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History in the Small Details of Zabriskie Schedler House in Ridgewood

Zabriskie Schedler House

by John Paquin

Posted first on Vintage Ridgewood Facebook Page

Ridgewood NJ, Separated at Birth — and by about a half a mile. Are these the coolest door knobs you’ve ever seen? The one on the left is in the Ackerman-Naugle House on East Saddle River Road — that cool Jersey Dutch stone house discussed earlier right across 17 from the church, and the other is from what else but the Zabriskie Schedler House we’ve been talking about on West Saddle River Rd. Both these houses were part of the original settlement of “Pyramus”, and both are still with us. They look positively ancient and really bring that period to life when you see and touch something like that. Might, say, someone like Alexander Hamilton have turned one of those knobs? Or Mr. Burr?
Actually, yes. I asked noted Jersey Dutch Architecture expert Tim Adrience about these and he explained: “The latch….is called an iron plate spring latch. That type of latch is found in a number of houses in Bergen County, and it is better than a thumb latch in operation. This type of latch was made from roughly the 1740’s to the 1830’s, and is only found on interior doors”.

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Ridgewood Village Council Revisits Water Smart Software

RidgewoodWaterLogo_061912_rn_tif_

March 1,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, at last nights council meeting , the council once again revisited Ridgewood Waters push for the Water Smart software . The crux of the debate seemed to be weather the software could pay for itself with cost savings . Ridgewood Water has some very aggressive water savings goals . Ridgewood water stated the need to save 50,000,000 gallons of water per year.

Some critics of the water company suggest massive water saving in the system will be necessary with all the new development in Ridgewood and the other towns Ridgewood Water services in order to avoid ,”no flush Fridays” .

During the meeting much of the focus  was on the user interface .  The Water Smart software would offer users community comparisons as well as personal comparisons . One of the major advantages would be localized leaks would be more quickly identified .

Ridgewood Water seems to be looking for a more interactive consumer management.Resident Saurabh Dani voiced concerns over integration of multiple software systems .

Nothing  presented last night addressed  the elephant in the room ; the simply fact there is not enough water capacity for the coming high density development .

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Ridgewood Village Coucil Public Workshop: Walker Report , Graydon Concessions , Schedler Archaeological Investigation ,Major Soil Permits

Ridgewood Village Council

Public Workshop Agenda 02262018

PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA
FEBRUARY 28, 2018
7:30 P.M.

7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor
Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
Roll Call – Village Clerk
Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)
Motion to Suspend Work Session and Convene Special Public Meeting
Special Public Meeting – See Attached Agenda
Motion to Adjourn Special Public Meeting and Reconvene Work Session
Presentation
Walker Report on Hudson Street Parking Garage
Water Smart
Sustainable Jersey Award

Discussion
Ridgewood Water
Award Professional Services – Water Rate Study
Award Professional Services – Design and Administration of
Improvements at the Southside Reservoir
Award Second Year Contract – Supply and Maintain Cold Water Meters

Parking – None
Budget
Award Contract – Graydon Pool Concession – Refreshment Service
Award Contract – Coach Bus Transportation Services
Schedler Property – Phase I and Phase II Archaeological Investigation –
RFP
Deferred School Tax for 2018
Correction to Reso. #17-111 – Award Contract – Portable Fuel Cell Trailer
Award Contract – Tub Grinder
Policy
Use of Barn at Habernickel Park for Project Graduation
Approval of Schedler Ad Hoc Committee Recommendations
Business Improvement District
Operations
Purchasing Process
Major Soil Permits – The Enclave and Ken Smith II Projects
Declare Property Surplus – John Deere 544 H Loader – Streets Department
Declare Property Surplus – Ford F250 – Parks Department
Replacement of Tree at Graydon – Report by Shade Tree Commission

Manager’s Report
Council Reports
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
Resolution to go into Closed Session
Closed Session
Personnel – Appointments to Boards and Committees
Contract Negotiations – Hudson Street Parking Garage
Adjournment

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Lucinda L. Johnson and the Founding of the Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church of Ridgewood

Lucinda L
February 27,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, according to the Ridgewood Historical Society , (https://www.facebook.com/groups/356146547743521/ ) Lucinda L. Johnson was born a slave on a tobacco plantation in Virginia in 1848. She moved to New Jersey after the Civil War to find domestic work, and saved her money to buy a small house on S. Maple Avenue. Lucinda married twice and had no children of her own, but cared for many foster children who affectionately called her “Aunt Lucindy.”

