Two North Jersey Residents Sentenced To Prison For Phony Debt Elimination Scheme

NEWARK, N.J. – Two New Jersey men were today sentenced to prison terms for their respective roles in using phony monetary instruments to obtain luxury vehicles and other high value items; one of the defendants was additionally convicted of bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Germaine Howard King, a/k/a “Germaine Howard,” 47, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, and Daniel D. Dxrams, currently known as “Daniel Kusi,” formerly known as “Danny D. Dxrams,” 41, of Maplewood, New Jersey, was sentenced to 57 months in prison. U.S. District Judge John Michael Vasquez imposed the sentences today in Newark federal court.

King was convicted for his role in a scheme to defraud banks and other lenders using phony money orders to fraudulently discharge a $400,000 mortgage, to fraudulently obtain two Mercedes Benz (one 2007 and one 2010) cars, and to pay off credit card bills. In addition, King was convicted of a scheme to use phony cashier’s checks to pay off his co-defendant’s five luxury cars.

Dxrams was convicted for his role in a scheme to fraudulently pay off a Rolls Royce, Bentley, and three Mercedes Benz cars (two 2015 cars and one 2016 car). In addition, Dxrams was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and making a false oath during a bankruptcy proceeding.

Two co-defendant were sentenced by Judge Vasquez on Dec. 18, 2019: Melissa Reynolds, 43, of Elizabeth, who previously pleaded guilty to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud affecting financial institutions, and bank fraud, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, five years of supervised release, restitution of $587,081 and forfeiture of $548,242; Arthur N. Martin 3rd was sentenced to time served (one day), three years of supervised release and fined $12,000.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

King conspired with Reynolds to make fraudulent money orders on their home computers. They mailed these phony money orders to a credit union in an effort to fraudulently pay off their two Mercedes Benz cars. Although the credit union rejected both bogus money orders, King and Reynolds mailed correspondences to the credit union falsely claiming that the debt was satisfied. They then stopped paying their car loans, and King kept the car. King and Reynolds mailed a fraudulent money order in the amount of $432,000 to a financial institution to pay off their mortgage. The financial institution erroneously accepted the fraudulent payment and credited it as a payoff for the mortgage. When the financial institution filed a suit seeking to reinstate the fraudulently discharged mortgage, King and Reynolds continued to allege in court that the mortgage had been paid and submitted a phony receipt for the bogus money order. King also made and mailed fraudulent money orders in an attempt to pay off his credit card bills.

Dxrams, King, and Reynolds conspired to fraudulently pay off Dxrams’ five luxury cars. They sent a bogus $101,000 cashier’s check to a finance company that enabled Dxrams to obtain a 2012 Bentley for free. Dxrams sold the car to a third party for approximately $82,000 and then issued a bank check to King for approximately $25,000. The defendants also used this scheme in an effort to fraudulently obtain three Mercedes-Benz cars and a Rolls Royce.

Dxrams was also convicted of bankruptcy fraud and making a false oath before the bankruptcy court. In December 2017, Dxrams filed a bankruptcy petition under penalty of perjury. He falsely concealed his ownership of a car rental business and the gross receipts he earned through this car rental business, his sale of the Bentley, his receipt of money from a personal injury lawsuit, his ownership of firearms, and his marital status, among other things. In January 2018, Dxrams appeared before the bankruptcy trustee and, after being placed under oath, made false statements concerning his bankruptcy petition and his sale of the Bentley.

In addition to the prison terms, Judge Vasquez sentenced King to five years of supervised release and restitution of $597,781. Dxrams was sentenced to three years of supervised release, restitution of $93,236 and forfeiture of $82,000.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; the N.J. Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, under the direction of Director Jared Maples; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Debbi Mayer; and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi with the investigation leading to the convictions.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lakshmi Srinivasan Herman, of the National Security Unit, in Newark.

Defense counsel:

King: Pro Se

Dxrams: Michael Orozco Esq., Woodland Park, New Jersey

Reynolds: Robert J. Degroot Esq., and Oleg Nekritin Esq., Newark

New Jersey and Pennsylvania continue to dominate the sports betting market

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 9, 2020)–A year and a half ago, the US Senate decided to legalize online sports betting at a national level. It was a decision that shook the global betting industry – the world\’s largest market had just opened the floodgates… or so it seemed.

What followed has been a protracted, confusing state-by-state process that has left all of US\’ states at different stages of the legalization process. The federal setup in the US has led to a patchwork effect across the country with each state deciding on whether or not to allow sports betting as well as setting their unique restrictions, fees and tax rates.

