Posted on

Snow Day? More Like Snow Nay…

snow

file photo by Boyd Loving

by Alejandro J Ramos

Cliffside Park NJ, Will snow days be a desire of the past? The year 2020 has been like nothing we have ever seen before. It has been the year of struggle, uncertainty, and fear. In this time of unprecedented events, aside from small businesses, education has been severely impacted. I am a college student that attends a public institution here in New Jersey. Results from the pandemic, like budget cuts, have just been unfathomable.

Continue reading Snow Day? More Like Snow Nay…

Posted on

Bergen Attorney Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining $9 Million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans

employee fraud

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Cliffside Park NJ,  A Bergen County, attorney was arrested today and charged with fraudulently obtaining approximately $9 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced.

Jae H. Choi, 48, of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with three counts of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. He is expected to make his initial appearance by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III.

Continue reading Bergen Attorney Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining $9 Million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans

Posted on

Cliffside Park, Man Charged with Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse

162936 179592512053393 4292050 n

July 29,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

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.

Posted on

BERGEN BURGLARY TASK FORCE INVESTIGATION RESULTS IN ARREST OF BURGLARY DUO

Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S

June 11,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced today the arrests of TYRONE GOINS (DOB: 02/14/80; single; and unemployed) of 90 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack, New Jersey and his brother, TRAVIS GOINS (DOB: 01/25/85; single; and employed as a driver) of 44 Brookway Avenue, Englewood, New Jersey. The arrests are the culmination of a three-month-long investigation by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti, along with a multi-jurisdictional burglary task force comprised of detectives from Fort Lee, Paramus, Cliffside Park, Tenafly, Saddle River, and Teaneck police departments.

In response to a reported increase of residential burglaries in the eastern part of Bergen County, detectives from the affected towns met and shared information about the burglaries. As a result, a task force was formed and a joint investigation began.

On the evening of June 8, 2017, task force detectives were conducting physical surveillance in the Borough of Cliffside Park. TYRONE GOINS and TRAVIS GOINS were observed in a vehicle that circled the same blocks for a period of time. Shortly after the vehicle left the area, detectives confirmed that a burglary had been committed to a residence on Washington Avenue in Cliffside Park. Detectives were able to locate the suspects’ vehicle and conduct a motor vehicle stop.

TYRONE GOINS and TRAVIS GOINS were each charged with one count of Burglary, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C18-2A(1), a crime of the 3rd degree, for the Washington Avenue, Cliffside Park burglary along with an additional count of Burglary, for an April 27th, 2017 residential burglary to a Cliffside Park residence on West End Avenue. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected.

Tyrone GOINS and Travis GOINS are currently lodged in the Bergen County Jail, pending a detention hearing.

Prosecutor Grewal states that the charges against the defendants are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and would also like to thank the Fort Lee, Paramus, Cliffside Park, Tenafly, Saddle River and Teaneck Police Departments for their assistance with this investigation.