Cliffside Park NJ, A Cliffside Park, New Jersey, man was arrested by federal agents today for allegedly distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
George Karkantzelis, 27, was arrested at his home by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). He is charged by complaint with one count of distributing child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Karkantzelis used peer-to-peer file sharing on his computer to distribute files containing images and videos of child sexual abuse, including images of prepubescent children. He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Steven C. Mannion and was released into third-party custody.
The charge of distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited HSI special agents, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Macurdy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hackensack NJ, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco today issued the following statement on last night’s tragic accident involving a Bergen County Department of Public Works employee in Saddle River, Bergen County, New Jersey:
“Yesterday, our Bergen County family suffered a tragic loss. Thomas Epper, 48, a two-year heavy equipment operator in our Department of Public Works Mosquito Division, was fatally injured while performing routine tree-clearing in the Saddle River in Saddle River, New Jersey. The Bergen County family mourns with the Epper family. I want to thank the first responders for their heroic actions together with the work crew that was present at the time.
Please join us in keeping the Epper family in your prayers and thoughts.”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced Tuesday the results of a two-phase nationwide operation in which I-9 audit notices were served to more than 5,200 businesses around the country since January with 75 of which operate in New Jersey. A notice of inspection (NOI) informs business owners that ICE is going to audit their hiring records to determine whether they are complying with existing law.
From July 16 to 20, the second phase of the operation, HSI served 2,738 NOIs and made 32 arrests. During the first phase of the operation, Jan. 29 to March 30, HSI served 2,540 NOIs and made 61 arrests.
“This is not a victimless crime,” said Derek N. Benner, Acting Executive Associate Director for HSI. “Unauthorized workers often use stolen identities of legal U.S. workers, which can significantly impact the identity theft victim’s credit, medical records and other aspects of their everyday life.”
While the agency routinely conducts worksite investigations to uphold federal law, HSI is currently carrying out its commitment to increase the number of I-9 audits in an effort to create a culture of compliance among employers, according to Benner.
HSI’s worksite enforcement strategy focuses on the criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly break the law, and the use of I-9 audits and civil fines to encourage compliance with the law. HSI’s worksite enforcement investigators help combat worker exploitation, illegal wages, child labor and other illegal practices.
HSI’s worksite enforcement investigations often involve additional criminal activity, such as alien smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, document fraud, worker exploitation and/or substandard wage and working conditions.
Earlier this month, a U.S. District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction of the portion of California AB 450 preventing private employers from voluntarily cooperating with federal immigration officials conducting worksite enforcement operations. The U.S. Department of Justice, in March 2018, filed a preemption lawsuit to stop California from interfering with federal immigration authorities, including the imposition of fines against employers ranging from $2000 to $10,000 for failure to comply with AB 450. The court found the law discriminates against California employers who wish to cooperate with immigration officials enforcing the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which requires employers to verify the identity and work eligibility of individuals they hire.
ICE is the federal agency responsible for upholding the laws established by IRCA. These laws help protect jobs for U.S. citizens and others who are lawfully employed, eliminate unfair competitive advantages for companies that hire an illegal workforce, and strengthen public safety and national security.
Under federal law, employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all individuals they hire, and to document that information using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. ICE uses the I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law, part of a comprehensive strategy to address and deter illegal employment. Inspections are one of the most powerful tools the federal government uses to ensure that businesses are complying with U.S. employment laws.
After receiving the NOIs, employers are required to produce their company’s I-9s within three business days, after which ICE will conduct an inspection for compliance. If employers are not in compliance with the law, an I-9 inspection of their business will likely result in civil fines and could lay the groundwork for criminal prosecution if they are knowingly violating the law. All workers encountered during these investigations who are unauthorized to remain in the United States are subject to administrative arrest and removal from the country.
Failure to follow the law can result in criminal and civil penalties. In FY17, businesses were ordered to pay $97.6 million in judicial forfeitures, fines and restitution, and $7.8 million in civil fines, including one company whose financial penalties represented the largest payment ever levied in an immigration case.
“Employers need to understand that the integrity of their employment records is just as important to the federal government as the integrity of their tax files and banking records. All industries, regardless of size, location and type are expected to comply with the law,” Benner said. “Worksite enforcement protects jobs for U.S. citizens and others who are lawfully employed, eliminates unfair competitive advantages for companies that hire an illegal workforce, and strengthen public safety and national security.”
HSI uses a three-pronged approach to worksite enforcement: compliance, from I-9 inspections, civil fines and referrals for debarment; enforcement, through the criminal arrest of employers and administrative arrest of unauthorized workers; and outreach, through the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers, or IMAGE program, to instill a culture of compliance and accountability.