At the time of writing, there are two frontrunners in this current situation; New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It was the former that set the standards early on by creating an attractive environment for sportsbooks and customers alike. Low tax rates and an easy licensing setup which involved partnering with existing casinos meant that sportsbooks flooded into the Garden state. The most crucial decision may have been to allow full and unrestricted access online. This decision stood in stark contrast to Nevada, which requires an in-person sign-up deposit and withdrawal. Many expect the Garden State to overtake Nevada in gambling revenue soon. You can now enjoy the largest selection of

sportsbooks in New Jersey

Pennsylvania took a little longer to get off the ground. The 36% tax rate, and license fee of $10 million, proved an initial stumbling block for sportsbooks. However, the lure of 13 million potential customers soon attracted the likes of Sugarhouse and eventually Fanduel, DraftKings and other followed suit. It expected that the number of

PA sportsbooks in 2020

would grow to compete with NJ.

Both states boast a vast number of sports teams which will have attracted sportsbooks. PA alone is home to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburg Pirates in the MLB; the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia Steelers in the NFL; the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburg Penguins as well as the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. NJ is home to the New York Jets and New York Giants in the NFL and the New Jersey Devils in the NHL.

The only state that could compete with both NJ and PA online in 2020 will be Indiana. There are currently only three IN sports books; FanDuel, DraftKings and BetRivers. It is expected that 2020 will be the year that Hoosier State begins to compete with NJ and PA.

NJ is expected to retain the crown for best state for sports betting in 2020. The gaming commission is considering to legalize esports, which could lead to even more growth. Currently, 80% of sports bets in NJ are placed via mobile betting, a trend that is set to continue as sports books continue to pump investment into their apps. New Jersians also love their basketball – in the first year, there were $200,000,000 more wagers placed on basketball than the second most popular – football.

Pennsylvania is still set to reach its full potential. There have been murmurs of a reduced tax on sports books setting up shop in the Keystone state. This would increase the state\’s competitiveness, especially concerning newcomers like Indiana and West Virginia.

images courtesy of unsplash.com

Gloucester Township Introduces Recycle Coach App

Gloucester Township, NJ – Gloucester Township is excited to introduce Recycle Coach, a user- friendly application designed to provide residents with important recycling information customized to their specific address. The app features a personalized garbage and recycling calendar, a database that explains what is and is NOT recyclable, as well as local disposal information for thousands of household items.

“As a community that is committed to recycling and sustainability, I am thrilled to announce that we now provide a resource that helps our residents recycle smarter,” says Mayor David R. Mayer. “Citizens are often unsure of exactly what can and cannot be put in their recycling carts, however, with Recycle Coach the answers will be right at their fingertips. It takes the speculation out of recycling allowing us to make more informed decisions about the disposal of household waste. For Gloucester Township, this can help increase recycling rates and decrease contamination in the community’s recycling stream.”

With Recycle Coach, residents can:

• Stay organized with the custom events calendar

• Receive collection reminders and real-time updates on service disruptions

• Become recycling experts with a comprehensive “What Goes Where?” search tool, including local disposal information and collection requirements for common and uncommon items

• Take the “What Type of Recycler Are You?” quiz for useful recycling tips and tricks

• Use the problem-reporting tool, equipped with geolocation, to notify municipal customer services about issues like missed collections

Residents will have access to Recycle Coach from their desktop computers, mobile devices, or through digital assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

Become a better recycler today by downloading the Recycle Coach app for FREE from the App Store or Google Play.

Paterson Police Sergeant Arrested for Conspiracy Charges and Filing a False Police Report

NEWARK, N.J. – A sergeant with the Paterson Police Department was arrested today and charged with conspiring to violate the civil rights of an individual in Paterson and with falsifying a corresponding police report, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Police Officer Michael Cheff, 49, of Paterson, was arrested by the FBI this morning and charged by complaint with conspiring to deprive an individual of civil rights under color of law and with falsifying a police report. Cheff is scheduled to have his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this and other cases and statements made in court:

Certain Paterson police officers stopped and searched motor vehicles, without any justification, and stole cash and other items from the occupants of the motor vehicles. These officers also illegally stopped and searched individuals in buildings or on the streets of Paterson and seized cash from them. Cheff routinely received a portion of these stolen monies from some of these officers and signed off on corresponding false police reports about the underlying incidents. In 2016, Cheff told one of the officers to start “tagging,” or logging into evidence, some of the money that the officer was stealing, because effecting narcotics arrests without logging money into evidence would otherwise raise questions.

