jake Berto, 23, who had traveled all the way from San Francisco for the event. “Nobody judges you.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/electric-daisy-carnival-music-festival-lights-up-meadowlands-sports-complex-1.1341659

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Mahwah council OKs signage for recall of mayor

Mahwah_recall_theridgewoodblog

MAY 22, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015, 2:46 PM
BY TOM NOBILE
STAFF WRITER |
MAHWAH SUBURBAN NEWS

Mahwah — Permission to post signs in an effort to recall Mayor William Laforet was granted by the Township Council on Thursday, May 21, despite allegations by one member that the mayor had pressured him to deny the request.
Prior to the governing body’s vote, Councilman Steve Sbarra read a statement on record claiming the mayor had approached him late Tuesday, May 19, after an Affordable Housing Commission meeting in an effort to sway the council’s judgment.

“[Laforet] then said, and I quote, ‘You need to talk to your fellow council members and make sure they vote ‘no’ to the signs or things in this town will get worse,” Sbarra stated.
He also referred to measures that have been implemented to improve relations and communication between the council and the police department. Police Chief James Batelli said in an interview Friday, May 22, that he had recently agreed to provide the council with a briefing packet of police activity every two weeks, in response to council complaints that information has been falling through the cracks.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/mahwah-council-oks-signage-for-recall-of-mayor-1.1341150

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North Jersey Boy Scout leaders react to BSA president’s call for change on policy toward gays

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AP File photo

MAY 21, 2015, 1:02 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015, 7:33 PM
BY JOHN SEASLY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

For local Boy Scouts of America leaders, the issue of whether to end the ban on gay Scout leaders comes down to doing what’s beneficial to keep their organization going.

In this Friday, May 23, 2014 file photo, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates addresses the Boy Scouts of America’s annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn., after being selected as the organization’s new president.

Reacting Thursday tor the BSA president’s urging of an end to the ban, North Jersey Scout leaders reacted generally with support for opening leadership posts to qualified individuals, but in some cases expressed a wait-and-see caution.

President Robert Gates, speaking at the organization’s national annual meeting in Atlanta, said the longstanding ban on gay adult leaders was unsustainable and called for change to prevent “the end of us as a national movement.”

In 2013, the BSA voted to allow openly gay youth as Scouts, but not gay adults as leaders. Gates, who at the time was in favor of allowing gay leaders, said Thursday that recent national gay rights debates have made the issue much more urgent.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/north-jersey-boy-scout-leaders-react-to-bsa-president-s-call-for-change-on-policy-toward-gays-1.1340122

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Bergen County sheriff plans to equip some officers with body cameras

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MAY 20, 2015, 4:56 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015, 12:36 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office will join a growing number of police agencies around the country whose officers wear body cameras to record their interactions with the public, officials announced Wednesday.

Forty-seven of the county’s approximately 500 officers will use the cameras as part of a $70,000 pilot project to be financed with forfeiture funds, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino said at a news conference. No date has been set to begin using the cameras, he said.

Saudino said he will first ask for guidance from a panel of law enforcement officials and community leaders selected by the Bergen County freeholders. The panel will address civil liberties and privacy concerns raised by the relatively new technology.

Saudino, who was accompanied at the news conference by County Executive James Tedesco, said they decided to start as a pilot program “because there are many valid issues raised regarding the proper operation of these devices.”

“My objective is to strike the right balance to implement this program on a permanent basis,” Saudino said. |“It’ll take as long as it takes to do |it the right way. We’re not in a rush.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/some-bergen-county-sheriff-s-officers-to-wear-body-cameras-under-pilot-project-1.1338683

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Officer in fatal shooting of Wyckoff dog was distraught, eyewitnesses say

otto

Otto, the 5-year-old German shepherd that was shot and killed by a Wyckoff police officer, is shown in this photo provided by the family.

MAY 20, 2015, 12:57 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015, 8:06 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

WYCKOFF — A police internal report has been released showing the chain of events that ended with an officer’s fatal shooting of a family’s dog on April 29.

The report released Tuesday by the Police Department includes a description by Lt. David Murphy, who had been on traffic duty near Lawlins Road, of the shooting’s immediate aftermath.

Murphy found Patrolman Kyle Ferreira “very distraught” and “pacing back and forth” after he’d responded to the wrong address on a possible burglary call and shot Otto, the Vukobratovic family’s 5-year-old German shepherd.

“He was shaking his head and several times, he put both hands on top of his head. To me, he appeared to be visibly upset by whatever events had transpired prior to my arrival,” Murphy said.