From Oct. 1, 2017, through July 20, 2018, HSI opened 6,093 worksite investigations and made 675 criminal and 984 administrative worksite-related arrests, respectively. In fiscal year 2017 – October 2016 to September 2017 – HSI opened 1,716 worksite investigations; initiated 1,360 I-9 audits; and made 139 criminal arrests and 172 administrative arrests related to worksite enforcement.
Oradell NJ, An Oradell, New Jersey, man today admitted robbing four banks, a liquor store, and a gas station between June 2017 and December 2017, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Joel Robbins, 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with four counts of bank robbery and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Robbins robbed the following locations on the dates set forth below:
Bank
Location
Date
Chase Bank
Whippany
June 6, 2017
Santander Bank
Parsippany
July 20, 2017
The Liquor Factory
Hopatcong
October 15, 2017
Chase Bank
Edgewater
October 25, 2017
Raceway Gas Station
Pinebrook
November 26, 2017
TD Bank
Mahwah
December 3, 2017
In the TD Bank robbery, Robbins walked into the bank wearing gray pants, a black jacket, sunglasses, a dark skull cap, and light-colored latex gloves. As he entered the bank, Robbins pulled a bandana over his face. Robbins’s accomplice, Wanda Soel, 52, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, allegedly waited for Robbins in a Toyota Corolla parked outside the bank.
Robbins pulled a black handgun (later determined to be fake) from his waistband and pointed it at two bank tellers, demanded money from them and warned them not to “make me have to kill you.” The tellers complied and handed Robbins money. Robbins took the money and walked out of the bank, dropping several bills as he departed.
Robbins got into the passenger seat of the Corolla and Soel allegedly drove them away. Nearby law enforcement officers, who had received a report of the bank robbery while it was in progress, pursued the Corolla. Soel allegedly drove into the parking lot of a nearby hotel, where she and Robbins tried to switch places so Robbins could drive. When Soel got out of the Corolla, she tripped and fell, and Robbins drove away without her. Law enforcement officers arrested Soel in the hotel parking lot. Her bank robbery charges are pending.
Robbins drove out of the hotel parking lot but eventually hit a curb, blew a tire, and crashed. Law enforcement officers caught up to the Corolla and arrested Robbins. They recovered U.S. currency sticking out of Robbins’s pants and other cash bills strewn inside the Corolla, along with a fake black handgun. Officers also recovered sunglasses, a bandana, a dark knit cap, and latex gloves from the Corolla, resembling the items Robbins was seen wearing when he robbed the bank. Robbins was wearing a black jacket when he was arrested.
The counts of bank robbery and Hobbs Act robbery with which Robbins is charged each carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Mahwah Township Police Department for its contribution to the case, as well as the police departments of Hanover Township, Parsippany, Hopatcong, Edgewater and Montville.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charges and allegations against Soel are merely accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
WASHINGTON D.C. , Today, Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, hammered the release of the so-called second phase of the Republican tax plan which announced that the egregious cap placed on federal deductions for State and Local Tax Deductions (SALT) would be made permanent.
“As New Jersey’s Yogi Berra liked to say, it’s déjà vu all over again. Another day, another attempt by congressional Republicans to stick it to Garden State. Already burdened with the highest property taxes in America, for years people in my state relied on the state and local tax deduction to provide their families with flexibility to pay their bills. Republicans took care of that, capping those deductions to help pay for a trillion-dollar tax cut for big corporations and big tycoons. Now Republicans are announcing the SALT cap is going to be made permanent to bedevil New Jerseyans for all time. We already know Republicans go out of their way to bring pain on the people of the Northeast. They said so themselves. But they keep trying to prove it again to us. We’ve had it with this garbage. The GOP tax scam should be overturned and the full state and local tax deduction reinstated. Let the top 1% pay their fair share and leave New Jersey the hell alone.”
Pascrell, made no mentions of the 50 or so years of unabated irresponsible fiscal policies of the state New Jersey or the “Garden State ” as he like to say. Pascrell like many New Jersey politicians likes to blame the abject failure of state policies on the federal government .
Pascrell has represented his district since January 1997 and in that time there has been massive flight of people and businesses out of the “Garden State” for far greener pastures . New Jersey ranks at the top only in taxes and ranks near the bottom is business climate and quality of life . Perhaps he and his fellow New Jersey representatives could spend far more time on the problems in the state of New Jersey and less time grand standing and name calling .
Ho Ho Kus NJ, On Tuesday, August 7th, residents throughout Upper Saddle River, Allendale, Saddle River and HoHo-Kus are being invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the “35th Annual National Night Out” (NNO) crime and drug prevention event. National Night Out, which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) and co-sponsored locally by USRA Coalition (www.usracoalition.org), will involve over 16,500 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, over 38.5 million people are expected to participate in “America’s Night Out Against Crime”. NNO 2018 corporate sponsors are Diet & Watson, Ring, Associa and Package Guard.
