Trenton NJ, Today, the respective Senate and Assembly Budget Committees passed S-2746/A-4202, which would drastically increase the corporate business tax rate. The New Jersey legislature will consider the measures on Thursday.
Lawmakers are considering raising the corporate tax rate between 11.5 and 13 percent based on the size of the local business. These drastic tax increases would make the Garden State the seemingly proud owners of the highest business taxes in the nation. Business tax rates addressed in this proposal are currently levied at 9 percent.
AFP-NJ State Director Erica Jedynak issued the following statement:
“We want businesses to set up shop and thrive in New Jersey. Our businesses are the life-support of the economy, and these jobs help local workers provide for their families. Dramatic tax increases will hurt the families, workers, and entrepreneurs that hope to make New Jersey home. Due to the nation’s highest property taxes, New Jersey families are already being taxed into exile and raising the corporate tax rate could very well serve as the death blow to the New Jersey economy. Now is the time for lawmakers in Trenton to ensure that our job creators remain hiring and open for business. Instead of maintaining the failed status quo, New Jersey lawmakers should work toward practical solutions that decrease taxes in our state and increase prosperity.”
Background:
AFP-NJ issues Action Alert to Activists
AFP-NJ’s Tax & Spending Reforms
For further information or an interview, reach Anna McEntee at [email protected] or (703)-674-9227.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize citizens in support of the policies and goals of a free society at the local, state, and federal level, helping every American live their dream – especially the least fortunate. AFP has more than 3.2 million activists across the nation, a local infrastructure that includes 36 state chapters, and has received financial support from more than 100,000 Americans in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.AmericansForProsperity.org
Trenton NJ, Assembly Republicans on the budget committee unanimously rejected a competing legislative tax plan today that raises taxes by $1.2 billion dollars. Legislative Democrats swapped Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed millionaires tax and sales tax increase for a corporate tax hike and other tax increases.
“Legislative Democrats keep warning about how Murphy’s millionaires tax will drive high-earners and their businesses out but their plan taxes businesses at a much higher rate,” said Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Warren), the Republican budget officer.
Under their plan, the top rate on corporations would jump from 9 percent to 13 percent. Murphy proposed raising the top income tax rate from 8.97 percent to 10.75 percent on income over $1 million.
“That is much more likely to make businesses move out, not the other way around,” concluded DiMaio. “Their own argument refutes their plan.”
The new rate would apply on corporations earning more than $25 million and would become the highest business tax in the nation. Businesses earning between $1 million and $25 million would also pay a slightly lower rate of 11.5 percent. That would only be exceeded by Iowa at 12 percent, which is in the process of lowering its top rate to 9.8 percent.
New Jersey currently has the sixth-highest corporate tax rate in the country, and has been rated the worst business tax climate for the past four years according to the Tax Foundation.
“Increasing corporate business taxes for even two years to what is already one of the highest rates in the nation will slow already lagging job growth,” added Nancy Munoz (R-Union), a member of the budget committee.
New Jersey has lost nearly 15,000 jobs since January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the labor force has decreased by 30,000 people.
“Democrats claim they want to help those who are struggling but they make it harder by increasing the cost of doing business,” continued Munoz. “When jobs are being lost, the poor get poorer and the middle-class shrinks.”
Trenton NJ, just days after Governor Phil Murphy signed six new major gun control measures into law, giving the the Garden State the strictest gun control in America , a dispute between rival gang members may have led to a shooting that erupted in the early-morning hours of a popular all-night arts festival in Trenton, killing one, injuring 22. None of those laws stopped a mass shooting this weekend at a Trenton, or saved a single person .
Just four days ago Governor Phil Murphy on Twitter outlined some of the changes that would take place following the enactment of what he called “landmark legislation,” including requiring background checks on private gun sales, the reduction of magazine capacity, a ban on armor-piercing bullets, and keeping “guns out of the wrong hands.”
According to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri the deceased suspect has been identified as Tahaij Wells, 33. Wells was released from prison and on parole since February on homicide-related charges.
The one man in custody is Amir Armstrong, 23, who has been charged with a weapons offense. Armstrong remained hospitalized in stable condition.
A third unidentified suspect was hospitalized in critical condition.
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey is one of the most unappreciated states in the whole United States. People who live in New Jersey are proud of their state. What makes New Jersey ,is truly a riddle. Everything bad that is usually said about New Jersey can be blamed on New York City in the north and Philadelphia in the South .
New York city one of the world’s greatest and biggest cities full of energy and drive and a huge international destination for business and tourism . Philadelphia is a city of great historical importance ,central to the founding the United States.
New Jersey with its sprawling suburbs is often viewed as a bed room community for New York City and Philadelphia . Where many commuters head to the cities for work and retire to the quite low crime suburbs at night.
