Category: CNB CRIME

Jury Convicts Shane Whipple of Murdering his Aunt

Camden City, NJ–On December 10, 2019, after a week of trial, a jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes and convicted Shane Whipple, 29, of Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and

Possession of a Weapon with an Unlawful Purpose in the murder of his aunt, Jennifer Whipple.  Ms. Whipple was killed in her Winslow Township apartment on January 26, 2018.  Her body was discovered on January 27, 2018, after out of state family members called the Winslow Township Police Department and requested a well-being check.  Shane Whipple faces life in prison when he is sentenced on February 7, 2020.

Released Wednesday, December 11, 2019.

Two Camden City Men Charged with Murder

CAMDEN CITY NJ (Dec. 11, 2019)–Luis Colon-Molina, 36, and Wilfredo Boulones-Cruz, 49, both from Camden, were each charged with Felony Murder, Murder, and Armed Robbery on December 9, 2019, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Camden Police Chief Joseph Wysocki.

At approximately 12:12 p.m. on December 2, 2019, Camden County Police responded to reports of an unconscious female in the park near the 1600 block of Baird Boulevard. When officers arrived, they located the victim, Hayley Steinberg, 31, of Medford, deceased at the scene.

Colon-Molina and Boulones-Cruz were apprehended by the Delaware River Port Authority on December 2, 2019, after a brief foot pursuit. Both men were remanded to the Camden County Jail pending a pretrial detention hearing.

All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Released Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Bordentown City Man Sentenced for Distributing Child Pornography Online

TRENTON – Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a Burlington County man who had hundreds of items of child pornography on his laptop computer was sentenced to prison today for distributing child pornography online through a peer-to-peer network.

Michael D. Gordon, 34, of Bordentown City, N.J., was sentenced to five years in state prison, including 2 ½ years of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge James J. Morley in Burlington County. Gordon pleaded guilty on July 17, 2019 to a second-degree charge of distribution of child pornography. He will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life. In pleading guilty, Gordon admitted that he knowingly used file-sharing software to make multiple items of child pornography readily available for any other user to download from a “shared folder” on his computer.

Deputy Attorney General Supriya Prasad prosecuted Gordon and handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Cyber Crimes Bureau. Gordon was arrested in April 2019 as the result of an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice, conducted with assistance from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bordentown City Police Department.

A detective of the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Cyber Crimes Bureau was monitoring an online file-sharing network that is popular with child pornography offenders when he identified a computer address that was sharing child pornography. On multiple occasions, the detective successfully downloaded hundreds of items of child pornography being shared from that IP address, which was traced to Gordon’s home in Bordentown City. On April 3, 2019, detectives of the Division of Criminal Justice, assisted by agents of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and officers of the Bordentown City Police Department, executed a search warrant at Gordon’s home, arresting him and seizing his computer devices. The devices were brought to the Division of Criminal Justice Forensics Laboratory, where a forensic examination of his laptop computer revealed over 600 images and videos of child pornography.

“By viewing and redistributing child pornography, offenders like Gordon participate in the cruel sexual exploitation of innocent children— children whose images can never be erased from the internet,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Protecting children is our highest priority, and we will continue to collaborate across all levels of law enforcement to send these offenders to prison.”

“We want offenders who download and share child pornography to know that they may face longer prison sentences based on the extent of their collections and their distribution activities,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “New Jersey has tough child pornography laws, and we will continue to make strong use of them as we investigate and prosecute these offenders.”

Attorney General Grewal commended Deputy Attorney General Prasad and the detectives who conducted the investigation for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Cyber Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Julia Glass. AG Grewal also thanked U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bordentown City Police Department for their valuable assistance.

Attorney General Grewal and Director Allende urged anyone with information about the distribution of child pornography on the internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at

888-648-6007

.

Seven Individuals Charged in Interstate Scheme

to Steal More Than $235,000 from Three Insurance Annuity Policies

TRENTON – Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor today announced charges against seven individuals in an interstate scheme to steal more than

$235,000 from three insurance annuity policies.

An Ohio resident and three New Jersey residents were charged with conspiracy and theft by deception in the alleged scheme to steal money from three annuity policies issued by Lincoln Financial Group. Three others were charged with receiving stolen property in the thefts that occurred between December 2015 and September 2016.

According to documents filed in the case, the thefts occurred when Lincoln Financial Group received death claims benefit withdrawal applications from individuals purporting to be the beneficiaries of the annuity policies.

Charged in a 16-count indictment handed up by a state Grand Jury on November 14, 2019 were:

Gaetanina Nicole Zarbo, 34, of New Albany, Ohio, who was charged with three counts of second-degree conspiracy, three counts of second-degree theft by deception, and two counts of third-degree receiving stolen property.

