Paterson NJ, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced a state grand jury has voted to indict a Paterson housing and zoning inspector as well as an accomplice, charging them for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to accept money in exchange for illegitimate building permits bearing forged signatures, purported to be issued by the City of Paterson.
Kinnelon NJ, A a former resident of Kinnelon, New Jersey, has agreed to pay fines totaling approximately $13,000 for illegally removing trees from a neighbor’s property last year, according to the town’s municipal prosecutor. Grant Haber, formerly of the Morris County borough, faced charges for unlawfully removing 32 trees, but ultimately pleaded guilty to the removal of 18 trees in an agreement reached on Monday. Prosecutor Kim Kassar revealed that some of the trees cut down did not meet the borough’s criteria for removal. Each removed tree carries a potential fine of up to $1,000 according to Kinnelon’s code. The court imposed fines of $700 and $300 on Haber and the tree service, respectively, for each tree removed, along with additional court fees of just under $600 each. Haber and the tree service, Choco Tree Services, confirmed the guilty plea but offered no further comment. Kinnelon’s tree removal ordinance mandates that violators must replace the removed trees with a comparable or superior species at their own expense and ensure their care for two growing seasons. In a previous hearing, Kassar estimated the cost of replanting and caring for new trees on the neighbor’s property could exceed $1 million. The court has scheduled a restitution hearing for April 19, but Kassar declined to comment further on the proceedings. Haber sold the Kinnelon property in November 2023 for $1.8 million, according to deed records.
Newark NJ, The Archdiocese of Newark will celebrate its annual Black History Month Mass on Sunday, February 25, at 2:30 p.m. in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. This year’s liturgy will feature guest celebrant Father Anthony Bozeman, SSJ, a prolific evangelist who also serves as the academic dean of St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, D.C.; assistant vocations director for the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart; and administrator of Our Lady of Grace Church in Reserve, La.
Montclair NJ, an exhibit featuring over 100 sacred relics of Jesus Christ; the Holy Family; and numerous saints, martyrs, and blesseds will be on display at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Oratory in Montclair on Saturday, February 24, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wantage Township NJ, a case of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, has been reported within the High Point Regional High School community, according to a letter issued by school officials on Thursday.
Newark NJ, four individuals were charged for their roles in a conspiracy to receive, retitle, and “re-VIN” stolen vehicles, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Newark NJ,a historic and priceless English painting, “The Schoolmistress” by artist John Opie, stolen over 50 years ago by New Jersey mobsters, has been returned to its owner, Francis Wood, after a two-year FBI investigation. The painting, taken from Wood’s Newark home in 1969, was recently ruled as his rightful property by a judge in Washington County, Utah. The FBI, along with detectives from the Metropolitan Police in London, played a crucial role in the investigation. The painting, dating back to around 1784, depicts an elderly woman teaching children in a classroom in Cornwall, England. It was found in Utah in 2021, among the property of a deceased client who unwittingly purchased a house containing the stolen artwork. The painting, previously thought to be in the possession of organized crime gangs, has now been returned to the Wood family.
Jersey City NJ, five years ago, Mayushi Bhagat left her Jersey City apartment in pajama pants and was never seen again. Despite efforts by family and friends, including a fundraiser, to find her, there are still no answers nearly five years later. Last month, the FBI Newark Field Office announced a new $10,000 reward for information about the missing student. Mayushi, born in India on July 12, 1994, was in the U.S. on an F1 student visa, studying at the New York Institute of Technology.
Secaucus, NJ, an Iowa man was sentenced today to 94 months in prison for robbing a bank in Secaucus, New Jersey, in January 2017, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Paterson NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of BRANDON M. HERNANDEZ (DOB: 6/1/1995; single; unemployed) of 56 Park Avenue, Paterson, NJ, on charges of terroristic threats and cyber-harassment. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love.
West New York, NJ, Sowing Seed School, located in Weehawken, New Jersey, announces its second location at 17 Ave at Port Imperial, West New York in New Jersey, which is set to open in the Fall of 2024.
Boonton Township NJ, on Christmas Eve, a Boonton Township man faces charges in connection with the killing of his father, as announced by Morris County’s prosecutor and Boonton Township police on Monday.
Newark NJ, FBI Newark Safe Streets Gang Task Forces based in Newark Headquarters and the North Jersey Violent Crime Task Force based at the Garret Mountain Resident Agency worked with law enforcement agencies in Hudson, Passaic and Essex Counties to organize a month-long effort titled Operation Clean House to proactively locate and arrest violent offenders in a strategic effort to address violent crime. FBI agents, task force officers, and detectives made 29 arrests beginning November 1, through December 1, 2023. The charges range from drug possession, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, to manslaughter and murder.