New Jersey is officially called the garden state. New Jersey’s biggest city is Newark. The capital city is Trenton. There are many attractions to see in New Jersey. The Paterson Falls and historic district, the Ironbound Section of Newark ,the Jersey Shore , gambling in Atlantic City, Historic Cape May, Six Flags Great Adventure ,Met Life Stadium , Thoroughbred Racing at Monmouth Park , the Pine Barons and there are also many far more rural and farm like settings to visit .
There is easy access to both New York and Philadelphia via Mass Transit . You can even visit the statue of Liberty and Ellis Island via ferry from Jersey City. There can be heavy traffic for drivers but you never have to pump your own gas.
Another reason to visit New Jersey is its beautiful and plentiful beaches . In New Jersey the beach is called “the shore” . People from New York and Philadelphia come to New Jersey for a swim , enjoy and sunbath.
Coastal Living magazine ranks the best small waterfront communities for its annual “Happiest Seaside Town in America” issue, and for 2018, the happiest of them all is Ocean City, N.J. In the report Coastal Living calls out the classic Jersey Shore town for its “Residential Historic District full of Victorian bungalows and beach cottages making year-round life feel like an old-fashioned vacation.”
The biggest museum in New Jersey is the Newark Museum. It has a large collection of American and, surprisingly, Tibetan art. The Newark museum is a cultural cornerstone of New Jersey. It has different sections devoted to history, natural sciences, art, music, etc. It doesn’t have so many rarities like the museums in New York but it definitely has its own heart.
In New Jersey they debate “Taylor Ham” vs “Pork Roll “, the pizza is excellent and good food is plentiful . The State is filled with shopping malls and an American classic , “Diners” stand at every cross road.
Don’t hesitate to visit New Jersey with your girlfriend(which you can find on https://mariadating.com) . There are many benefits waiting for you that you can enjoy visiting the garden state as well as easy access to both Philadelphia and New York City.
Trenton NJ, The New Jersey State Police is aware of unknown actor(s) spoofing one of our phone lines. The suspect(s) has been calling people, telling them that they have active arrest warrants. The caller requests victims make payment via credit card or risk going to jail.
The New Jersey State Police does not call people to solicit funds over the phone for an outstanding warrant or any other purpose. If you are called by someone stating they are from the State Police asking for your credit card information, do not engage in conversation. Simply hang up the phone. The matter is currently under investigation.
Trenton NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced that the Bureau of Securities (“the Bureau”) today revoked the registrations of a Morris County investment advisory firm and its owner, and assessed them $500,000 in civil penalties for fraudulently selling at least $6.1 million in unregistered securities to elderly and retired New Jersey investors.
Richard Belott, the managing member and investment adviser representative of Financial Planning Advisors, LLC (“FPA”), sold unregistered securities to at least eight investors, including elderly and retired clients of FPA, then used at least $1.55 million of investors’ funds on personal expenses, including his daughter’s college tuition, extravagant trips for himself and his wife, and mortgage payments on the couple’s beach house.
The Bureau’s action comes on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a day when individuals and organizations from around the globe participate in activities and events to raise awareness about the physical, emotional, and financial abuse of elders.
“Preventing the financial exploitation of seniors is a top priority for New Jersey’s Bureau of Securities, not just on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, but every day,” Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. “The enforcement action announced by the Bureau today underscores our ongoing efforts to protect elder investors from financial predators in the securities market.”
In a Summary Penalty and Revocation Order issued today, Bureau Chief Christopher Gerold found that between 2008 and 2015, Belott and FPA offered and sold at least 24 promissory notes purportedly issued by local diners and a developer. Belott represented to investors that their funds were investments in those businesses.
In reality, instead of receiving promissory notes from the diners or developer, investors received personal promissory notes from the owners of those businesses, who had
undisclosed business relationships with Belott. In at least one instance, the promissory note was issued by Belott.
The promissory notes had a term of one year or more with stated interest rates ranging from 5 percent to 18 percent annually. Interest and principal payments to the promissory note investors were paid from the bank accounts of various entities, including the diners, developer and FPA, Gerold found.
In offering and selling the promissory notes, Belott failed to disclose to investors that: the diners and developer purportedly issuing the promissory notes were clients of his accounting firm, that he had outside business relationships with the owners of the businesses, or that he was a co-owner of some of the diners. Belott also failed to disclose that he received a commission on the sale of certain promissory notes he sold, or that he would use the investors’ funds for his personal benefit.
“Elderly clients of FPA trusted Belott, as their financial advisor, to guide them in making wise investments. Instead, he lured them into a fraudulent investment scheme to enrich himself,” said Paul Rodríguez, Acting Director of Division of Consumer Affairs. “These investors, some of whom risked their entire retirement savings on Belott’s scheme, had no idea that he was using their funds to subsidize his lavish lifestyle.”