She became very involved in the fight against discrimination, which motivated her to host lawn parties in order to found the Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church of Ridgewood, a house of worship “dedicated to the Negroes of Ridgewood.” The church is described in an article from the Ridgewood Herald on Jan. 8, 1908 as “a real addition to the architectural attractions of Ridgewood…The church has a basement chapel, kitchen, library rooms…The lighting is by electricity and a furnace gives heat.” Inside the church, there is a stained glass window with an angel’s face marked “For Lucinda.” Johnson’s obituary, published in The Ridgewood Herald-News in Feb. 1940, described her as “a remarkable woman”; she was buried in a lot in Valleau Cemetery that she purchased back in the 1890s.

As this month comes to an end, we encourage everyone to remember Black History and attend Tuesday night’s (Feb. 27th) Academy Award-nominated film at Ridgewood Public Library at 7pm. “I Am Not Your Negro” envisions the book “Remember This House” that James Baldwin never finished, a radical narration about race in America, using the writer’s original words, as read by actor Samuel L. Jackson.

www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/reelvoices2017

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Reader is tired of the lame excuses for photos showing plenty of parking

parking private lot

I am tired of these lame excuses. If you say you saw plenty of parking on any certain day, the garagaholics like you come back with any of the following:

. it was raining
. it was a holiday and people were out of town
. it was a holiday and people were busy with family
. it was a Monday and some restaurants are closed on Mondays
. it was too early in the day to get a fair estimate
. it was too late in the day and people had already gone home
. it was a Saturday noon and no one goes out until later
. it was a Saturday night and people were using UBER
. it was not raining so people were walking to town
. it was snowing so people were home shoveling
. it was snowing but then it stopped so people went skiing

Get it? There are ALWAYS available spots in town, in spite of Jeff Voigt’s declaration that there are 1000 cars looking for parking on the weekends. There are ALWAYS spots, regardless of whatever excuse you come up with.

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Ridgewood Knights of Columbus to Host Annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance

St Patrick Shamrock Image

 

February 26,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  The Ridgewood Knights of Columbus are once again proud to be sponsoring their annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance on Saturday, March 24, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Mount Carmel gymnasium at 52 Passaic Street in Ridgewood.

Hosting the annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance has been a Knights tradition for many years in Ridgewood. Guests are first be greeted by bagpipers. The Best of Everything will cater a full-course of traditional Irish fare including corned beef and cabbage. The Celtic Cross Band will be playing Irish classics and great dance music, along with a special appearance by the Irish Step Dancers. There will also be a grand prize raffle drawing for a trip to Ireland, with the proceeds going to benefit many local and worthy charities.

Come enjoy this annual celebration as the Knights of Columbus continue the tradition that the People of Ireland started over a thousand years ago. And what better way to celebrate the life of Saint Patrick then to gather with friends and family, enjoy a fine meal, and dance to great music!

Tickets are $55 per person.

For more information, please go to:
www.ridgewoodkofc.org

Come out and celebrate St. Patrick’s with the Ridgewood Knights!

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Graydon Sycamore

Ridgewood's Iconic Sycamore Tree on the island at Graydon Pool is dying

The following was submitted as a letter to the editor of the Ridgewood News before the deadline last week, but was not published. It contains important updates.

Sycamore article used old news

To the Editor:

The impending removal of the iconic sycamore tree in Graydon Park deserved its front-page coverage (“Tree’s decades-long watch almost over,” Feb. 16). It also deserved real reporting.
In reproducing my emailed comments, reporters Nicholas Katzban and Linda Voorhis imply that they interviewed me online. No such contact was made. I’d sent the quoted email to the Record’s environmental reporter a full month earlier in hopes of inspiring a story. It worked, if belatedly and indirectly. But a lot has happened since January 18.
The authors quote me as stating that I hoped the tree could be saved. That was no longer true once I’d obtained a copy of a report by an outside expert hired to evaluate the tree.
I am quoted as wishing that seeds from the tree had been saved. This is being done. With the approval of Ridgewood’s Parks and Recreation Department, a local environmentalist will germinate seeds from the sycamore toward creating a new generation. Perhaps one seedling will grow large enough to replace its mother tree.
Other news: uses for the wood are being explored by the mayor’s new Ad Hoc Graydon Sycamore Committee.
The “fans” who saved Graydon from being concretized have a name: The Preserve Graydon Coalition. It was the Coalition, formed in July 2009, that had Graydon placed on Preservation New Jersey’s 2010 list of the 10 most endangered historic sites in the state. Grassroots efforts take a village, and this village really stepped up.

