Authorities Search for Suspect Allegedly Behind Collingswood Home Invasion and Fire

Camden City, N.J.(February 23, 2020)– – Investigators are searching for a man who reportedly broke into a Collingswood home, attacked one occupant and tied another victim up before setting the house on fire, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Collingswood Police Chief Kevin Carey.

Firefighters responded to a home on the 200 block of Crestmont Terrace just before 2:30 p.m. Feb. 23. After putting the fire out, firefighters found one victim suffering from injuries not caused by the fire.

After investigating, detectives learned a man allegedly broke in, attacked one victim and tied the other up while demanding money. He then set the house on fire before leaving, according to investigators.

One of the victims described the man as thin and darker-skinned with a short beard and dark hair wearing a yellow winter hat and a yellow and black zip-up sweatshirt.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Mike Batista at 856-676-8175 or Collingswood Police Sgt. William Lyons at 609-868-0266.

Tips may also be emailed to

ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org

Oaklyn Bank Robbed Today; Can You ID This Man?

Camden City, N.J. (February 22, 2020)–– A search is underway for a man who robbed the TD Bank on the 1100 block of White Horse Pike shortly before noon Feb. 22, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Oaklyn Police Chief Mark Moore.

Surveillance footage shows the man enter the parking lot in a white SUV before backing into a parking spot. Detectives said he entered the bank and waited in line before passing a note to the teller demanding money.

According to police, the man left in the same white SUV with an undisclosed amount of money.

He’s described as a black male last seen wearing acid-washed blue jeans, a black hoodie, dark brown jacket, red winter hat, white sneakers and black glasses carrying a black bag.

Anyone with information on his identity is asked to contact Oaklyn Police Detective Paul Mason at 856-739-6083 or Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Mike Batista at 856-676-8175.

Tips may also be emailed to

ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org

You\’re Invited: Rally for Progress 2020

BLACKWOOD, NJ–Congressman Donald Norcross is holding a rally to kick-off his 2020

campaign on February 29 at the Camden County College, Blackwood campus. The event is being held in the Papiano Gymnasium. Doors open at 1PM, event begins at 1:30PM. S

Special guests include NJ Governor Phil Murphy and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

\”Donald Trump says South Jersey is \”Trump Country\” – Let\’s prove him wrong\”, said Norcross.

Admission is free but RSVP is required – Click here!

Colorado/Las Vegas Drug Dealers Sentenced For Trafficking Heroin Seized in Secaucus Hotel

TRENTON

– Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a Colorado man was sentenced to prison today after being convicted at trial of trafficking 31 kilograms of heroin seized from his hotel

room in Secaucus by the New Jersey State Police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Anthony R. Koon, 58, of Pueblo, Colo., was sentenced today to 10 years in state prison, including over three years of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Arre in Hudson County. Koon was found guilty on June 25, 2019, by a Hudson County jury of charges of first-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute, second-degree conspiracy, and third-degree possession of heroin. Koon’s state sentence will be consecutive to a nine-year federal prison sentence Koon is currently serving as the result of a drug conviction in U.S. District Court in Illinois.

Koon’s co-defendant, Alan A. Alderman, 74, of Las Vegas, Nev., was sentenced on Dec. 13, 2019 to five years in state prison by Judge Arre. Alderman was tried with Koon in June, but the jury in that trial was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on Alderman. Alderman was retried and was found guilty on Oct. 10, 2019 of second-degree conspiracy to distribute heroin and third-degree possession of heroin.

Deputy Attorneys General Omari Reid and Heather Hausleben tried Koon for the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau. DAG Reid and Deputy Attorney General Amy Sieminski tried Alderman in October. DAG Reid handled the sentencing hearing today for Koon. The trial teams were assisted by Deputy Attorney General Sarah Brigham of the DCJ Appellate Bureau. The men were indicted in an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Violent & Organized Crime Control Bureau Trafficking North Unit and DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Group T-42. The New York Drug Enforcement Task Force comprises agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police.

“The 31 kilograms of heroin seized in this case represent tens of thousands of doses of heroin that would have fueled addiction, misery and death if the DEA Task Force and New Jersey State Police had not interceded,” said Attorney General Grewal. “I commend the prosecutors in our Division of Criminal Justice who secured these verdicts and prison sentences, as well as all of the members of law enforcement who investigated. We are fighting the opioid epidemic on all fronts in New Jersey, expanding prevention and treatment strategies while aggressively prosecuting criminals like Koon and Alderman who traffic opioids into our communities.”