As set forth in the Summary Penalty and Revocation Order, Bureau Chief Gerold found that:
Belott and FPA violated New Jersey’s Uniform Securities Law through the following activities, among others:
offering and selling unregistered securities;
engaging in fraud or deceit upon FPA’s advisory clients and others;
engaging in dishonest and unethical practices in the investment advisory business; and
failing to maintain written investment advisory contracts.
Belott violated New Jersey’s Uniform Securities Law by:
acting as an agent without registration;
making untrue statements of material fact and/or omitting to state material facts; and
making false and misleading statements to Bureau investigators during an investigative deposition.
FPA violated New Jersey’s Uniform Securities Law by:
failing to make and keep required books and records;
failing to maintain minimum capital or the required bond while having custody of clients’ funds.
The Bureau’s action was handled by Deputy Bureau Chief Amy Kopleton, Director of Examinations Stephen Bouchard, and Investigator Theresa Hendricks, within the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Deputy Attorney General and Section Chief Victoria Manning and Deputy Attorney General Katherine A. Gregory of the Securities Fraud Prosecution Section in the Division of Law represented the Bureau in this matter.
More information for both elderly investors and their caregivers can be found on the Bureau’s website at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/bos/Pages/investormaterials.aspx or at www.ServeOurSeniors.org.
The Bureau is charged with protecting investors from investment fraud and regulating the securities industry in New Jersey. It is critical that investors “Check Before You Invest.” Investors can obtain information, including the registration status and disciplinary history, of any financial professional doing business to or from New Jersey, by contacting the Bureau toll-free within New Jersey at 1-866-I-INVEST (1-866-446-8378) or from outside New Jersey at 973-504-3600, or by visiting the Bureau’s website at www.NJSecurities.gov.
Lake Hopatcong, N.J Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a Mercer County man was sentenced to a lengthy prison term today for running a drug network that marketed cocaine and designer drugs online and distributed them through the mail. He was charged along with 11 other alleged ring members and associates in an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice called “Operation Skin Deep.” He and the two other top members of the ring have all pleaded guilty to first-degree charges.
Luke A. Atwell, 37, of Hamilton (Mercer County), N.J., was sentenced today to 19 years in state prison, including 16 years of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge Bernard E. DeLury Jr. in Atlantic County. He pleaded guilty on April 27 to a first-degree charge of leader of a narcotics trafficking network. Atwell acted as managing partner of the drug ring.
Atwell’s partner, Christopher Castelluzzo, 33, of Lake Hopatcong, N.J., who formed the enterprise, also pleaded guilty to a first-degree charge of leader of a narcotics trafficking network on May 24. He faces a recommended sentence of 21 years in prison, with 18 years of parole ineligibility. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21. The third top ring member, Aldo T. Lapaix, 31, of Absecon, N.J., was sentenced by Judge DeLury on March 23 to 10 years in prison, including 8 ½ years of parole ineligibility. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, 2017 to first-degree charges of racketeering and distribution of cocaine. Lapaix helped procure drugs for the ring and handled the packaging and shipping of drugs.
Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Barile is prosecuting the defendants and handled the sentencing of Atwell for the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau.
Operation Skin Deep began when a detective of the Division of Criminal Justice identified individuals trafficking cocaine while monitoring the activities of white supremacist groups in Atlantic City. The investigation into cocaine sales in Atlantic City ultimately exposed a network that was using the internet to arrange mail-order sales of cocaine and designer drugs, including ethylone, which is known as “M” and is similar to ecstasy.
“This sentence sends a loud and clear message to narcotics traffickers that if you choose to profit by spreading addiction in New Jersey and fueling street-level crime with your drugs, we will come after you and you will face hard time,” said Attorney General Grewal. “I commend the detectives and prosecutors who pursued all the leads to bring these defendants to justice, beginning with drug sales in parking lots and back rooms in Atlantic City and ultimately exposing a statewide drug network that relied on the internet and mail delivery to distribute its corrosive wares.”
“Atwell and his partners were making millions of dollars using their unconventional business model for dealing drugs,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We have put them out of business and ensured with these prison sentences that they won’t be operating any illicit enterprises for many years to come.”
Atwell, Castelluzzo and Lapaix were indicted on March 3, 2016 along with nine other men, including seven other alleged ring members and two alleged associates. Six of those ring members have pleaded guilty and received or face prison sentences ranging from five to 10 years.
