Lodi NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announces the following information:
At approximately 6:54 a.m. on June 29, 2019, the Lodi Police Department responded to a report of a motor vehicle crash in front of 481 Harrison Street in Lodi. At the scene, officers observed a 2015 Dodge Charger against the front steps of 481 Harrison Street with front end damage. They also observed a 2005 Toyota Corolla sideways on Harrison Street in front of the same address.
Lodi NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announced the arrest of MATTHEW J. BOLGER, JR. (DOB: 12/20/1972; single; and self-employed as an insurance adjuster) of 11 Long Valley Road, Lodi, New Jersey on charges of Stalking, Impersonation, and Cyber-Harassment. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and members of the Garfield Police Department under the direction of Chief Raymond Kovach.
Ridgewood NJ, features Children’s Highlights . Please bring RW Library Card to sign in.
WED-SAT, DEC 26-29 10:30AM | Drop-in Storytimes (All ages) Sign in with Ridgewood Library/KidsCard on arrival.
Children’s Movie Matinees, 2pm. No registration required. WED, DEC 26 | Christopher Robin (2018; PG; 1h44m) THURS, DEC 27 | Incredibles 2 (2018; PG; 1h58m) FRI, DEC 28 | The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear (2017; NR; 1h19m)
MON, DEC 31 11:15AM | Countdown to Noon! (All ages) Make your way around the world to welcome 2019. Sign in with Ridgewood Library/KidsCard on arrival.
THURS, JAN 3 10:30AM | Musical Melodies (All ages) Rock out to favorite kids’ songs with Chris Flynn, his guitar and trombone. Sign in with Ridgewood Library/KidsCard on arrival.
Ridgewood NJ, Piano prodigy Drew Petersen will be featured with the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra on Friday November 16th at 8:00 p.m., at the West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood. An Oradell native, Drew most recently won the American Pianists Award following a rigorous 13-month competition. He is also a prizewinner in the Leeds International Piano Competition and has performed solo and concerto recitals in both Europe and the United States.
Lodi NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announced the arrest of STEPHANIE A. CARAFA (DOB: 03/12/1986; single; employed as a school teacher) of Lodi, New Jersey on charges of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact and Endangering The Welfare Of A Child. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Lodi Police Department under the direction of Chief Donald Scorzetti.
Ridgewood NJ, Ars Musica Chorale begins its 53 rd season with Classical Splendor: works for chorus and orchestra by Mozart and Schubert, including Mozart’s Requiem. The
performance will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, 2018, at West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, New Jersey. The concert is given in memory of those lost
during World War I, which officially ended 100 years ago on November 11, 1918.
River Edge NJ, A Concert of Period Music by Anne and Ridley Enslow in a Historic Landmark. Followed by a Reception of Wine and Chocolate Delicacies
Sunday Afternoon, October 28, 2018 at the Historic New Bridge Landing, River Edge .
Ridgewood NJ , The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra (RSO) announced the first concert of its 79th season will present some of the most beloved music of Broadway, performed under the baton of its new artistic director and conductor Stephen Culbertson. The concert, featuring young musical theater professionals performing with the orchestra to present favorite Broadway melodies, will be held on October 20 at 8:00 pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, located at 155 Linwood Avenue, in Ridgewood, NJ.
River Edge NJ , Join Bergen County Historical Society for this October 28th event, “The Real Music of Alexander Hamilton. Wine & Chocolate with Anne and Ridley Enslow. By reservation, more info & PayPal on our website.
Ridgewood NJ, Pro Arte Chorale’s new music director, Bryan Zaros, is excited to audition new singers to join us for the 2018-2019 season. Pro Arte is a 50 member, volunteer chorus based in Northern NJ. Past concerts have included masterpieces composed by Mozart, Vaughn Williams, Handel as well as works of Rachmanioff and Bruckner. Pro Arte is a versatile group that has also performed full concerts of Opera highlights, Gilbert and Sullivan, Carmina Burana and favorite Broadway melodies. Our Summer Sing on August 27th is open to all singers and would be a convenient way to meet the Chorale and Bryan. Otherwise, auditions may be scheduled over the summer and in early September. Please contact our office 201-497-8400, info@proartechorale.org to set up your audition. For information on Pro Arte Chorale and the wonderful season ahead visit: www.proartechorale.org
Lodi NJ, A former officer with the N.J. Department of Corrections today admitted receiving images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Stephen Salamak, 38, of Lodi, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with receipt of child pornography.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Salamak used email to seek and obtain images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children.