Marcia Ringel
Co-Founder, The Preserve Graydon Coalition
Ridgewood
Feb. 20, 2018

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79-year-old woman was struck and injured crossing Kinderkamack Road and Irvington Street Wednesday afternoon in Westwood

westwood police

file photo courtesy of Westwood Police Dept

February 24,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Westwood NJ, according to the Westwood Police a 79-year-old woman was struck and injured crossing Kinderkamack Road and Irvington Street Wednesday afternoon.

Westwood Police were summed to the scene at 12:08 p.m. The victim began crossing Kinderkamack Road when Patricia Shaw, 76, of Midland Park turned left from Irvington Street onto Kinderkamack Road. Westwood Police were assisted by Hillsdale Police , Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Micron Advanced Life Support .

According to police the victim was walking in southbound lane when the driver failed to yield and hit her with the front driver’s-side part of the vehicle.

The woman was knocked to the ground and injured on the lower part of her body. She was stabilized at the scene and rushed to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. The extent of her injuries is unknown.

The 76 year old driver failed to yield the right of way to a pedestrian and was charged with failure to stop/yield at an intersection, making an improper turn, failure to maintain a lane and failure to yield to a pedestrian.

Westwood Police will also submit a re-evaluation to the state Division of Motor Vehicles regarding Shaw to determine if she is fit to operate a motor vehicle.

The Westwood Police Department is asking for the public’s cooperation in reducing the number of accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles in the borough.

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Ridgewood Mayor Responds to Questions Raised About “handicapped requirements for historic properties”

zabriskieschedler_theridgewoodblog

 

Reader ….

“I finally googled “handicapped requirements for historic properties”. It clearly states that historic properties are NOT excused from the ADA requirements. It agrees it might take a lot of work and evaluation to modify an historic property to make it accessible to all. It also states that “no building is grandfathered from the handicap regulations no matter how old and historic it actually is.” The council either has not taken this into consideration in the cost of “saving” the Schedler house, or believes that Isabella, being an architect, knew what she was talking about. So why is Ridgewood planning to restore (rebuild) a property that they will be unable to let the public use if everyone cannot enter—and go up and down at each new addition as none of the floors are actually level from room to room.”

Mayor Susan Knudsen responds ….

HI ,
Historic Architect Margaret Hickey included handicap accessibility in the Schedler house restoration plans. In fact, at a recent meeting there was a great deal of discussion about accessibility features and required modifications.
Hope all is well.

Best always,
Susan

Mayor Susan Knudsen

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U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Unions vs Free Speech Case

supreme_court_building

February 23,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC, The Supreme Court is scheduled to return to Washington next week after nearly a month off. The justices will hear a number of important oral arguments, including a case involving free speech, and public employee unions.

Next Monday February 26th , the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in one of the most anticipated cases of the year, the case of Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31.

This case could have an enormous impact on big union states like New Jersey and may impact many unions political influence like the NJEA.

The case focuses on Mark Janus who is not a public sector union member but has to pay fees ie inion dues anyway. Janus argues these fees “violate his free speech and free association rights.”

This case involves forcing public employees who opt out of union membership to pay a fee for the “fair share” of costs associated with collective bargaining. Mark Janus, an Illinois state employee, argues that forcing him to subsidize the union he has declined to join violates his free speech and free association rights.

The court will look at whether to overturn its 1977 decision in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, which held that public employees could be forced to pay an agency fee.

This very issue was before the court in 2016 when Justice Antonin Scalia died. The court deadlocked 4-4 in Friedrichs v. California Teachers’ Association, thereby upholding the lower court ruling in favor of the California Teachers Association.

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Reader says as to the Hudson Garage ,the net increase in spaces,should be used to calculate the cost per space

hudson Garage meeting

During public comments at the end of the meeting, 2 residents reminded VC members that there are already 76 spaces on the ground there. Thus, the construction cost per space is much higher than what was presented by the developers last night. That is, you must subtract the current number of spaces from the total being built to obtain the net increase in spaces, which should then be used to calculate the cost per space.