Another man charged in the indictment, Jose Ruvalcaba, 30, of Oxnard, Calif., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to seven years in prison. He is a tractor-trailer driver who was arrested by detectives of the Division of Criminal Justice in a parking lot off Union Turnpike in North Bergen, N.J., along with alleged ring member Shazad Khan, 34, of North Bergen. Detectives found approximately $1.2 million in cash in the trunk of Khan’s Infiniti, wrapped in bundles with duct tape. It was one of the largest cash seizures in New Jersey law enforcement history. Khan allegedly met Ruvalcaba so that Ruvalcaba could transport the cash as payment for cocaine.
Castelluzzo was the primary leader who formed the enterprise. Atwell, as managing partner, was responsible for marketing the enterprise’s drugs on the internet, tracking and managing the gross receipts and expenses, dealing with customers, and keeping an inventory of the remaining drugs. Lapaix helped procure drugs for the ring to sell and handled the packaging and shipping of drugs. Atwell would send computer files to Lapaix containing lists of orders, including screen-names of customers, their addresses, and the amount and type of narcotics that each customer ordered. When Lapaix received the files, he and two men who worked under him would weigh out the drugs, package them, create tracking information, and mail each of the orders. Atwell would ensure all orders were properly filled. Lapaix obtained the supplies for packaging the orders and Atwell reimbursed him. Lapaix also engaged in street-level narcotics sales.
Search warrants executed at various locations yielded approximately a quarter of a million dollars in cash, diamond jewelry, gold bars, another quarter kilogram of cocaine, numerous rounds of ammunition, firearm silencers, cocaine testing, cutting and packaging materials, and related equipment.
Deputy Attorney General Barile is prosecuting the case for the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Acting Bureau Chief Andrew Johns, Deputy Bureau Chief Jacqueline Smith, and Assistant Attorney General Jill Mayer, Deputy Director of the Division of Criminal Justice. Former Deputy Attorney General Alyssa Schwab and Analyst Bethany Schussler assisted in the investigation for the Specialized Crimes Bureau. Deputy Attorney General Derek Miller and Analyst Debra Maiorano handled the civil forfeiture action.
The lead detectives for the Division of Criminal Justice were Detective Scott Caponi of the Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau and Detective Brian Christensen of the Specialized Crimes Bureau. They were assisted by Sgt. Mike Rasar and worked under the supervision of Deputy Chief of Detectives Christopher Donohue and Lt. Lisa Cawley. They received extensive assistance from detectives of the Gangs & Organized Crime and Specialized Crimes Bureaus, North, South, and Central Units. The New Jersey State Police Intelligence Section also provided valuable assistance. Other partners that were critical to the success of the investigation were the Atlantic City Task Force, Bayonne Police Department, Galloway Police Department, North Bergen Police Department, New York City Police Department, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and New Jersey National Guard.
Trenton NJ, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean said the administration of Governor Phil Murphy has failed to comply with the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA) by improperly withholding readily available public financial documents that were requested more than 45 days ago from the Treasury Department.
The charge was made today in a complaint filed by Kean with the Government Records Council (GRC), the State entity responsible for adjudicating complaints related to the denial of access to public agency records. Kean said Treasury officials have granted themselves multiple extensions to delay responding to the OPRA request with information that he believes is critical to informing legislators engaged in budget and tax deliberations.
Click here to download the complaint. (Note: the PDF file will not display in browsers, it must be downloaded and opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader)
“Senate Republicans submitted an OPRA request to the Treasury Department in April to obtain documents detailing New Jersey’s finances that have already been provided to Wall Street,” said Kean. “We’re concerned that the Murphy Administration’s repeated failure to provide any responsive documents is a deliberate effort to force legislators to vote on nearly $2 billion of tax increases proposed by the Governor without the disclosure of relevant budget information. With our June 30th deadline for adopting a new State budget rapidly approaching, we were left with no choice but to file a complaint today to obtain access to the public records that will allow us to perform our constitutionally mandated duties.”
The OPRA request, submitted on April 25, 2018, reads as follows:
“Please provide all documents (other than email) maintained in electronic format (i.e. Word, Excel, PDF, or Powerpoint) shared by anyone in the Treasurer’s Central Office or Office of Public Finance with any of the four following rating agencies: Moody’s, Kroll, S&P, or Fitch. Only documents shared on or after January 15, 2018 through and including April 25, 2018 presenting information with respect to, or seeking information about, the State’s finances, FY 2019 proposed budget, or bonds issued or to be issued by the Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation are requested.”
The records requested by Senate Republicans were produced for credit rating agencies this spring by the Treasury Department. Since the documents were provided to the rating agencies with the intent of influencing the purchase of bonds, they are required by federal law to be truthful and free of misleading statements.