Zuberu Sumaila, 27, of Newark, who was charged with second-degree conspiracy, second-degree theft by deception, and three counts of third-degree receiving stolen property.

Emmanuel Oppong-Dabankah, 30, of North Brunswick, who was charged with second-degree conspiracy, second degree theft by deception, and two counts of third-degree receiving stolen property.

Kojo Kumah Mensah, 27, of Newark, who was charged with second-degree conspiracy and second-degree theft by deception.

Cecilia Fynn (a.k.a. Cecilia Lemaire), 26, of Somerset, who was charged with third-degree receiving stolen property.

Tashae N. McCray, 23, of Rahway, who was charged with third-degree receiving stolen property.

Latika Busby, 37, of Columbus, Ohio, who was charged with third-degree receiving stolen property.

Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000; third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Menjivar presented the case to the Grand Jury. Detective Shawn McDonald coordinated the investigation.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Thompson noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at

1-877-55-FRAUD

, or visiting the Web site at

www.njinsurancefraud.org

. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to a conviction for insurance fraud.

Kenneth Watts of Philly Headed to Prison

for Drug Conspiracy

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Philadelphia, Pa. has been sentenced in federal court in Johnstown to 10 years (120 months) in prison and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Kenneth Watts, 35.

According to information presented to the court, from March 6, 2018, through April 2, 2018, Watts and a co-defendant conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Mr. Brady commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Watts.

\”Shadow\” A New Resource to Help Catch Horse Racing Cheaters

TRENTON –

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the New Jersey Racing Commission have deployed a new asset in the effort to prevent cheating in the horse racing industry – a specially-trained scent-sniffing dog named Shadow.

A two-year-old black Labrador, Shadow is New Jersey’s first-ever K-9 horse racing investigator, and is already proving to be a valuable tool in deterring licensees who might seek a competitive or wagering advantage by drugging race horses.

The Racing Commission has put Shadow on regular patrol at New Jersey racetracks, including Monmouth Park, Freehold Raceway, and the New Meadowlands Racetrack. Earlier this year, Shadow made his first find, detecting the presence of a prohibited substance.

“A big part of the job for any regulatory and enforcement agency is to stay one step ahead of those who would seek to profit by breaking our laws and rules,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Shadow is an incredible asset in that respect, because cheaters in horse racing can’t cheat without using prohibited substances, and he is specifically trained to sniff them out. Shadow is helping not only to protect horses, but to preserve the integrity of the horse racing industry throughout our state.”

Racing Commission Executive Director Judith A. Nason credits Shadow with having “vastly increased the Racing Commission’s investigatory ability,” and with helping to send a strong cautionary message to would-be horse dopers.

“One very important purpose of Shadow is to deter trainers or owners from even the thought of giving a prohibited substance to a horse,” said Nason.

“We believe Shadow will prove to be an efficient, cost-effective tool in catching and penalizing licensees who cheat,” Nason said. “The Racing Commission already has four human investigators. That’s eight boots on the ground. By adding Shadow, we now have 12 boots on the ground – although four of them are paws.”

Earlier this year, Attorney General Grewal challenged the leadership of every division and commission within the Department of Law and Public Safety to look for ways to better serve the public by identifying new ways to collaborate with each other.

As part of that process, the Racing Commission identified the need for adding a trained, scent-sniffing dog that could detect the presence of substances unique to horse racing that cannot lawfully be possessed by anyone but a licensed veterinarian.

The New Jersey State Police partnered with the Racing Commission in this effort and through its Canine Academy found a two-year-old black Labrador retriever for the Racing Commission and, following a Racing Commission naming contest, the dog became officially known as “Shadow.”

With Investigator Joseph Sczerbowicz manning the leash, Shadow now spends Monday through Thursday patrolling racetracks and licensed farms to ferret out banned chemicals that might be concealed in stalls or barns – sometimes in places where a routine inspection might not uncover them, such as locked drawers, toolboxes or even piles of hay. And on race days – Fridays and Saturdays – Shadow is deployed at New Jersey’s thoroughbred and Standardbred racetracks.

For investigative reasons, Executive Director Nason will not disclose details concerning what substances Shadow is able to detect. However, she confirms that he is trained to find a host of banned chemicals known to be used by cheaters, as well as related paraphernalia such as syringes and hypodermic needles.

“The people hiding drugs and needles have always had an intrinsic advantage, because it’s easier to conceal these things than to locate them,” said Nason. “But Shadow could turn out to be a true game-changer. Not only can he search a lot of territory very quickly, he can also detect banned substances in hiding places where we humans might not find them.”

####

State Adopts NEW Rules for Fantasy Sports

NEWARK

– Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs (Division) announced today that the Division has adopted its first set of rules for fantasy sports activities in New Jersey, including rules designed to protect children.