Algis Setikas, who lives across the street at 621 Lawlins Road, had reported the possible burglary after finding damage to a window screen and exterior light bulb. The report said he had gone to the Police Department in person so as to not disturb his wife, recovering from surgery, or his newborn.

Minutes later, a police car pulled up in front of his house, but the officer never came to the door. As Setikas walked towards the car, the report said, he heard “four or five consecutive loud bangs,” and looked across the street to see Ferreira in what he described as a “shooting stance.” Setikas checked on his family, then ran to the Vukobratovics, yelling to Ferreira that he had the wrong house.

“He observed that the officer was standing on the driveway outside of the gate with his hands on his head, looking upset and distraught,” the report said.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/officer-in-fatal-shooting-of-wyckoff-dog-was-distraught-eyewitnesses-say-1.1338573

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With unions pleading, East Rutherford moves on American Dream commitment

xanadu2_theridgewoodblog

MAY 19, 2015, 10:14 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015, 10:42 AM
BY LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Around 150 members of Bergen County building trades unions attended an East Rutherford Council meeting on Tuesday urging the borough to pass a resolution and introduce an ordinance for the bonds necessary to pave the way for completion of the American Dream project. The Council passed the resolution.

EAST RUTHERFORD — About 150 members of area trade unions came to Borough Hall on Tuesday evening to urge the Borough Council to take the next steps necessary so the American Dream project can get fully under way, and the governing body did just that.

Taking action before a standing-room-only audience that overflowed into the halls, the council — despite several dissenting members — passed a resolution revising terms of its bond agreement with developer Triple Five for the shopping and entertainment complex. In addition, the council introduced an ordinance relating to the Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes, or PILOT program, associated with the development.

With those actions, part of a plan to have the borough act as a no-risk conduit for construction loans, the state Local Finance Board will now be able to review the amended finance agreement for approval. The goal is to get the ordinance on the agenda for the board’s June meeting.

The actions came as Rick Sabato, president of the Bergen County Building and Construction Trades Councils, implored the local governing body to support the project so that many of the area’s unemployed union members can get back to work. A year ago, Sabato estimated that American Dream will create jobs for 9,000 of his members over the next three years and beyond.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/with-unions-pleading-east-rutherford-moves-on-american-dream-commitment-1.1338013

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In Westwood mayor’s race, BCRO Chairman Yudin calls for GOP write-in candidate

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WESTWOOD – An opportunity for Bergen Republicans to pick up a mayoral seat in Westwood in the aftermath of disturbances among local Democrats can still be gained if the local Westwood GOP puts pen to paper, according to Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) Chairman Bob Yudin. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)

In Westwood mayor’s race, BCRO Chairman Yudin calls for GOP write-in candidate | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis

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For Teaneck, American Pharoah’s Triple Crown quest is personal

American_Pharoah_theridgewoodblog

MAY 19, 2015    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

TEANECK — Bergen County isn’t exactly horse country. Few here seem to closely follow horse racing, preferring baseball and football to the sight of thoroughbreds tearing up a dirt track at 40 miles per hour.

But this year may be different — in Teaneck, anyway.

That’s because American Pharoah, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes this month, is in a position to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. And the horse’s owner, Ahmed Zayat, an Egyptian-born businessman, has lived in the township for 30 years.

“It’s definitely a lot of buzz locally,” Mayor Lizette Parker said, adding that she has received messages from friends both near and far who have been watching the races, wondering if American Pharoah will be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed, in 1978.

Around the township on Monday afternoon, many acknowledged that they don’t regularly follow horseracing. But those who know Zayat, who lives with his wife and four children on Warwick Avenue — a wide, quiet street in a section of the township with a large Orthodox Jewish population — said they have been tuning in to the races specifically to root for American Pharoah.

The Zayats’ neighbors described them as social and friendly people who are active in community and school affairs.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/counties/for-teaneck-american-pharoah-s-triple-crown-quest-is-personal-1.1337530

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FBI forums focus on ISIS recruitment threat in N.J.

ISIS_theridgewoodblog

MAY 18, 2015, 10:28 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015, 10:31 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Law enforcement officials, alarmed by Islamic State’s sophisticated online recruitment campaigns and by the rising number of young people they’ve caught trying to join the extremist group, are reaching out to warn community leaders and clergy across New Jersey.

“It is a threat to our young people. It is a threat to the future of all of us,” said William Gale, supervisory special agent for the FBI’s Newark Division, in a recent forum in Wayne.

Aside from delivering warnings about the Islamic State’s luring of young people, meetings between law enforcement and Muslims in metro areas around the country are intended to open lines of communication and provoke an exchange of information, federal agents say. Muslims leaders, who have hosted the talks, say the outreach is a sign of cooperation.