“We believe these documents provide the best shot of getting an honest view of the Murphy Administration’s fiscal outlook for the State,” said Kean. “They must be free of the sort of hyperbole and spin that was employed by Treasury officials who sought to sell the Governor’s tax increase plans at our budget hearings. That’s why it’s so important that we obtain access to financial documents where we know the Murphy Administration has a legal obligation to tell the truth.”
Given the upcoming budget deadline, Kean urged the Governor Records Council to expedite a hearing on his Denial of Access Complaint.
“It should raise alarms that the Governor is fighting so hard to prevent the release of detailed and accurate fiscal information while simultaneously seeking to raise billions in sales, income, and business taxes,” Kean concluded. “It’s absolutely imperative that our complaint be adjudicated immediately to ensure that lawmakers have the opportunity to review documents that may help us to fight Governor Murphy’s plan to make New Jersey even more expensive.”
Trenton NJ, The Department of the Treasury today announced that dedicated revenues remain stable while General Fund revenues remain weak for FY 2018 with the Corporation Business Tax (CBT) seeing a substantial decline for the month of May.
As State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio has pointed out in recent months, despite the growth in dedicated revenue sources – the Gross Income Tax (GIT) and the Petroleum Products Receipt Tax (PPGRT) – a challenging structural imbalance remains due to the weakness in revenues supporting the General Fund. Excluding the GIT and the PPGRT, collectively all other major revenues are down $120.4 million so far in FY 2018.
The CBT declined 44.8 percent in May and is down 3.4 percent for the year. The CBT for banks and financial institutions is down 26.8 percent year-to-date. Additionally, the Motor Fuels Tax, Estate Tax, the Cigarette Tax, and Casino Revenues are also down through the end of May.
Overall, May revenue collections for major taxes were up 6.3 percent compared to last May, however this is due solely to the growth in two of the State’s dedicated revenue sources. Year-to-date, total revenues increased $1.478 billion, or 5.9 percent, tracking closely with the FY 2018 revised aggregate target.
The Sales and Use Tax, the largest General Fund revenue, was up 1.1 percent in May and is growing by only 1.5 percent year-to-date due to recent tax rate reductions.
May collections for the GIT rebounded from April’s weak performance. Net receipts of $990.3 million were up $116.2 million, or 13.3 percent above last May. Of that growth, $71.5 million was due primarily to the annual “tail” of final 1040 tax payments lagging into May. The GIT, which is dedicated to the Property Tax Relief Fund, is up 9.4 percent year-to-date in FY 2018, $1.125 billion above the same point last year.
The State’s other significant dedicated revenue, the PPGRT, is up 70.7 percent through the end of May, $474.0 million above the same point last year, due to a statutory tax rate increase. These funds, however, are dedicated to the Transportation Trust Fund.
June will be the 12th month of FY 2018, featuring important quarterly estimated payments for the GIT and the CBT. In particular, the CBT’s June quarterly estimated payments are highly uncertain following a 16.0 percent decline during April and a 19.5 percent decline in May. Treasury estimates some improvement in June, but if double-digit declines continue, the CBT would fall below the year-end target.
NEWARK NJ, An Salvadoran national in the country illegally, who has an Interpol warrant for being a member of MS-13 and trafficking in firearms and narcotics, is among 91 foreign nationals taken into custody during a five-day operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week in New Jersey, targeting at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and other immigration violators. The operation was supported by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) New Jersey Field Office.
Of those arrested during the operation, which was spearheaded by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), 77 percent were convicted criminals and 70 percent of them had prior felony convictions.
“The remarkable results of our officers and law enforcement partners highlight ICE’s ongoing commitment to public safety,” said John Tsoukaris, Field Office Director of ERO Newark. “This operation focuses on the arrest of individuals convicted of serious crimes and are a threat to public safety. Because of the targeted efforts of these professional officers, there are 91 fewer criminals in our communities.”
These individuals will go through removal proceedings before an Immigration Judge or for those under a final order of removal, arrangements will be made to remove them from the U.S.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is extremely proud to have assisted in this operation,” said Frank Russo, Acting Director New York Field Office. “It is through collaborative efforts that law enforcement agencies can combat illegal acts and apprehend criminals who pose a threat to the Homeland.”