The receipt of child pornography charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Salamak will be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is currently scheduled for Nov. 15, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Protection Unit in Newark.
Paramus NJ, An unoccupied NJ Transit bus caught fire while parked at Bergen Community College’s Paramus campus on Wednesday afternoon, 06/20. Firefighters from Paramus FD Engine Company #1 and Engine Company #3 extinguished the conflagration. The bus, owned by Saddle River Tours, Inc. of Lodi, was completely destroyed in the blaze.
Lodi NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a former New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission clerk was sentenced to prison today for operating a scheme in which he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in payments in return for allowing over 200 people to obtain permits and licenses without passing required exams.
Rodman Lora, 39, of Ridgewood, N.Y., a former clerk at the Lodi MVC Agency, was sentenced today to seven years in state prison, including two years and four months of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge James J. Guida in Bergen County. He pleaded guilty on April 16 to charges of conspiracy (2nd degree), computer criminal activity (2nd degree), and tampering with public records (3rd degree). He forfeited his state pension and is permanently barred from public employment. Deputy Attorney General Christopher J. Keating prosecuted the defendants and handled the sentencing hearings for the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau.
Lora was charged in an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation revealed that Lora altered MVC driver records for over 200 people between 2014 and 2016, enabling them to obtain various permits and licenses without having passed the mandatory written and/or driving exams, including commercial driver’s licenses with school bus and HazMat endorsements. In return, he received cash payments averaging over $700 per license or permit.
The following three men previously pleaded guilty to third-degree tampering with public records in connection with the scheme. They also were sentenced today by Judge Guida.
Luis Tiburcio, 46, of Passaic, N.J., was paid to act as a “runner” for Lora and bring him customers in the illegal scheme. He was sentenced to three years in state prison.
Masood Ahmadi, 55, of Lake Hiawatha, N.J., is the owner of Ideal Transportation, a school bus company operating in northern New Jersey. He sent people seeking commercial driver’s licenses to Lora to obtain licenses through the scheme, including relatives and persons seeking employment with his company. He was sentenced to a term of three years of probation.
Mark Hingston, 55, of Toms River, N.J., a private security guard at the Lodi MVC agency, obtained a commercial driver’s license with an endorsement, after Lora entered passing written exam scores for him. He received two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
“The illegal brokering and sale of driver’s licenses compromises public safety and security on multiple levels, by allowing unqualified drivers to share our roadways and by enabling criminals to steal identities and use false identities to commit crimes,” said Attorney General Grewal. “The MVC has enhanced its technology and programs to prevent this type of fraud, and we will continue to collaborate with them to investigate and aggressively prosecute those responsible.”
“We left no stone unturned in our investigation, charging a total of 70 people, including many defendants who illegally obtained licenses through this scheme,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “The prison sentences ordered for this former MVC clerk and one of his runners send a strong deterrent message that document fraud of this kind is a serious crime that will be met with serious penalties.”
“I’m so proud of our staff for uncovering these bad apples and helping to root them out of a great organization full of hard-working, honest people dedicated to serving millions of New Jerseyans on a daily basis,’’ said MVC Chair and Chief Administrator Sue Fulton. “The MVC does not tolerate any type of criminal activity whatsoever, either from employees or customers. This case is a prime example of our efforts to weed out fraud and abuse and enhance security throughout the entire organization. We will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure the quality and integrity of our motor vehicle services, and the safety of New Jersey drivers.”
Nine defendants were indicted with Lora, including the three men sentenced with him today and six others. Two pleaded guilty previously to tampering with public records and face sentences of probation: Carlos Vicuna, 37, of Elizabeth, N.J., was a “runner” for the scheme, and Jose Lora, 45, of Newark, N.J., Lora’s brother, received a commercial driver’s license without passing the written exam. Four defendants were admitted into the Pre-Trial Intervention Program.
Beyond the indictment charging those 10 defendants, the investigation led to charges against 60 other customers and runners, bringing the total defendants to 70. Seven of those 60 pleaded guilty to tampering with public records and face probation, and 52 were admitted into the Pre-Trial Intervention Program.