Also, last night was the first time the public was made aware of the perpetual maintenance costs associated with the operation of precast parking structures. Several of the presenters indicated that unless the structure is properly maintained, its life expectancy decreases dramatically.

It was said that the use of ice/snow melting agents and HARD WATER are particularly problematic. And the only way to clean the ice/snow melting agents away is by using water on a regular basis. And what type of water do we have in Ridgewood? HARD WATER, of course!

This is going to be the biggest financial boondoggle ever. Way beyond the boondoggle of post Tropical Storm Floyd renovation costs at Village Hall. Way beyond. Way, way beyond.

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Councilman Hache Gives Update on the Hudson Street Garage

Ramon M

photo by Boyd Loving

February 22,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, There was a Special Public Meeting last night, Wednesday, February 21, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The Village Council interviewed the four companies that bid on the construction of the Hudson Street Parking Garage. Each company gave a full presentation. The Village Council and the public had the opportunity to listen to proposals and to see a broad range of design options. Names were drawn from a hat to determine the order of presentations as follows:

Terminal Construction Corporation
Prismatic Development Corporation
Epic Management Inc
The Pike Company

Councilman Ramon M. Hache said that , “Overall, I was very pleased with the presentations. The presenters were very thorough and professional. The information provided by them is a crucial component of the extensive due diligence process necessary for a project like this. Generally, much of the focus has been on the dimensions, capacity and construction costs. But the analysis must also take into consideration the annual maintenance costs and the durability and quality of the materials used in its construction. We also have to consider the various approaches to construction methods as they relate to safety, as well as the logistics and timelines associated with the different phases of construction. Last night what had the opportunity to discuss those factors.”

Hache went on , “The due diligence process can be painstaking but it is the same cautious and prudent approach one would take before allocating capital to any significant investment project. Although this has been a long process, in hindsight, I am happy to not have rushed the project along given the valuable lessons learned. For one, declaring the existing Hudson Street lot to be an area in need of redevelopment has given us a tremendous amount of leverage. I think we are already seeing the benefits over the traditional design/bid/build process. Simply put, we are now in a position to negotiate better terms for the Village. We are now looking at potential construction costs that are 20%-30% lower than any previous estimates, and without having to pay for additional designs. The designs discussed last night were absolutely at no cost to the Village.

It was a long meeting but definitely worth it. I am thankful for the residents who attended and sat through the presentations to the end. We only lost a couple of people which was very impressive.”

Updated Bids:
One of the original bids was reduced by 11%. Epic Management reduced their bid after reviewing the numbers with the company that supplies their pre-cast concrete. Here are the updated bids received, listed from lowest to highest overall:

$9,464,666: Pike Company Inc
$10,100,000: Terminal Construction Corp (Version 3)
$10,900,000: Terminal Construction Corp (Version 2)
$10,983,193: Epic Management Inc (Low Version)
$11,190,627: Epic Management Inc (High Version)
$11,480,000: Terminal Construction Corp (Version 1)
$14,399,000: Prismatic Development Corp

Next Step is that the Village Council will  be reviewing the results of the Walker Feasibility Study at the next Public Work Session on Wednesday, February 28. The study will provide a planning-level analysis of net operating income potential for the parking system when the new garage is complete, including rate adjustments that will help maintain a parking utility that is self-supporting. Armed with a thorough financial analysis, we can then move forward with discussing contract negotiations and final selection.

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School Security : Reader says the way it will really work is that Ridgewood taxpayers will pay to protect schools in Camden and Nebraska in addition to our own…

Ridgewood Police RHS

file photo by Boyd Loving

Security is going to cost money and will need to be built into the cost of running the schools. I agree with you that it’s money well spent. There is no source for that money that is not us. The state uses our money to run the state. If the state pays for something, then we’ve paid for that thing. The feds do the same. If they have money it’s come from us (or they printed it, which means, ironically, that the kids are paying for their own protection). If they get money through corporate taxes, we have paid the money to corporations in the price of what we buy from them. Are you suggesting that people in Camden or in Nebraska should pay to protect Ridgewood’s schools? Who then pays to protect theirs? Sadly the way our elected officials treat the residents of Ridgewood the way it will really work is that Ridgewood taxpayers will pay to protect schools in Camden and Nebraska in addition to our own…