The individuals arrested throughout New Jersey were nationals of Anguilla (1), Bangladesh (1), Cameroon (1), Colombia (4), Cuba (3), Dominican Republic (14), Ecuador (4), Egypt (1), El Salvador (10), Ghana (1), Guatemala (3), Guinea (1), Guyana (2), Haiti (3), Honduras (4), Jamaica (3), Korea (2), Macedonia (2), Mexico (12), Nicaragua (1), Pakistan (2), Philippines (4), Peru (4), Poland (1), Spain (1), St. Lucia (1), Trinidad (3), and Venezuela (2)
These individuals were arrested in the following counties in New Jersey: Atlantic (3), Bergen (5), Burlington (3), Camden (3), Cumberland (6), Essex (19), Hudson (15), Mercer (7), Middlesex (7), Monmouth (1), Passaic (10), Union (8), and Warren (2). Also, one individual was arrested in New Castle county in Delaware and one individual was arrested in Bronx county in New York. They range from age 19 to 78 years old and all were previously convicted of a variety of offenses. Some of the convictions included sexual assault on a minor, child abuse, possession of narcotics, distribution of narcotics, money laundering, DUI, fraud, domestic violence, theft, possession of a weapon, burglary, larceny, aggravated assault, aggravated assault on law enforcement, resisting arrest, endangering the welfare of a child, kidnapping and illegal reentry.
Among those arrested during this operation include:
In Jersey City, a 39-year-old previously removed Venezuelan national, who has convictions of Aggravated Assault, Resisting Arrest by Force, Possession of a Weapon, and Distribution of Heroin;
In Saddle Brook, a 46-year-old Bangladeshi national, who has convictions of Aggravated Assault, and pending charges for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Minor;
In New Brunswick, a 47-year-old Honduran national, who has convictions of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, who was released by Middlesex County Jail and rearrested by ICE;
In Passaic, a 24-year-old Jamaican national, who has convictions of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Lewdness;
In Perth Amboy, a 32-year-old Dominican national, who has convictions of Possession of Cocaine, Domestic Violence Assault, and Trespassing;
In Newark, a 45-year-old Pakistani national, who has convictions of Money Laundering and Theft by Deception;
In Elizabeth, a 42-year-old Colombian national, who has a conviction for Homicide
In Bergenfield, a 58 year old Philippines national, who has convictions for DUI, Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Assault;
In Jersey City, a 54-year-old Dominican national, who has convictions for Kidnapping and Aggravated Assault;
In Bridgeton, a 41-year-old Mexican national, who has a conviction for Criminal Sexual Contact;
In Pleasantville, a 21-year-old Honduran national, who has been convicted for Endangering the Welfare of a Child;
In Plainfield, 22 & 23-year-old El Salvadorian nationals, who are members of MS-13;
In Lindenwold, 27 & 29-year-old El Salvadorian nationals, who are members of MS-13;
In East Orange, a 23-year-old Anguillan national, who is a member of the Bloods;
In South Brunswick, a 31-year-old Venezuelan national, who is a member of MS-13;
In West New York, a 26-year-old El Salvadorian national, who has an Interpol warrant for being a member of a terrorist organization (MS-13), trafficking in narcotics and trafficking in firearms;
In Bridgeton, a 22-year-old Mexican national, who is a member of the gang Los Pelones
ICE deportation officers conduct targeted enforcement operations every day in locations around the country as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect the nation, uphold public safety and protect the integrity of our immigration laws and border controls.
During targeted enforcement operations, ICE officers frequently encounter additional suspects who may be in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. Those persons will be evaluated on a case by case basis and, when appropriate, arrested by ICE.
ICE continues to focus its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. ICE conducts targeted immigration enforcement in compliance with federal law and agency policy. However, as ICE Director Thomas Homan has made clear, ICE does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States.
NEW YORK — Following an investigation and subsequent arrest made by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York, A New Jersey man was sentenced in the District of New Jersey Tuesday to 480 months in prison for producing and possessing images and videos of child sexual abuse. This sentencing comes on the heels on a 25 year sentence from the Eastern District of New York.
Gregory John Schaffer, 39, of Bayonne, NJ, was previously found guilty on all three counts of an indictment charging him with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He was convicted following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares, who imposed the sentence Tuesday in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in the case and the evidence at trial, in 2010, Schaffer sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in a tow-truck office in Union City, New Jersey, and video recorded the abuse without her knowledge. He later stored the video recording on a laptop computer found by law enforcement in his office in Jersey City, New Jersey. Schaffer also backed-up the video recording to another electronic storage device found in his office.
Around the same time, Schaffer also sexually abused a 14-year-old girl in a hotel room and video recorded the abuse without her knowledge. Schaffer again stored the video recording on the same laptop computer and electronic storage device that law enforcement found in his office.
Law enforcement also found additional sexually explicit videos and images of minors on Schaffer’s laptop computer and electronic storage device.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Linares sentenced Schaffer to lifetime supervised release. On July 24, 2015, Schaffer was sentenced in the EDNY to 25 years in federal prison and lifetime supervised release for violating Title 18 USC 2422 (a) – travel in interstate commerce to engage in sexual activity and Title 18 USC 2422 (b) – to persuade, induce, coerce and individual who has not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity.