“We will continue to work with the New Jersey State Police, DEA, and our other law enforcement partners to target the major suppliers of opioids who are ruthlessly profiting from addiction in New Jersey,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Interstate drug trafficking demands an interstate response, and this collaborative, multi-jurisdictional investigation is a great example of how we target this type of criminal organization.”

“The fact that troopers and detectives were able to prevent such a massive quantity of heroin from hitting the streets is a victory in and of itself, because somewhere among the thousands of doses seized was one that would claim a life or send another spiraling out of control, consumed by addiction,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police. “We are committed to combating the opioid epidemic through collaborative investigations and by continuing to focus our efforts on prevention through education.”

“Drug trafficking investigations have uncovered numerous means and methods used by criminal organizations to transport illicit drugs into our communities and homes,” said Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan of the DEA New York Division. “This sentencing is the final step in bringing to justice two traffickers responsible for delivering 31kilograms of heroin into our backyard. I applaud our partners in the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General for their dogged efforts in this investigation.”

New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett said, “As a result of interagency coordination and commitment among our law enforcement partners, two dangerous drug traffickers have been brought to justice. Heroin and other drugs perpetuate a cycle of addiction and criminal behavior which in turn threatens the safety and security of our neighborhoods. I want to thank our members and law enforcement partners for their tenacious dedication to tracking illegal drugs and intercepting them at their source before they can be distributed on our streets.”

The defendants were arrested on Feb. 1, 2016, after NYDETF Group T-42 developed information that a gold-colored Mercedes Benz linked to a large-scale narcotics trafficking organization had traveled from New York to a hotel in Secaucus, N.J. NYDETF Group T-42 enlisted the New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit to assist them in the investigation. The joint investigation revealed that several members of the narcotics network had traveled to Secaucus that day to meet and exchange heroin.

Initially, two men were stopped in a minivan after they left the parking lot of the hotel, where they were seen meeting with the occupant or occupants of the gold Mercedes. Those men, Oscar R. Felix, 42, of Menifee, Calif., and John M. Ulloa, 38, of Bronx, N.Y., were linked through further investigation to Alderman, who was determined to be staying at the hotel. Alderman and Koon, who was staying with Alderman, were arrested inside the hotel, where investigators discovered two gym bags secured with locks in a closet of their hotel room. Investigators executed a search warrant for the hotel room the following day and discovered 31 kilograms of heroin in the gym bags. They also found $14,300 in U.S. currency wrapped in black electrical tape when they executed a search warrant for Koon’s Jeep.

Felix and Ulloa pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to distribute heroin and each man was sentenced on Dec. 11, 2017 to six years in state prison.

Defense Attorneys:

For Koon

: Michael R. Shulman, Esq., Jersey City, N.J.

For Alderman:

Assistant Deputy Public Defender Andre Vitale, Hudson County.

Route 42 northbound lane closures required as Bridges over Timber Creek project advances

(Trenton)

– New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced overnight lane closures on Route 42 northbound as the Bridges over Timber Creek and Lower Landing Road project advances in Gloucester, Camden County and Deptford, Gloucester County.

Beginning at 10:30 p.m., tonight, Friday, February 21, NJDOT’s contractor, Richard E. Pierson Construction Company, is scheduled to close the left and center lanes on Route 42 northbound in the vicinity of the bridges and shift traffic into the right lane to install construction barrier to prepare for a traffic shift. One lane of northbound traffic will be maintained.

By 5:30 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, February 22, all three lanes on Route 42 northbound will reopen. The left lane of Route 42 northbound will cross into the median and return to the mainline beyond the staged work area. This configuration will remain in place until summer 2020.

The $9.6 million federally-funded project, which began in September 2017, will demolish and replace the two bridge deck spans on the Route 42 Bridges over Timber Creek and Lower Landing Road and make repairs to the piers and abutments. The project has been designed in stages with the bridge deck replaced one side at a time to reduce the impact to motorists. Work is anticipated to be complete in fall 2020.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website

www.511nj.org

for construction updates and real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter

@NJDOT_info

or on the

NJDOT Facebook page

I-295 southbound/Al-Jo’s Curve to Route 42 southbound/ Closed Tonight and Saturday

Signed detour will be in place overnight

(Trenton)

– New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced an overnight closure of the I-295 southbound ramp to Route 42 southbound and I-295 southbound as the Direct Connection project advances in Bellmawr, Camden County.