On Nov. 14, 2017, three officers stopped and arrested an individual and one of the officers stole a few hundred dollars from that individual. The officers then went to the individual’s apartment, and Cheff joined them. One officer stayed behind to guard the arrested individual, who was handcuffed in a police car, while the others, including Cheff, obtained consent to search the apartment by lying to the individual’s mother.

Cheff and the other two officers then searched the individual’s room. Cheff located a safe inside a closet in the room and took money and narcotics from the safe. He handed a small portion of the money to one of the officers and told the officer to log it into evidence. Cheff put the rest of the money in his pocket. At the Paterson police station, in a bathroom, Cheff gave the officer who had stayed behind to guard the individual a portion of the stolen money and gave a portion of the stolen money to one of the officers who had searched the apartment with him.

Cheff also approved a police report that falsely stated that the officers had recovered $319 from a shelf in the individual’s room. In fact, Cheff knew that he had stolen a substantial sum of money from a safe in the room.

Later that day, one of the officers sent text messages to another officer discussing Cheff’s theft of money. The officer said, among other things, that Cheff “got us for over a stack today,” that “there was a safe” and that Cheff “grabbed the cash.” According to the individual whose apartment was searched, the safe contained approximately $2,700, and all of it was missing after the search was completed.

The conspiracy to violate civil rights charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The false records charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum fine for each count is $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Troy Oswald, and the Paterson Police Department Office of Internal Affairs, for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Two Men Involved in Camden City Drug Trafficking Ring Plead Guilty

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. – Two members of a drug-trafficking organization today admitted their roles in distributing significant amounts of illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jameel Byng, 26, and Kaliel Johnson, 27, both of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to their roles in a conspiracy based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden and responsible for selling heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine. Byng pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and powder cocaine. Johnson pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin.

Nine other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, Naeem Sadler, and Jasmin Velez – previously have pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against eight other defendants in this case remain pending.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the drug-trafficking organization in which Byng and Johnson participated.

The count to which Byng pleaded guilty carries a mandatory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. The count to which Johnson pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

The charges and allegations against the other defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defense counsel:

Byng: Tamika McKoy Esq., Camden

Johnson: Edward F. Borden Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey

National Inventors Hall of Fame Announces 2020 Inductees at CES

Honorees’ Contributions to Society Are Centerpiece of May Event

LAS VEGAS

—

Jan. 7, 2020

— Twenty-two innovation pioneers were announced today as the National Inventors Hall of Fame

(NIHF) 2020 class of Inductees on stage at CES

These innovators, whose landmark inventions range from the hard hat to the sports bra, will be celebrated as the newest class of Inductees during the NIHF Induction Ceremony. In partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), NIHF will honor these Inductees in Washington, D.C. on May 6-7 at one of the innovation industry’s most highly anticipated events — “The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation

.”

“My passion for science and creating led me to a career in engineering,” said 2020 Inductee Raffaello D’Andrea, a pioneer of mobile robotic material handling for order fulfillment, professor at ETH Zurich and founder of Verity. “It’s an honor to be recognized alongside Mick Mountz and Pete Wurman for our accomplishments at Kiva Systems.”

THE CLASS OF 2020

• R. Rox Anderson: Laser Dermatology

Anderson has improved lives across the world with his invention of laser dermatology treatments and procedures that are now commonly used to remove birthmarks, scars and other skin lesions.

• Sylvia Blankenship and Edward Sisler (Posthumous): 1-MCP for Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Freshness

Blankenship and Sisler invented 1-MCP, a compound that has become essential in preventing food waste, and increasing accessibility to fresh fruits, vegetables and cut flowers.

• Dana Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li and Pushkar Tandon: Bend-Insensitive Optical Fiber

Bookbinder, Li and Tandon invented the bend-insensitive ClearCurve

optical fiber. Because it can bend without significant signal loss, ClearCurve optical fiber has reached locations previously inaccessible to optical fiber and advanced data transmission across an array of industries.

• Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller and Polly Smith: Sports Bra

Lindahl, Miller and Smith invented the sports bra, a revolutionary garment that has enabled women’s participation in athletic activities and advanced women’s health and well-being.

• James McEwen: Automatic Surgical Tourniquet

McEwen invented the first microprocessor-controlled automatic surgical tourniquet system, and his innovations ensure safer outcomes in nearly 20,000 surgeries across the world each day.

• Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman and Raffaello D’Andrea: Mobile Robotic Material Handling for Order Fulfillment

Mountz, Wurman and D’Andrea invented the Kiva system, a revolutionary warehouse order fulfillment system that uses mobile robots and control software to bring inventory shelves to workers, dramatically improving all aspects of fulfillment operations.