The investigation was conducted for the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau by Detective Cecil Boone, Sgt. Kelly Howard, Detective Jessica Marcacci and Analyst Terri Drumm, under the supervision of Sgt. Andrea Salvatini, Lt. Bill Newsome, Acting Bureau Chief Andrew Johns, Deputy Bureau Chief Jacqueline Smith, and Division of Criminal Justice Deputy Director Jill Mayer.
The Motor Vehicle Commission uncovered the alleged scheme involving Lora and referred the case to the Division of Criminal Justice after an initial internal investigation and audit. Attorney General Grewal thanked the Motor Vehicle Commission’s Division of Security, Investigations & Internal Audit for its referral and valuable assistance. He also thanked the following agencies that assisted in the investigation: Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey Department of Education, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, New Jersey Department of Treasury-Division of Payroll, Lodi Police Department, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This case came to light through the efforts of NJ MVC Investigator 2 Johannes Segboer of the Security & Investigations Unit (SIU), under the direction of SIU Supervising Investigator Richard Stryker and SIU Chief of Investigations James Clifford. NJ MVC Information Technology (IT) personnel were also brought into the mix by SIU Supervising Investigator Gary Nucera, who realized the need for specific database searches to be designed and conducted in order to identify the full extent of the fraudulent activities perpetrated by Rodman Lora: IT Director Joseph Csolak, Administrative Analyst 4 Philip Fink, Administrative Analyst 3 Alyssa Rosenlicht and Administrative Analyst 3 Carol Sokolowski. Their assistance was of great value throughout. Even after the matter was referred to the NJ DCJ, Investigator Segboer and the NJ MVC IT Team continued to support DCJ in their investigation.
Paterson NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced a state grand jury indictment charging the alleged leader and 16 other alleged members of a narcotics network linked to the Bloods street gang that was distributing large amounts of heroin in Paterson. Seventeen more individuals are charged with possession of narcotics, including 16 who allegedly purchased heroin from the ring, bringing the total number of defendants indicted to 34.
The indictment, handed up yesterday, stems from “Operation Pitfall,” a collaborative investigation led by the New Jersey State Police Gangs & Organized Crime North Unit, the Division of Criminal Justice, the State Parole Board, the Newark Police Department, and ICE Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Paterson Police Department, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Prospect Park Police, Wallington Police, Elmwood Park Police, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, Wayne Police, and Clifton Police.
The investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization operating in a section of the 4th Ward of Paterson known as the four corners or “4K” area, referring to the intersections of Mercer Street and Putnam Street, Rosa Parks Boulevard and Putnam Street, Mercer Street and Warren Street, and Rosa Parks Boulevard and Warren Street. The area has a history of open air drug dealing and gun violence. The drug network was led by a local set of the Bloods street gang known as the “4K Bloods” or “Korner Boyz.” The cooperating agencies arrested most of the defendants in November, including the alleged ringleader, Jaumel Reese, 35, of Passaic, N.J., and one of his alleged bulk suppliers, Jesse Garcia, 27, of Lodi, N.J. Reese and many of the other defendants are allegedly members of the 4K Bloods.
The Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau yesterday obtained a 63-count state grand jury indictment charging all 17 alleged ring members with second-degree conspiracy to distribute heroin. Reese is also charged with first-degree promoting organized street crime, and Eric Huntington, 41, of Paterson, who allegedly was one of Reese’s top “runners” or suppliers to street-level dealers, is charged with first-degree distribution of heroin. During the takedown of the ring, authorities executed a search warrant at the home of Garcia, where they seized 90 bricks of heroin (each including about 50 “bags” or doses), a handgun, hollow-nose bullets, and over $19,000. Garcia is charged with additional second-degree drug and gun offenses, as well as third-degree money laundering. A total of three guns were seized during the investigation. The other ring members face various additional second- and third-degree drug charges, and the 16 alleged buyers face third-degree heroin possession charges.
“We are collaborating in investigations like Operation Pitfall to target the drug traffickers who are fueling the deadly opioid epidemic and bringing violence to the neighborhoods of our cities,” said Attorney General Grewal. “This investigation really took aim at the heart of the problem, because Paterson is a major hub for heroin distribution across northern New Jersey and the open-air drug markets allegedly controlled by this Bloods set in the city’s 4th Ward have a history of gun violence.”
“This investigation is a great example of all levels of law enforcement working together seamlessly to dismantle a significant narcotics network,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “There can be little doubt that we saved lives by stopping the heroin trafficked by these gang members from reaching people struggling with addiction in Paterson and the surrounding region.”