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Fallen Tree in Ridgewood Causes Delays for New Jersey Transit Commuters

Fallen Tree in Ridgewood Causes Delays for New Jersey Transit Commuters

photos courtesy of  Boyd Loving’s Facebook Page

February 22,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police, Ridgewood Fire, NJ Transit Police, and NJ Transit Rail Operations personnel responded on Wednesday morning, 02/21, to investigate a fallen tree in the rear of 264 South Broad Street, Ridgewood that resulted in 45-60 minute delays to NJ Transit rail service on the Bergen and Main lines.

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Camden Gun Running Indictment Sheds Light on How Criminals Get Their Hands on Guns

guns

February 21,2018

te staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ,  Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced that a state grand jury has returned an indictment charging seven members of a major gun trafficking ring in Camden with first-degree racketeering, including the alleged leader of the ring, his “straw purchaser” in Ohio, and five middlemen who allegedly brokered black market sales of guns – including assault rifles – to criminals in the city.

The indictment was obtained by the Division of Criminal Justice in a joint investigation by the New Jersey State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Camden HIDTA Task Force, Camden County Metro Police, and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the DEA Philadelphia Division, West Virginia State Police and Henrico County (Va.) Police Division. Four defendants were arrested after the indictment was returned on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
These men are charged with racketeering (1st degree), conspiracy (2nd degree), and transporting firearms into the state for illegal sale (2nd degree) for allegedly trafficking guns from April 2016 through July 2017:
Leader
Chucky Scott, 25, of Columbus, Ohio, the alleged leader of the ring, also faces first-degree charges of leader of a firearms trafficking network and promoting organized street crime.
Straw Purchaser
Anthony Hammond, 26, of Columbus, Ohio, allegedly acted as a “straw purchaser,” purchasing the guns for Scott in Ohio and delivering some guns to Camden with Scott.
Middlemen
The following five men, including two cousins of Scott (Moore and Jennings), allegedly were “middlemen,” acting as wholesale distributors who arranged sales of the guns in Camden after Scott purchased them in Ohio through Hammond:

Eduardo Caban, 40, of Camden, N.J.
Eric Moore, 47, of Camden, N.J.
Tymere Jennings, 35, of Marlton, N.J.
Jamar Folk, aka Ibraheem Abdullah, 33, of Camden, N.J.
Darren Harville, 51, of Camden, N.J.

“Dismantling prolific weapons trafficking is the best way to reduce the number of illegal guns being sold to criminals in our communities and used to inflict murder and terror,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Each gun that we seize or prevent from reaching the street represents countless lives saved. The potential sentences that these men face should also serve as fair warning to those who illegally traffic firearms into New Jersey.”

“More than three out of four of the guns recovered in New Jersey and traced by the ATF in 2016 originated in other states,” Attorney General Grewal added. “Simply put, to reduce gun violence in our communities and reduce the threat to our police officers from assault rifles and other illegal firearms, we need to stop the flow of illegal guns into our state. We are committed to putting an end to this iron pipeline of firearms.”

“We are working closely with the State Police and our other federal, state and local law enforcement partners to arrest the gun traffickers responsible for the proliferation of lethal firepower on our streets,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Through this far-reaching investigation, which extended to Ohio and West Virginia, we were able to bring first-degree racketeering charges against this criminal ring.”

“The only purpose Scott and others had by flooding the Camden area with illegal guns was profiting off of the innocent lives of area residents,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “I am very proud of the investigative efforts and solid police work exhibited by the members of the New Jersey State Police Trafficking South and Fugitive Units along with our federal, state and local partners.”

“All of these men have allegedly played a role in contributing to the violence in Camden,” said Valerie A. Nickerson, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New Jersey Division. “They showed no concern for the violence which may have resulted from their actions. The men and women conducting this investigation are dedicated to reducing gun violence in the community.”

“We appreciate the efforts of our law enforcement partners to remove these guns from our streets,” said Chief Scott Thomson of the Camden County Metro Police Department. “These high capacity firearms would have been used to undermine our community and destabilize our neighborhoods, so making these arrests and eliminating this pipeline was imperative for the safety of our city.”