This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 16,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 victims identified or rescued.
Trenton NJ, Tax increases being considered by state policymakers this budget season would hit areas of New Jersey’s economy that are already challenged, an analysis by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association finds.
New research shows that New Jersey now has a net loss of nearly $25 billion in Adjusted Gross Income over the past 12 years, is poised to become the worst state in the nation for Corporate Business Tax (CBT), and is lagging in the rate of millionaire growth in the region.
“This concerning data should serve as fair warning to our policymakers that higher CBT, millionaires or sales taxes, on top of the cumulative costs from our recent and increasing business mandates, are only giving our business owners and residents more reason to leave our great state,” said NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka. “And if they aren’t leaving, they’re certainly not planning to grow here.
“This analysis speaks to our declining competitiveness in the region and the nation. We need to improve our state’s economy through comprehensive planning, rather than excessive taxation. This is the only way to reclaim our regional competitiveness and to reverse the disturbing trend of outmigration from New Jersey.”
ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME
According to the most up-to-date Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data for tax year 2015-2016, New Jersey experienced a net loss in potential Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $3.5 billion. This exceeds the average annual rate loss of approximately $2.1 billion over the past 12 years. The change is driven by taxpayers moving out of state and taking their incomes with them.
An NJBIA analysis of the IRS’s Statistics of Income Inflow and Outflow data, finds that from tax year 2004-2005 to 2015-2016, New Jersey experienced a total loss of $24.9 billion in potential AGI.
Since tax year 2004-2005, New Jersey has now gained $66.5 billion in AGI, but lost $91.4 billion.
“This is critical income that has been lost to New Jersey’s general fund for more than a decade,” Siekerka said. “The economic impact that this loss has on the state’s economy is irrefutable and it will worsen if taxes are increased even more.”
CORPORATE BUSINESS TAX
New Jersey currently has the sixth highest corporate income tax rate (9 percent) in the United States, while Pennsylvania ranks second (9.99 percent). If New Jersey’s rate on corporations earning a net income of $1 million increases to 12 percent, as proposed, New Jersey would tie Iowa for the highest corporate income tax rate in the nation.
Meanwhile, regional competitors New York (6.5 percent) and Massachusetts (8 percent) have decreased their CBT and currently have the most competitive rates in the region.
An NJBIA analysis, utilizing 2015 data, determined that 2,373 New Jersey companies would have been impacted by the proposed surcharge. Of those, 86 percent (2,033 companies) earned between $1 million and $10 million in net allocated income.
The remaining 14 percent earning more than $10 million (340 companies) accounted for nearly 73 percent ($14.89 billion) of total allocated net income for all companies earning $1 million or more in 2015.
“While most states have either reduced or maintained their corporate tax rates, New Jersey is poised to go in the wrong direction,” Siekerka said. “Some studies link an increase in CBT to a reduction in employment and income and a decrease in CBT to quicker job creation. A CBT surcharge would only incentivize our larger corporations to expand their operations elsewhere. And if they’re stagnating here, that’s just as bad as outmigration for New Jersey.”
MILLIONAIRES TAX
A proposed “millionaires tax” provision in the FY 2019 budget would increase the top income tax rate from 8.97 percent to 10.75 percent on income above $1 million.
An NJBIA analysis found that while the number of returns for New Jersey businesses filing $1 million or more increased between 2000 and 2015, New Jersey grew at a slower rate in this category than three regional competitors – including Pennsylvania and New York. In addition, New Jersey’s total AGI for businesses filing $1 million or more ranked fifth out of seven regional states.
“Millionaires have grown around the nation during a time of economic upswing, but New Jersey’s percent change of growth is slower than most of our regional competitors,” Siekerka said. “We should be wary of our tax policies making New Jersey more dependent on the highest income earners who are being given more reasons to consider leaving the state.
Between 2010 and 2015, New Jersey’s number of businesses filing $1 million or more ranked second in the region. But tellingly, New Jersey ranked sixth out of seven regional states in total AGI growth.
The story is similar for New Jersey individuals filing a tax return of $1 million or more. When analyzing data from 2010 to 2015, New Jersey ranked third in the region in this category, but only fifth out of seven in the percentage change of total AGI. In fact, Massachusetts surpassed the Garden State in total AGI from individual millionaires in 2014 and 2015, despite having nearly 3,500 fewer filings of $1 million and more.
“NJBIA continues to call for comprehensive tax and regulatory reform to fix our structural budget deficits,” Siekerka said. “We need our policymakers to pause until the State Tax Policy Working Group, created by Senate President Steve Sweeney, and the Economic Growth Council, created by Gov. Murphy, complete their work and advance comprehensive recommendations. We need them to plan and adopt long-term, sustainable solutions rather than attempt to tax our way out of fiscal challenges.”