But for Muslims whose forebears built local businesses and institutions, emotions provoked by talk of Islamic extremism mingle with a certain wariness that their communities could be stigmatized by the actions of a few. The worry becomes palpable with fresh memories of undercover spying by NYPD on New Jersey mosques and Muslim student groups.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/fbi-forums-focus-on-isis-recruitment-threat-in-n-j-1.1337318

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Bergen County freeholders ID over $1M in cuts to budget

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MAY 18, 2015, 4:43 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015, 6:48 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Print

The Bergen County freeholders have identified just over $1 million in cuts they want to make in the $531 million 2015 budget submitted last month by County Executive James Tedesco.

The proposed cuts are spread across several departments. An exact breakdown was not immediately available.

The cuts may be partially offset by an addition to the budget. The freeholders want to increase spending on the Bergen County Cooperative Library System by $125,000.

A formal introduction of the budget is expected expected later this month.

Tedesco proposed a budget that calls for a 1.7 percent increase in county taxes. That would translate into a property tax increase of $12.73 for a home assessed at the county average of $324,000.

Sheriff Michael Saudino told the freeholders that folding the County Police into his department will save the county nearly $2 million through retirements. The freeholder board approved consolidating the two agencies last year after several years of debate.

Prosecutor John Molinelli told the board that he plans to hire seven former County Police officers to fill vacancies for investigators within his office.

The county will save about $730,760, Molinelli said, because money for those salaries is already in his budget. The savings are based on the presumption that the Sheriff will not fill the vacancies in his department left by the departing county police officers.

Molinelli said four of the seven new hires will continue as members of the regional SWAT team, but they will no longer receive an extra stipend for that work.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-freeholders-id-over-1m-in-cuts-to-budget-1.1337274

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A coyote attacked a small dog in the Oak Road area in Saddle River

coyote2

May 18,2015

the Saddle River PoliceSaddle River Police  report that on Sunday May 17, 2015 at approximately 9:00 PM a resident from the Oak Road area reported that their small dog had just fought with a coyote and managed to escape. The dog was taken by its owner to an animal hospital for treatment. Officers responded to the area and were unsuccessful in locating the coyote. TYCO Animal Control was notified and is working with the State Division of Wildlife on this incident. The dog is up to date with its vaccinations and is now home recovering with its family.

Due to recent events involving coyotes and other wildlife in the Tri-State area, residents should not leave small animals and or children outside unattended. Residents should also be aware that larger dogs have been targeted and attacked in other jurisdictions.

If your pet is attacked be careful not to touch any saliva left on their fur or hair by a bite from another animal. If the animal is rabid, this saliva could transmit the rabies virus. Wash your hands immediately and thoroughly if they come in contact with saliva from a wild animal. Your pet may also need to be washed if it doesn’t require immediate medical attention.

All pet owners are reminded to keep their animals up to date on their rabies vaccinations.

Keeping vaccinations current will prevent a pet from possibly being subjected to a lengthy quarantine or euthanized if it has an encounter with a rabid animal.

The Health Department reminds everyone to stay clear of all wildlife, especially any that are acting sick or unusually friendly. If you see suspicious acting wildlife please report them immediately to the Saddle River Police Department.

For more information on rabies visit https://www.nj.gov/health
Or https://www.cdc.gov

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Coexisting with coyotes in North Jersey

coyote2

MAY 18, 2015    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD

Why we have more coyotes, and how we can coexist

The past eight years have seen an increase in the number of coyotes in the metropolitan area, so he’s made an effort to inform residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut about what to expect when they live near coyotes.

He will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Closter Public Library about the history, biology and behavior of coyotes.

Q. Why are we seeing an increase in the number of coyotes and other wildlife in our neighborhoods and parking lots?

Some of it is overdevelopment. A lot of it is that these surviving generations of turkeys, coyotes and bears are adapting to these urban areas. So now we have to adapt to them. We also have to see if people are perpetuating it through feeding them, which is something that needs to be discouraged. I’m not supportive of bird feeders, because it’s getting animals conditioned to people in an unnatural way. Animals are very efficient and can get food on their own.

Q. How can we better respect the wildlife in our midst?

Definitely give the wildlife respect and as wide a berth as possible. In regards to coyotes and even bobcats, people have to be less complacent about their pets. You shouldn’t leave your pets out in your yards. It also means driving a little more slowly on the Palisades Interstate Parkway to make sure you don’t hit anything. You need to take precautions, like not leaving garbage out for raccoons and bears. You should plant things in your back yard that are aesthetic but are not palatable for deer, rabbits and other wildlife.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/coexisting-with-coyotes-in-north-jersey-1.1336862