• Margaret Wu: Synthetic Lubricants

Wu advanced the field of synthetic lubricants, and she has revolutionized the way both automotive and industrial lubricants are designed and synthesized.

• James Abercrombie and Harry Cameron: Blowout Preventer (BOP); (Posthumous)

Abercrombie and Cameron invented the world’s first reliable blowout preventer (BOP) to successfully contain catastrophic blowouts from oil and natural gas wells. This mechanism allowed operators to close wells, control pressure during drilling operations, protect the environment and save lives.

• Stewart Adams and John Nicholson: Ibuprofen (Posthumous)

Adams and Nicholson co-developed ibuprofen, which is used worldwide to safely and effectively treat pain, fever and inflammation related to conditions from headaches to arthritis.

• Evelyn Berezin: Computer Systems for Business Use (Posthumous)

An expert in logic design and data transmission, Berezin invented a computer reservations system for airlines and founded a company that developed the first computerized standalone word processor for business use.

• Edward W. Bullard: Hard Hat (Posthumous)

Bullard invented the hard hat, the first commercially available industrial head protection device. Originally designed for miners, hard hats are now used by millions of people in an array of industries.

•

Floyd Smith: Modern Parachute (Posthumous)

Smith invented the modern parachute. A trapeze artist turned aviator, Smith’s invention led to the creation of the parachute industry and provided safe landings across the world, saving countless lives.

•

Frank Zybach: Center-Pivot Irrigation (Posthumous)

Zybach invented the center-pivot irrigation technology that has revolutionized agricultural production not only in America’s heartland but throughout the world.

For full biographies of each Inductee, visit

https://www.invent.org/inductees/new-inductees

THE CELEBRATION

The class of 2020 will be honored at “The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation,” a two-day event held in our nation\’s capital. Danica McKellar — star of the TV show “The Wonder Years,” Hallmark Channel regular, and author of New York Times bestselling McKellar Math books — will serve as master of ceremonies.

• May 6 – Illumination Ceremony at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum

at the USPTO Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, where new Inductees will place their names on illuminated hexagonsin the museum’s Gallery of Icons

™

• May 7 – The 48

Annual National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

will be held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., where the new Inductee class will be honored for its contributions to society during an evening event including a black-tie dinner, ceremony and after party. To learn more about the event, visit

https://www.invent.org/induction

“Innovation is the foundation for everything we do at the National Inventors Hall of Fame,” said NIHF CEO Michael Oister. “Our class of 2020 — and their world-changing inventions as diverse as ibuprofen, optical fiber, the word processor and the parachute — will be incorporated into our Innovation Ecosystem and our leading children’s STEM programs such as Camp Invention.”

The 2020 National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is sponsored by the USPTO, Qualcomm, AgroFresh, Corning, North Carolina State University and Red Point Digital.

About the National Inventors Hall of Fame

The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is the premier nonprofit organization in America dedicated to recognizing inventors and invention, promoting creativity, and advancing the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. Founded in 1973 in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, NIHF is committed to not only honoring the individuals whose inventions have made the world a better place, but to ensuring American ingenuity continues to thrive in the hands of coming generations through its national, hands-on educational programming and collegiate competitions focused on the exploration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Explore the NIHF Museum

digitally

in Google Arts & Culture’s “Once Upon a Try” project

For more information, visit

invent.org

To nominate an inventor for Induction, visit

invent.org/nominate

Randolph Inspection Station Temporarily Closed January 13

(

TRENTON) – The Randolph Inspection Station will be temporarily closed on Monday, January 13, 2020, due to construction work being performed at the site. The station is expected to reopen the following day on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, but please check the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) website,

njmvc.gov

, before heading to the Randolph station on Tuesday.

Alternative inspection stations that will be operational on Monday, January 13, 2020, include:

Washington

114 Route 31 North

(Enter on Pershing Avenue)

Washington, NJ 07882

Newton

90 Moran St.

Newton, NJ 07860

Wayne

481 Route 46 West

Wayne, New Jersey 07470

The MVC reminds customers to always check our website before visiting a local office and to take advantage of driver license renewal and other online services, such as vehicle registration renewals, driver abstract requests, and surcharge and restoration payments.

For more about the ongoing positive changes at the MVC, visit

njmvc.gov

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Visit us at

.njmvc.gov

New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer

EPA at 50: Progress for a Stronger Future

WASHINGTON

(January 06, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its 50

anniversary theme, “EPA at 50: Progress for a Stronger Future.”

