Category: CNB CRIME

DNREC Fish & Wildlife Police Blotter: Dec. 30 – Jan. 5

Reminder for the week: Hunting guides require guide license

DOVER (Jan. 10, 2020) – To achieve public compliance with laws and regulations through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Dec. 30 – Jan. 5 made 1,169 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 23 citations. Officers responded to 48 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. A Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

On Jan. 4, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers arrested Zachary Dittmar, 35, of Felton, for one count each of hunting antlered deer during closed shotgun season, failure to purchase a hunter choice tag prior to killing an antlered deer, failure to tag antlered deer, and failure to consume or utilize game animal near Harrington. Dittmar was arraigned through Kent County Justice of the Peace Court 7 and released on his own recognizance, pending a future court appearance.

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Wildlife Conservation:

Hunting antlered deer during closed shotgun season (1), failure to purchase a hunter choice tag prior to killing an antlered deer (1), failure to tag antlered deer (1), failure to consume or utilize game animal (1), failure to check antlerless deer within 24 hours (1), removing antlerless deer parts prior to checking (1), failure to tag antlerless deer (1), failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season (1), providing hunting guide services without a guide license (1), trespass to hunt (1), and hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number (1).

Boating & Boating Safety:

No fire extinguisher on board (1).

Public Safety:

Operating a motor vehicle without proof of insurance (1), and possession of marijuana – civil (1).

Other:

Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (4), trespassing after hours on a state forest (1), license forgery (1), operating an unregistered motor vehicle (1), andoperating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area (2).

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The Public are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or through the DENRP Tip app on a smartphone, which can be downloaded free of charge by searching “DENRP Tip” via the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to

http://de.gov/ogt

, or using the DENRP Tip app. Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?

All individuals receiving a monetary fee or other compensation for providing personal hunting guide services to hunters are required to have a Delaware hunting guide license. Hunting guide license holders must be 18 years of age or older. Persons acquiring a hunting guide license must not have been convicted of any wildlife or fisheries violations within the last three years prior to applying for the license.

All persons possessing a Delaware hunting guide license are required to complete and submit an annual report to the Division within seven days after the close of the hunting season to include the following information, which must be readily available for inspection by Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers: full name of each hunter; address of each hunter in the party; hunting license number for each hunter; date, number, and species of each animal harvested; location of hunts; and the name and license number of the guide. The guide must retain hunting field records for three years.

ETC Northeast Pipeline has been Issued a $30.6 Million Fine

By Dave Fidlin |

The Center Square

Jan, 2020

ETC Northeast Pipeline has been issued a $30.6 million fine for an explosion and fire that occurred nearly 16 months ago and resulted in widespread damage and contamination in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced that it was issuing the civic penalty as part of an agreement with ETC that will give the operator the ability to resume work and correct unlawful conduct.

The fine, described by state DEP officials as “historic” because of its sizable monetary amount, is linked to an incident that occurred Sept. 10, 2018, in Center Township in Beaver County. A landslide along ETC’s Revolution Pipeline resulted in portions of the pipeline separating, which caused gas to escape the infrastructure.

On the day of the incident, the gas ultimately ignited, which resulted in a fire that burned multiple acres of forested areas.

A single-family home, a barn and numerous vehicles within the impacted area were destroyed. Six high-voltage electric transmission towers also collapsed. There were no injuries or deaths reported from the incident.

In a statement, Patrick McDonnell, secretary of the state DEP, said the amount of the fine was reflective of ETC’s failure to comply with the agency’s regulations and lack of adequately monitoring the Revolution Pipeline while it was under construction.

“DEP is committed to holding permittees accountable for permit compliance and will continue to provide active and stringent oversight over the construction of their projects,” McDonnell said in the statement. “Permittees are obligated to ensure that their projects are constructed without incident and in full compliance with permits. If a permittee fails to do so, they will be held accountable.”

The state agency’s recent news release also revealed a subsequent investigation conducted after the pipeline fire and explosion revealed ETC had not stabilized the Revolution Pipeline in multiple areas during construction and “illegally impacted” streams and wetlands in its vicinity because of inadequate stormwater runoff.

ETC, an affiliate of Energy Transfer Partners, has agreed to a number of conditions moving forward, according to state environment officials, including a provision $28.6 million of the fine go toward funds devoted to clean water and a designated oil and gas program.

The earmarked funds, according to the DEP, will help fortify some of the state’s natural areas.

Officials with ETC have not issued a formal statement on the DEP’s ruling, and an attempt to reach Energy Transfer Partners for comment this week was unsuccessful.

Moving forward, DEP officials said they will be stringently monitoring ETC’s pipeline work to ensure terms and conditions in the agreement are satisfied.

“The conditions imposed by this agreement seek to ensure that ETC will get this right,” McDonell said in the statement. “Anything less is unacceptable.”

At least one organization, the Better Path Coalition, has gone on record in opposition to the DEP’s decision. The environmental advocacy group took aim at the ETC’s track record of monitoring compliance across the state.

“Pennsylvanians jaded by the Department of Environmental Protection’s poor track record for holding polluters to account will be unmoved by the agency’s historic fine on ETC,” according to the statement from Better Path Coalition. “Instead, they will shudder at the thought that the company will be able once again to get permits for its projects.”

published here with permission of The Center Squarei

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

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 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

Edgewater Park Man Indicted for Killing his Mother in her Home

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a 53-year-old man has been indicted for killing his mother inside of her residence at the Courtyard

Apartments in Edgewater Park last year.

Brian Templeton (photo) was indicted by a grand jury on charges of Murder (First Degree), Desecration of Human Remains (Second Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Third Degree), and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Fourth Degree).