Beginning at 10 p.m. tonight, Friday, February 21, until 8 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, February 22, NJDOT’s contractor, South State, Inc., will close the I-295 southbound ramp to Route 42 southbound and I-295 southbound, also known as Al-Jo’s Curve, to replace damaged construction barrier. All motorists traveling on I-295 southbound will be directed to stay left onto Exit 26. The following detour will be in place overnight:

I-295 southbound to Route 42 southbound/I-295 southbound detour:

Motorists traveling on I-295 southbound to Route 42 southbound will be directed to exit left at Exit 26/I-76 westbound

Take I-76 westbound to Exit 2/I-676 northbound

Take I-676 northbound to Exit 1/Collings Avenue

Turn right onto Collings Avenue

Turn left onto I-676 southbound which becomes I-76 eastbound

Take I-76 eastbound to Exit 1A/I-295 southbound

The work is part of the $900 million Direct Connection project that will provide a seamless route for I-295 motorists traveling through the interchange of I-295, I-76, and Route 42. The Direct Connection project has been divided into four separate construction contracts, with completion of the fourth and final contract expected in the fall of 2024. NJDOT\’s project website provides

construction activity schedules and updates

Portable variable message signs are being utilized to provide advance notification to the public of all traffic pattern changes associated with the work. The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website

www.511nj.org

for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter

@NJDOT_info

Montclair State Men Over Scarlet Raptors 75-72

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. (Feb. 19, 2020) – The Montclair State University men’s basketball team rallied from an early 19-3 deficit and went on to outlast Rutgers University-Camden, 75-72, in a thrilling New Jersey Athletic Conference game that was the final

contest of the season for both programs.

Despite their comeback win, the Red Hawks missed the six-team NJAC playoffs, finishing one game behind the three-way tie for seeds 4-6 between Rutgers-Newark, New Jersey City and Rowan, a trio of 10-8 teams. Montclair State finished 9-9 in the NJAC and 11-14 overall.

Rutgers-Camden closed its season with a 7-18 record and a 4-14 mark in the NJAC.

Montclair State leads the all-time series, 56-11, and has won 13 of its last 15 games against Rutgers-Camden, although the teams split their season series this year.

After the two teams split the first six points of the game, Rutgers-Camden rattled off 16 unanswered points, including 12 by junior guard

Arian Azemi.

Senior forward

Isaac Destin

added the other four points in the run as the Raptors took a 19-3 lead. By halftime, the Scarlet Raptors held a 48-34 lead, led by 21 points from Azemi and 16 from Destin.

Playing a must-win game, while hoping for outside help to make the playoffs, Montclair State came out with a purpose in the second half. After a layup by Destin gave the Raptors a 50-34 lead, the Red Hawks rattled off 17 straight points, including a pair of foul shots by senior forward/center Eddie Emedoh, to take a 51-50 lead.

The Scarlet Raptors regained the lead on a layup by junior guard

Keysean Simmonds,

setting the stage for a wild final 15 minutes, which featured five lead changes and five ties. With 4:49 remaining, a layup by Azemi gave the Scarlet Raptors their final lead, 66-65. Montclair State took the lead for good moments later on a three-pointer by junior forward Joseph Radi, making it a 68-66 game.

The Red Hawks’ lead fluctuated from 2-5 points the rest of the way. In the final minute, Montclair State held a 75-70 lead before the Raptors’ freshman forward

Dylan Trow

hit a late layup to make it a 75-72 game. After a turnover, the Raptors had one last chance to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, but missed a pair of treys.

Senior forward Jalen Parham finished with 17 points to lead three Red Hawks in double figures. Radi scored 16, and added a team-high nine rebounds, while senior guard Nate Nahirny tallied 14 points.

Azemi scored a game-high 27 points, while Destin finished with his 10th double-double of the season, scoring 26 points and adding 10 rebounds. Azemi also had a game-high six assists, while tying Montclair State junior guard Tim Algenio for game-high honors with four steals.

The Red Hawks shot 29-for-60 from the floor (48.3 percent), while the Raptors were 27-for-52 (51.9). Rutgers-Camden held a 34-32 edge off the boards, but also made two more turnovers (23-21).

Destin’s 26 points helped him edge past Cetshwayo Byrd (1,300 points from 1990-94) and finish in sixth place on the program’s career list with 1,302 points. He also finished fifth in career rebounds (604) and third in blocks (68).

Isaac Destin and Azemi finished 1-2 on the team in scoring with averages of 20.0 and 18.8, respectively. Azemi also set the program’s single-season record for steals with 81.