“This firearms trafficking case represents the highest level of cooperation, across multiple agencies, jurisdictions, and states,” stated Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “There is no place in our society for those who use firearms for criminal purposes, nor is there a place for those who supply criminals with those firearms. ATF is proud to work with our law enforcement partners to stop those who would foster violence in our communities.”

Scott and Caban were arrested previously and ordered detained pending trial in New Jersey. The following men were arrested on warrants after the indictment was returned, and the Attorney General’s Office is seeking their detention: Moore, Jennings, Folk and Harville.

The investigation led to a separate indictment on Feb. 6 charging Caban and Baron Coleman, 38, of Philadelphia, Pa., with second-degree conspiracy to distribute heroin. Caban also is charged with first-degree distribution of heroin for allegedly conducting multiple sales of heroin from May through August 2017. Coleman allegedly supplied heroin to Caban, who in turn allegedly supplied heroin to other dealers in Camden. When DEA Philadelphia Group 31 arrested Coleman and executed a search warrant at his home, they seized a kilo of heroin and a kilo of cocaine.

The investigation began when the New Jersey State Police, the DEA Camden HIDTA Task Force and the Camden County Metro Police Department developed information that Caban allegedly was trafficking both heroin and guns in Camden. It is alleged that during the course of the investigation, Caban illegally sold 10 guns that were recovered by the investigating agencies, including two illegal assault rifles with large-capacity magazines, six 9mm pistols, four of which had illegal large-capacity magazines, a .45-caliber pistol and a .40-caliber pistol. The investigators learned that Caban allegedly was obtaining the guns from Scott. That was further corroborated with evidence seized by the West Virginia State Police when they arrested Scott during a motor vehicle stop on July 9, 2017. Meanwhile, the New Jersey State Police traced the weapons to Hammond in Ohio. Working with the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, which already were investigating Scott and Hammond, investigators learned that Hammond allegedly had been buying multiple weapons at a time for Scott, including assault rifles, at stores around Columbus, Ohio, or online through a website that features classified ads marketing firearms.

The investigation revealed that Hammond and Scott would go together to stores, where Hammond would buy multiple guns for Scott. It is alleged that Scott would then take photographs of the guns and text them to his middlemen in Camden, who would find individuals to purchase the guns for prices set by Scott. The middlemen allegedly would add a “tax” to the price set by Scott and keep the tax as their profit. Once Scott had orders in place, he would drive to Camden to deliver the weapons to his middlemen. On some occasions, Scott would be paid via money transfers, but mostly he collected cash from the middlemen. Scott himself never conducted the sales with the ultimate purchasers. Hammond at times allegedly traveled with Scott to Camden to deliver the firearms to the middlemen. The assault rifles were resold for up to $2,000. Hammond allegedly purchased more than 30 firearms that were trafficked into Camden by Scott and the other defendants. A total of 17 guns linked to the weapons trafficking ring were recovered in the investigation, including 14 handguns, two AK-47 assault rifles, and an AR-15 assault rifle.

Deputy Attorney General Cassandra Montalto presented the indictments to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Erik Daab and Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis. Detective Sgt. 1st Class Erik Hoffman was lead detective for the New Jersey State Police Intelligence Section, Violent & Organized Crime Control Bureau South, Trafficking South Unit.

Attorney General Grewal commended the following agencies for their work on the indictment and investigation:
New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau
New Jersey State Police Trafficking South Unit
New Jersey State Police Fugitive Unit
DEA Camden High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force
Camden County Metro Police Department
ATF Columbus, Ohio, Field Division
ATF Camden, N.J., Field Office
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio
DEA Philadelphia Group 31
West Virginia State Police (Trooper Eric McFarland)
Henrico County (Virginia) Police Division

Scott, Hammond, Caban and Folk face added counts of unlawful possession of a weapon (2nd degree) and other weapons offenses, and Caban and Folk face charges of possession of a weapon as a convicted felon (2nd degree). All seven weapons defendants also are charged with money laundering (3rd degree).

First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $200,000. The first-degree racketeering charge carries a mandatory period of parole ineligibility equal to 85 percent of the sentence imposed. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The charge of possession of a weapon as a convicted felon carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years without parole, and the second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon charges carry a mandatory term of parole ineligibility of half the sentence imposed or 3 ½ years, whichever is greater. Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000, while fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson in Mercer County, who assigned the case to Camden County, where the defendants will be arraigned in court at a later date.