“For fifty years, EPA employees and our many partners have worked together to fulfill the agency’s mission to protect human health and the environment. Today, Americans enjoy cleaner land, air and water than ever before,”

said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.

“I look forward to celebrating the agency’s accomplishments throughout the year, and I hope that we can inspire the next generation of environmental leaders to continue building on our progress for the next 50 years.”

Throughout 2020, EPA will commemorate the agency’s many achievements and continued progress, culminating in a 50th Anniversary celebration on Dec. 2, 2020. During the month of January, EPA will be highlighting the agency’s efforts to create a cleaner, healthier environment for all Americans. Since 1970, EPA has made significant progress in protecting the nation’s water, cleaning up our air and land, and safeguarding human health. Historic milestones include setting the nation’s air quality standards to protect human health, regulating the quality of public drinking water, creating the Superfund program to clean up hazardous waste sites, and protecting children from exposure to lead-based paint, to name a few.

EPA was established on Dec. 2, 1970, to consolidate into one agency a variety of federal environmental responsibilities including research, monitoring, standard setting, and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection while simultaneously safeguarding human health. The agency’s first administrator, the late William Ruckelshaus, took the oath of office on Dec. 4, 1970.

For more on EPA’s 50

anniversary, visit:

www.epa.gov/50

Follow EPA’s 50th Anniversary celebration on social media using

#EPAat50

Camden Resident Charged with Fatal November Shooting

CAMDEN CITY NJ (January 10, 2020)-Wednesday, January 8, 2020, Jamil Beatty, 30, of Camden City, NJ, was charged in connection with the fatal shooting of William McWhorter. Beatty was charged with first-degree Murder, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Camden County Police Chief Joseph

Wysocki.

On November 29, 2019, the Camden County Police Department responded to reports of a man who appeared to have been shot on the 700 block of Tulip Street at approximately 3:27 p.m. When officers arrived, they located the victim, William McWhorter, 46, of Philadelphia, lying on the ground suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.

Jamil Beatty was arrested on January 8, 2020, at his home in Camden and remanded to the Camden County Jail pending a pretrial detention hearing.

All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Released Friday, January 10, 2020.

NJ\’s GDP Growth Jumps in Third Quarter

New Jersey\’s real GDP growth made a major turnaround in the third quarter of 2019, expanding 2.3% from Q2, according to data released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

According to NJBIA Director of Economic Policy Research Nicole Sandelier, New Jersey\’s growth rate led the region in Q3 after falling behind the area\’s seven states over the first half of 2019. However, New Jersey\’s average growth of 1.6% in the first three quarters of 2019 is less than the national average of 2.4% for the first three quarters of 2019.

See NJBIA\’s updated infographic

here

New Jersey\’s 2.3% growth in real GDP beat the national average of 2.1% and was tied with several other states for the 15th highest growth rate in the nation.

\”This is good news for the state\’s economy,\” Sandelier said. \”After two quarters of lackluster growth, this jump in economic output will help put New Jersey back in the middle of the pack for the year.\”

Fourth quarter GDP growth statistics are scheduled to be released on April 7.

\”The numbers indicate New Jersey businesses are still able to innovate and overcome the challenges of operating in a high-cost state,\” Sandelier said.

Looking at the region, Delaware experienced the largest percentage change in real GDP in Q1 2019, but experienced no growth in Q3. New York\’s GDP also contracted, registering 0.5% growth in Q3, down from 3.8% growth in Q1. Massachusetts, where the total GDP historically has been lower than in New Jersey, produced 2.2% growth in real GDP. The Bay State now has a total GDP that is comparable with the Garden State\’s.

\”Robust economic growth can help New Jersey\’s finances in the short term, which is important when you consider that New Jersey\’s

state expenses and debt are outpacing revenues

,\” Sandelier said.

According to the BEA, real GDP increased in 49 states and the District of Columbia in the third quarter of 2019. The percentage change in real GDP in the third quarter ranged from 4% in Texas to 0% in Delaware.

Nondurable goods manufacturing; retail trade; and professional, scientific, and technical services were the leading contributors to the increase in real GDP nationally.

· Nondurable goods manufacturing increased 10.1% for the nation and contributed to growth in all 50 states. This industry was the leading contributor to growth in Texas, the fastest growing state.

· Retail trade increased 8.2% for the nation and contributed to growth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

· Professional, scientific, and technical services increased 5.6% for the nation and contributed to growth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

In contrast, finance and insurance decreased 5.3% for the nation, subtracting from growth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This industry was the leading contributor to slow growth in New York and in Delaware – the slowest growing state.