Sources:
An NJBIA Analysis of SOI IRS, 2004-2015
AN NJBIA Analysis of SOI IRS Migration Data, 2004 to 2005- 2015 to 2016
J. Walczak, S. Drenkard, J. Bishop-Henchman. (2018). 2018 State Business Tax Climate Index. Tax Foundation.
Office of Revenue and Economic Analysis. (Jan. 2017). New Jersey Corporation Business Tax Statistical Report. Office of the Chief Economist.
R. McGrath. (Mar. 2018). SWEENEY PROPOSES LANDMARK $758M SCHOOL FUNDING REFORM UNDERWRITTEEN BY RECAPTURING FEDERAL CORPORATE WINDFALL. New Jersey Senate Democrats. Press Release.
P. Murphy, S. Oliver. (March 2018). The Governor’s FY 2019 Budget: Budget in Brief. Office of Management and Budget.
State Government Websites
Kingwood Township NJ, This has got to be the feel good story of the day . According to the NJ state police Facebook page ,we’re not sure what the odds are of this happening—maybe they’re close to the odds of a hole-in-one, winning the lottery, or being struck by lightning—but it happened.
On Friday, June 1, Trooper Michael Patterson stopped Matthew Bailly for a minor motor vehicle violation in Kingwood Township. During the initial conversation, Mr. Bailly told Trooper Patterson that he was a retired Piscataway police officer. Trooper Patterson, being a Piscataway native, told Mr. Bailly that he is from the same town. Now here’s where things get interesting…
Mr. Bailly asked Trooper Patterson where he used to live. When Trooper Patterson told him that he grew up on Poe Place, Mr. Bailly said that he remembered that street, because he helped deliver a baby there 27 years ago when he was a rookie cop. He was even able to describe the color, style of house, and the baby’s name, Michael.
Trooper Patterson extended his hand and replied, “My name is Michael Patterson, sir. Thank you for delivering me.”
Whatever the odds were, it happened. Trooper Michael Patterson stopped the police officer who delivered him 27 years ago in Piscataway. Mr. Bailly had four years on the job when he responded to a home on Poe Place in Piscataway. The date was October 5, 1991. Trooper Patterson’s mother, Karen Patterson, was out shopping when she went into labor. She barely made it home. Bobby Patterson, Trooper Patterson’s father, rushed outside, picked up his wife, and carried her inside the house. He then called the doctor who talked Officer Bailly through the birth.
Needless to say, Trooper Patterson, Matthew Bailly, and both of their families were ecstatic about the reunion. So, Trooper Patterson and his mother visited Mr. Bailly and his wife at their home where they took these photos! They all felt this story was so uplifting, it needed to be shared, and we agree! After all, as a police officer, you don’t always get a chance to have a moment like this with people you once helped in your career!
“To facilitate this review, the Governor directs each of you to submit updated plans describing the essential activities of
your department, meaning those necessary to maintain the health,safety, and welfare of the citizens of the State, and to prevent
the damage, loss, or destruction of property, if any. As you know, these activities should be limited and directly related to the
preservation and protection of life, safety and property; the care of those in State facilities, hospitals, centers, and homes; child
welfare; disease prevention and control; emergency and disaster response activities; transportation safety; the preparation and
adoption of the State Budget; and similar activities.”
Trenton NJ, Many of you have heard about police chaplains. Do you know what they do or who they are? Well, we would like you to meet some of ours.
A police chaplain is a volunteer non-paid position that provides members, their families, and the community with spiritual counseling, religious referral, and general character guidance through the various religious denominations within our society.
As one of the New Jersey State Police Chaplains, Rabbi Abe Friedman provides spiritual guidance and support to enlisted and civilian members of the Division.
For the last 16 years, he has used his expertise in communication and biblical studies to assist law enforcement with cultural competency training, inter-agency planning and coordination, and has served as a community outreach coordinator.
Rabbi Friedman has been recognized by various agencies for his service to law enforcement and the community. He was the recipient of the NYPD/DEA Appreciation Award in 1998, American Red Cross 9/11 Leadership Award in 2001, New York State Senate Civilian of the Year Award in 2005, United States Marine Corps Award of Excellence in 2007, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
Following the tragic events of September 11, Rabbi Friedman provided spiritual guidance and counseling to law enforcement members who took part in the search and rescue mission at the World Trade Center and to the American Red Cross.
Rabbi Friedman also serves as a police chaplain to the N.Y. MTA Police Department, Office of Federal Law Enforcement, the Putnam County and Passaic County Sheriff’s offices, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and U.S. Department of Justice. He continues to serve as a Special Assistant to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and Citywide Liaison to the NYPD.