National Night Out is designed to: (1) Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts; (3) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and (4) Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
National Project Coordinator Matt Peskin said, “This is a night for America to stand together to promote awareness, safety and neighborhood unity. National Night Out showcases the vital importance of police-community partnerships and citizen involvement in our fight to build a safer nation. On NNO, we invite neighborhoods nationwide to join us in Giving Crime & Drugs A Going Away Party.”
From 6 to 9 p.m. on August 7th, residents throughout Upper Saddle River, Allendale, Saddle River, and Ho-Ho-Kus are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening with Police Officers from your community at the Red Barn located behind Crestwood Lake in Allendale.
This free fun filled family event will feature a DJ, live music, games, crafts, ice cream, face painting, inflatable obstacle course, basketball and much more! A Variety of food items will be available for purchase from Cars, Mason Jar, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Carmelo’s Brick Oven Pizza and more. Pre-registration requested but not necessary for certain events. E-mail [email protected] with ages of children participating. Space is limited for certain events.
Pre-registration requested but not necessary for certain events. E-mail [email protected] with ages of children participating. Space is limited for certain events.
Trenton NJ, Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee Chair Benjie Wimberly will convene a Wednesday hearing to discuss the issue of affordable housing. The committee will receive testimony from invited speakers and the public.
In an effort to start a fresh discussion on housing concerns, Wimberly plans to hold similar forums throughout New Jersey.
“It is no secret that the cost of living in New Jersey is among the highest in the nation. And, currently, we are at an all-time high in terms of demand for affordable housing,” Wimberly (D-Bergen/Passaic). “We face a severe shortage of affordable homes in our state. This concerns us as a legislative body and committee.”
Among the invited guests for tomorrow’s hearing: Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, Fair Share Housing Center, the New Jersey Apartment Association and Community Investment strategies.
Audio of the hearing will be streamed at https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.
Ridgewood NJ, while this may come to a surprise to Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Paramus, Ho Ho Kus , Allendale and the rest of the North West corner of Bergen County residents but the Sportsmen’s advocacy group celebrates the precipitous declines in negative bear-human interactions and bear complaints yet again.
The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance today released a statement celebrating news reports that, since the end of 2016, damage and nuisance complaints involving black bears have been cut in half, with a reported dip in bear sightings as well.
“The numbers are in and, as every NJ sportsman knows, the bear hunt has been and continues to be a huge success,” said spokesman Cody McLaughlin. “The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is proud to stand on this record of responsibly managing NJ’s amazing wildlife populations and we will continue to stand with the scientists at the Division Of Fish And Wildlife as we work towards healthy, sustainable ecosystems and safe communities.”
The report, published by NorthJersey.com, cites “Encounters with aggressive bears tied the lowest total since 2010 with two in 2017. This year, however, four were reported through June 20… Reports of negative encounters with bears in general have dropped severely since that 2014 mauling. State records show that reports of nuisance, or unwelcome, black bears made to the state through late June mostly reflected 2017’s totals. The 962 reports registered in 2017 were the fewest since 2013, when there were 1,866 reports, records show.”
About the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance: The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting outdoor-minded legislation and legislators who support hunting, fishing, trapping and the conservation of our natural resources in New Jersey. Notable accomplishments include the recent passage of the Blood Tracking bill, along with the institution of Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs.
Glen Rock NJ, A large tree limb fell onto a Mercedes Benz SUV that had just exited Route 208 northbound in Glen Rock on Sunday afternoon, 07/22. The vehicle’s adult male driver sustained a non life threatening head injury and was transported by a Glen Rock EMS ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital assisted Glen Rock EMTs with patient evaluation. The driver was the only occupant in the Mercedes when the tree limb hit it. Glen Rock Police Department and Glen Rock Fire Department also responded to the incident. A flatbed tow truck was summoned to remove the wreck.
Wyckoff NJ, from the desk of Assemblyman Kevin J. Rooney, according to Nationwide, most boaters quickly pick up the rules of the water – how to pass, navigate, dock and minimize wakes. Safety is mandatory, etiquette, unfortunately, is not. Not everyone, however, learns how to be courteous and considerate of other boaters.
Understanding the unwritten rules of the water isn’t just about being polite. It helps keep the water safer and less stressful for everyone.
Here are some etiquette tips to keep in mind when sharing the water this summer:
Be prepared: It’s assumed that if you’re captaining a boat, you know the safety rules – how to navigate, pass, anchor and dock safely. It is important to educate yourself by taking a proper boating safety course. Boaters in the Garden State are required to carry a boating safety certificate, along with a boating license, while operating any motorized vessel. More than 30 states, including New Jersey, accept online boating safety courses. Read more about NJ’s safety regulations and requirements here.