The indictment was returned yesterday and signed by Prosecutor Coffina. An arraignment will be scheduled soon in Superior Court. Templeton is currently detained at the Burlington County Jail.

The investigation began on November 11, 2019, after an employee of the apartment complex asked police to check on 77-year-old Doris Templeton because she had not been seen nor heard from in more than two weeks.

The investigation revealed that on or about October 24, 2019, Templeton, who had been staying with his mother at her unit in the complex, killed Doris Templeton inside of her apartment, put her body into a chest and loaded it into the back of his car.

The body was discovered by investigators in the parking lot of Templeton’s employer on November 12, 2019.  An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.

Templeton will be prosecuted by BCPO Assistant Prosecutor Bob Van Gilst, supervisor of the BCPO Major Crimes Unit – Violent Crimes Section. The lead investigator is BCPO Detective Brian Miller.

An indictment is an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

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.

Marjorie Vedder, of Lincoln Park, NJ

On December 29, 2019. Age 77. Of Lincoln Park, NJ. Survived by her children, Stephen Vedder, Evan Vedder and his wife, Jodie and Marie Payne as well as her brother, Joseph Haggerty.

Funeral services will be private.

Condolences and Memories may be shared at www.mccannhealey.comunder the obituary of Marjorie Vedder. Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries through:

McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME, Gloucester City, NJ.

Ph: 856-456-1142.

Joshua Beatty, 32, of Camden City Shot and Killed

CAMDEN CITY, NJ (January 9, 2020)–Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Camden County Police Chief Joseph Wysocki reported a homicide that occurred in Camden on January 2, 2020.

The Camden County Police Department responded to a ShotSpotter activation in the area of the 800 block on South 7

th

Street in Camden, at approximately 6:44 p.m. On arrival, officers found the victim, Joshua Beatty, 32, of Camden, lying on the ground suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Joshua Beatty was taken to Cooper University Hospital where he was treated until he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on January 5, 2020, at approximately 12:12 p.m.

The Camden County Medical Examiner ruled Joshua Beatty’s manner of death as homicide on January 8, 2019.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. As such, no further information is being released at this time. No arrests have been made yet.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Kevin Courtney at (856) 225-8632 or Camden County Police Detective Shawn Donlon at (856) 757-7042.

Information may also be emailed to

ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org

New Jersey Department of Health Continues Efforts to Combat Overdose Epidemic

The Department of Health continues to implement initiatives to help reverse the tide of the opioid epidemic in the state.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

“Eight lives are lost each day to the overdose epidemic in New Jersey,” said Acting Health Commissioner Judith M. Persichilli. “We are committed to linking all those in need to treatment and services by engaging healthcare providers, harm reduction centers, local health officials and emergency care providers in the fight to save lives.”

The Department of Health is expanding its

“5 Minutes to Help”

training course for Emergency Medical Services staff to improve connections to care for non-fatal overdose victims. This program has already trained 75 first responders so they can effectively provide patients with information on recovery resources.   Last week, the Department launched an online introduction course for EMS and law enforcement partners and will hold several in person trainings this year. First responders are on the front lines of this public health challenge, saving lives and serving as the first link to treatment and services. In 2019, EMS administered nearly 10,000 doses of naloxone.

The Department is also increasing access to naloxone.  The Department’s Naloxone Standing Orders program allow pharmacists to dispense the opioid antidote without a prescription. In 2019, there was a 63 percent increase in participating pharmacists and a 30 percent increase in pharmacies.

To reduce dependence on opioids, the Department is working with hospital care providers to decrease opioid prescribing to treat chronic pain in emergency departments. Through the Opioid Reduction Option (ORO) program, 11 hospitals have enrolled in training. St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, which serves as a Gold Technical Partner, is sharing its best practices that have received national recognition in reducing opioid prescriptions in their emergency department. In 2019, 165 emergency department personnel were trained.  This year, the Department, and its partner, the New Jersey Hospital Association, will hold another round of training to engage more hospitals in this effort. The goal of the ORO program is to ultimately reduce overall opioid prescribing in NJ’s emergency departments to 12 percent or less.

New Jersey’s seven Harm Reduction Centers continue to play a critical role in addressing the overdose epidemic. The Department is expanding services at these centers to support the health of individuals in active use.  In addition to access to new syringes, overdose prevention education, naloxone, and HIV and Hepatitis C testing, center staff provide outreach, counseling and care coordination. In 2019, more than 3,100 residents were served at these centers located in Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Camden, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson and Trenton.

The Department will continue to improve data collection and analysis to better understand the status of the epidemic and employ better informed strategies for prevention of use, and reduction of deaths and recidivism.  In 2019, the

NJ Overdose Data Dashboard

added data on viral hepatitis and neonatal abstinence syndrome. The dashboard provides statistics on overdose deaths, crime, naloxone administration, prescription monitoring, drug related hospital visits, and other important data to understand the population health impacts of the epidemic.

To help further facilitate data exchange, the Department is supporting efforts by behavioral health providers to implement electronic health records and connection to other health care providers through the New Jersey Health Information Network (NJHIN). Historically, substance use disorder providers have not had access to the resources they needed to maintain modern health record systems, and this technology gap has limited their access to timely health information.  More than 120 providers are interested in participating and 50 have signed contracts with vendors to begin the process of moving to or upgrading their electronic health records systems.

The Department is also focused on addressing the overdose epidemic through a health equity lens.  The growing impact on communities of color and geographic disparities will be covered in a series of health equity forums this Spring, which will culminate in the Fall Population Health summit.

The Department’s work is being supported by both state and federal funding.