“When heroin dealing is introduced into a community, gun violence is not far behind, and if you add dangerous street gangs to the equation, the effect on a city’s residents can be devastating,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police. “I want to commend the State Police personnel and our law enforcement partners who ultimately dismantled this drug distribution network and made the streets safer for the residents of Paterson.”
Deputy Attorney General Amy Sieminski presented the case to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Annmarie Taggart and Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis. Attorney General Grewal commended the prosecutors in the Division of Criminal Justice, the detectives in the New Jersey State Police Gangs and Organized Crime North Unit, including the lead detective, Detective Scott Sanders, and all of the detectives, officers and special agents who investigated for the other participating agencies.
The following is a full list of the defendants charged with second-degree conspiracy as alleged ring members:
Jaumel Reese, 35, of Passaic, N.J.
Jessie Garcia, 27, of Lodi, N.J.
Eric Huntington, 41, of Paterson, N.J.
Jerome Deas, 38, of Paterson, N.J.
Marvelous Pitts, 31, of Paterson, N.J.
Shaques Huntington, 24, Paterson, N.J.
Herbert Pitts, 60, of Paterson, N.J.
Justin Jones, 24, of Paterson, N.J.
Angela Whitehead, 32, of Prospect Park, N.J.
Jeffrey Hunter, 29, of Paterson, N.J.
Markeith Davis, 48, of Paterson, N.J.
Tariq Jackson, 25, of Paterson, N.J.
Devon Armstrong, 40, of Paterson, N.J.
Jonathan Cedeno, 22, of Paterson, N.J.
Isaac Coleman, 32, of Paterson, N.J.
Hanife Dock, 29, of Paterson, N.J.
Theodore Blackshear, 46, of Paterson, N.J.
The following is a list of the remaining 17 defendants. All are charged with third-degree possession of heroin, with the exception of Winter Burch. Burch, who is a girlfriend of Reese, is charged with third-degree possession of codeine and fourth-degree possession of false government documents.
Jasmine Soto, 28, of Milford, Pa.
Christopher Gutierrez, 34, of Milford, Pa.
Daniel Grimm, 67, of Franklin, N.J.
Nicholas McLaughlin, 26, of Greeley, Pa.
Christopher Holbert, 24, of Hawley, Pa.
Brent Howell, 33, of Blairstown, N.J.
Frank Marchionni, 26, of Nanuet, N.Y.
Jonathon Kleinberg, 29, of New City, N.Y.
Michael Armao, 33, of Greenwood Lake, N.Y.
Michael Sheridan, 42, of Johnson, N.Y.
Robert Ferri, 33, of Wyckoff, N.J.
Chelsea Rouse, 34, of East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Jennifer Halterman, 33, of East Stroudsburg, Pa.
David Boralsky, 35, of Stanhope, N.J.
Michael Ryerson, 48, of Paterson, N.J.
Carl McKenith, 65, of Englewood, N.J.
Winter Burch, 36, of Passaic, N.J.
Jaumel Reese, Jessie Garcia, Eric Huntington and Jerome Deas are being detained in jail pre-trial. They were charged in a prior indictment in March that has been superseded by this new indictment.
First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000, while second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. A sentence for first-degree promoting organized street crime must be served consecutively to the sentence for any underlying offense. The first-degree heroin distribution charge carries an enhanced fine of up to $500,000. Reese is charged with employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme, a second-degree charge which also carries an enhanced fine of up to $500,000. The second-degree charges of certain persons not to possess a weapon carry a mandatory term of parole ineligibility of five years. The third-degree drug charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $35,000.
The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Police report that Ptl. Michael Karcher was dispatched to 175 Franklin Avenue on a report of a shoplifting in progress on May 12th. The business reported observing the actor flee in an orange taxi cab and provided a direction of travel. Ptl. Michael Karcher located the described vehicle and conducted a motor vehicle stop. The driver and occupant were identified at the scene and the loss prevention officer was escorted to the scene and identified the passenger as the shoplifter. A 45-year-old male from Little Ferry, N.J. was arrested at the scene for shoplifting, receiving stolen property, hindering apprehension, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and possession of hypodermic needles. The arrestee was also found to have multiple outstanding warrants for arrest out of New Milford, Teaneck, Parsippany, South Hackensack, and Lodi, NJ. The arrestee was transported to Ridgewood Police headquarters and issued multiple criminal complaints. The arrestee was then transported to the Bergen County Jail.