Big first half sparks MSU women past Raptors in season finale

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. (Feb. 19, 2020) – Freshman guard Nickie Carter scored 22 of her 32 points in the opening half as the Montclair State University women’s basketball team opened up a 20-point halftime lead and the Red Hawks went on to defeat Rutgers

University-Camden, 74-59, in the final regular-season game for both New Jersey Athletic Conference teams here Wednesday night.

Montclair State earned a first-round bye in the NJAC playoffs, which start Saturday, and will take a 20-5 overall record into the conference semifinals next week. The Red Hawks finished their regular season with a 15-3 NJAC record, earning the second seed in the six-team NJAC playoffs.

Rutgers-Camden closed its season at 12-13 overall and 5-13 in the NJAC.

MSU, which heads into the post-season having won 15 of its last 16 games, is 46-17 in its all-time series against the Scarlet Raptors. The Red Hawks have won 26 of their last 28 games against Rutgers-Camden.

Carter was on fire in the first half, shooting 8-for-11 from the floor, including 4-for-5 from three-point range, as her 22 points helped Montclair State take a 49-29 lead at the break. Junior guard Taylor Brown added 11 first-half points for MSU. Freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

notched 11 points in the first half for Rutgers-Camden, while senior guard

Fatimah Williams

added 10.

Rutgers-Camden opened up an early 13-7 lead, sparked by six points from Williams and five from junior guard

Shane Holmes,

but Montclair State answered with 15 straight points to take the lead for good. That run included 11 points from Brown, including three consecutive three-pointers, the first of which gave the Red Hawks the lead at 14-13. It was their first lead since opening the game with the first five points, and it was the last lead change of the night.

Montclair State led by as many as 26 points (55-29) in the second half.

Carter finished with 12-for-20 shooting from the floor, including 6-for-9 from three-point range, on her way to 32 points. Junior forward Kayla Bush added 15 points and nine rebounds for MSU, while Brown finished with 11 points. Senior guard Cerys MacLelland had game highs of 11 rebounds and four assists, while Bush notched a game-high four steals.

Williams caught fire in the second half to finish with 34 points as she finished her stellar career with 1,240 points, tying Ta-Wanda Preston (1989-92) for sixth place on the program’s career scoring list. She finished the season with 508 points, becoming only the 10th player in program history to score over 500 points in one season. Her 20.3 scoring average for the season was the 10th-highest single-season mark in program history.

Williams also had team-high totals of nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three steals.

Pitts finished with 11 points for the Scarlet Raptors, capping her stellar rookie season with an even 11.0 scoring average, second on the team to Williams. Pitts also led the Scarlet Raptors in rebounding during the season with an average of 7.5 per game.

Moody\’s Investor Service Upgrades DRPA Bonds

DRPA’s solid metrics in recent fiscal years and management’s tight control over costs boost credit rating

“DRPA has focused over the last few years on improving governance and management practices,

focusing on core operations and successfully eliminating outstanding variable debt and swaps from its debt profile at the end of 2018. Some of the more recent management initiatives include the upgrade of SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System to SAP HANA, the development of an asset management system and improved focus on maintenance, and the creation of a new department focused on strategic initiatives.”

-Moody\’s Investor Service

On February 4, Moody’s Investor Service (Moody’s) upgraded all of the DRPA revenue and port district project (PDP) bonds from A2 to A1. The Authority is extremely proud and excited about this recognition, as this is another important external validation of all the hard work performed by our

Board

, our staff, and our

Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC)

who have worked with the community and other stakeholders over the past decade to improve our finances. We’ve contained costs, restructured our debt and eliminated our swap exposure, invested in maintenance and capital projects, and more recently, in technology to support our strategic vision and mission. As a result, the Authority is at its strongest level in over 20 years.

Our financial fundamentals and results are very strong – and they have been for several years. What’s different this time is Moody’s view of DRPA/PATCO management, including the Board and staff. Under the heading Management and Governance, the Moody’s credit report states:

In addition, Moody’s cited the following strengths supporting the rationale for the upgrade, including:

Very strong liquidity; good cost control;

Solid historical financial metrics;

A manageable

5-year capital program ($810 million)

;

No plan for toll increases or any new bond debt in the immediate future; and

Positive changes in our debt structure, especially the elimination of variable rate debt and the interest rate swaps (December 2018).

While Moody’s did cite some specific “credit challenges,” we are confident our strategic focus will help us to maintain these new ratings. We believe that including the “Days Cash Outstanding” metric in the financial summary reported monthly to the Board (as suggested by the Board) will be important in our approach to monitoring and responding to the credit challenges.

The collaboration among our Board, staff and the CAC has been instrumental in our achieving this important milestone in our journey toward financial and operational excellence.