Get in and out efficiently: The vast majority of all boats on the water are brought there on trailers, according to Croft, meaning launch ramps can become patience-trying bottlenecks if boaters aren’t considerate of others. From the moment you pull into the parking lot, you should be in the mode of doing this quickly, efficiently and in the minimal amount of time that is possible. Make sure the boat is loaded with everything you need before you put it into the water, so you can launch quickly and clear the ramp for the next person. The same goes for marinas and restaurants. Don’t tie up in ways that preclude others from docking. If you’re fueling up, don’t dawdle or hold up others waiting their turn. Being aware of others is equally important when you return to the ramp after a day on the water. You’ll want to get out of the water as quickly and efficiently as possible to keep others from waiting.
Educate guests: Make sure your passengers are familiar with the boat including where things are, where to stand, how to move around safely and what to do if problems arise. If guests aren’t wearing lifejackets, make sure they know where they are. Explain the situations when they’ll need to sit down – when you accelerate or encounter another boat’s wake, for example – and make sure you clearly alert all passengers in time for them to do so. Educating guests begins even before you get in the water. Remind your friends not to park in spaces reserved for boats and the vehicles towing them and to be considerate of other boaters working to get their boats in our out of the water.
Anchors (far) away: Whether you’re dropping anchor for a break or the evening, be aware of your distance from other boaters. Changes in tides, wind, and currents can swing boats at anchor in unpredictable ways. Depending on the length of the anchor line, boats can shift far from where they dropped anchor.
Lend a hand: Not all boaters are old salts, so if you see someone struggling to dock or get their boat on the trailer, offer to help. More often than not, people who need help will say yes.
Wave: Regardless of the size of the boat, greet nearby vessels with a wave. Along with offering other boaters a friendly greeting, doing so sends a signal that you’re aware of their presence. When someone waves, it shows that they know where you are and what your course is. We’re all sharing the water, and it keeps the stress to a minimum level.
Ridgewood NJ, from the office of the Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco ,when it comes to mosquitoes, Bergen County is biting back! Bergen County Mosquito Control works diligently throughout the year to reduce and eliminate the mosquito population through a variety of environmentally responsible best practices. But we also need your help to keep our communities safe and healthy!
I want to encourage each of you to do your part in preventing mosquito-borne illness by taking practical steps in and around your home. Please watch and share this video and visit https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/mosquito-control to download our residential Mosquito Habitat Checklist.
Ridgewood NJ, In recent months, the exotic longhorned tick has been found in New Jersey, including one identified in Bergen County. This invasive species uses humans, other mammals, and birds as hosts. Longhorned ticks found thus far in New Jersey have tested negative for pathogens dangerous to humans or animals, but in other countries these insects have spread disease to humans.
Various local, state, and federal animal health agencies, as well as Rutgers–New Brunswick, are working together to identify the range of the ticks and develop a plan to eliminate them from the areas where they are found. Like deer-ticks, the nymphs of the Longhorned tick are very small (resembling tiny spiders) and can easily go unnoticed on animals and people.
To avoid tick bites, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture recommends the following:
Apply a tick repellent containing at least 20% DEET to exposed skin and clothing.
Apply a product containing permethrin to clothing to kill ticks.
Stay in the middle of trails. Avoid contact with tall grasses, shrubs, fallen leaves, and logs under trees.
Check yourself for ticks often and remove any ticks before leaving this area.
Check your pet for ticks, keep pets on trails.
Bathe or shower as soon as possible to wash off and more easily find ticks.
Check your entire body for ticks for several days after you leave this area.
Wyckoff NJ, Yesterday Friday July 20, a water main break occurred on Franklin Avenue in the vicinity of the entrance to Boulder Run. Franklin Avenue in both directions (East & Westbound) was closed between Main Street and Godwin Avenue. Ridgewood Water and Wyckoff traffic officers were on site.
East-bound & West-bound Franklin Avenue have been reopened between Main Street & Godwin Avenue .
Fort Lee NJ, A Fort Lee, New Jersey, man today admitted generating phony tax refunds using personal identifying information stolen from current and former members of the U.S. army, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Shope Oluwo, 33, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to an indictment charging him with one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January through February 2016, Oluwo conspired with others, including Dermot Sutherland, 29, of Philadelphia, to obtain personal identifying information that was stolen from current or former members of the U.S. Army. Oluwo used that stolen information to create fake military identification cards and fraudulent W-2 forms bearing the victims’ names.
Oluwo provided the phony cards and W-2 forms to Sutherland, who posed as the victims and filed phony returns with a tax preparation company. Afterwards, Sutherland received debit cards from the tax preparation company that contained the ill-gotten refunds.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The access device fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a term of imprisonment of two years which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2018.
Sutherland previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and awaits sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Judy Ramos; and special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