The new rules, adopted this month, implement a 2017 law requiring fantasy sports operators to obtain permits from the Division and comply with other requirements to protect participants in New Jersey’s new online sports betting frontier.

The new rules require fantasy sports operators to adopt procedures to ensure that no one under the age of 18 participates in fantasy sports activities. Fantasy sports operators also are prohibited from advertising in publications or media aimed exclusively at minors, at K-12 schools and at sports venues used exclusively for K-12 student sports activities. In addition, if an account is found to have been created by a minor, any money held in the account must be refunded.

The Division also took regulatory steps to protect other fantasy sports participants, including limiting the risk that fantasy sports participants will go into debt as a result of their fantasy sports activities. To that end, fantasy sports operators may not extend credit to any participant. Fantasy sports operators also must offer individuals the ability to restrict themselves from participating in fantasy sports activities if they so choose.

Other consumer protections in the new rules include a requirement that fantasy sports operators maintain adequate procedures for processing complaints from participants, and restrictions on participation by employees, officers, directors, and owners of fantasy sports operators. Operators also are required to maintain appropriate reserves so that they will be able to satisfy their financial obligations to participants.

The new rules will supplement statutory requirements that the Division has already begun enforcing.  The Division

announced

its first action to enforce the fantasy sports law in August 2019, when the Division entered into a consent order with SportsHub Games Network, Inc.  SportsHub agreed to pay a $30,000 civil penalty after the Division found that the company unlawfully operated a fantasy sports site without a permit, and failed to clearly and conspicuously disclose that the company collects personal information from consumers’ social media accounts and shares it with third parties.  The company also agreed to modify its business practices.

The rule adoption notice, dated December 2, 2019, is available

here

. The original proposal, dated November 19, 2018, is available

here

.

NJ Kicks off Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign

Holiday Grantee List

NEW JERSEY

– With the busy holiday travel season fast approaching, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (“the Division”) today announced the kick-off of a statewide traffic safety campaign targeting drunk and impaired drivers.

Starting today, law enforcement agencies across the state will be patrolling the New Jersey roads looking for drunk and impaired drivers as part of the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” holiday campaign, which runs through January 1, 2020.

New Jersey’s crackdown on impaired driving is part of a nationwide effort to reduce crash risks during the heavily traveled holiday season. To assist with New Jersey’s enforcement efforts, the Division has provided 133 agencies with grants totaling $596,660 that pay for saturation patrols and high-visibility sobriety checkpoints throughout the state.

“The holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends but if your celebration includes alcohol, leave the driving to someone else – a sober friend, a ride share, or public transportation,” said Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. “Being a responsible driver is one of the simplest ways to ensure a safe and happy holiday season for everyone. Our Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is aimed at raising public awareness and saving lives.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (“NHTSA”) Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 10,511 people were killed nationwide in drunk-driving crashes last year, a figure that represents nearly 30 percent of all fatalities recorded for that year. In New Jersey alone, 125 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes in 2018 – more than 20 percent of all traffic fatalities recorded.

According to the NHTSA report, last December 839 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver, and there were more drunk-driving-related fatalities  during the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday periods in 2018 alone than during any other holiday period that year.

“These fatalities are preventable, and people must remember that driving under the influence of any substance, be it drugs or alcohol, is deadly, illegal, and selfish behavior,” said Eric Heitmann, Director of the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “To promote traffic safety this holiday season, law enforcement officers will be out in force looking for impaired drivers. If you drive under the influence during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization, you can count on being stopped and arrested.”

Last year, more than 76% (372) of New Jersey’s police agencies participated in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over holiday campaign. The 2018 enforcement effort resulted in 1,269 DWI arrests (alcohol and/or drugs) statewide; and participating police agencies issued 5,704 and 3,125 speeding and seat belt summonses, respectively. A number of departments reported noteworthy accomplishments, including 15 agencies making 14 or more DWI arrests during the campaign.

For more information, follow the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and visit NJSafeRoads.com.

What happens when you’re in police custody?

Gloucestercitynews.net(Dec. 10, 2019)–It may be that, unfortunately, some of us will find ourselves in police custody during our lifetime. It can be a scary experience – not only for the person involved, but for their friends and family as well. So, what can you do?

This is just some of the information that you might find useful if you or a loved one has been placed under arrest. It may be helpful to you in some situations, but you may also wish to consult a lawyer before you decide on your next course of action.

What is detention?

This is typically when

law enforcement officers temporarily stop someone in a public place

, and don’t move them to another location. This can be to:

Ask the person to justify their presence and activity at that location

Identify themselves

This may happen if, for example, someone is loitering or acting suspiciously in an area that’s known for drug sales – so the officers may detain this person for questioning. If the officers have reasonable suspicion that the person may be dangerous, they may do a ‘pat down’ to search for weapons. They can go into pockets or bags without permission but, if they feel something, they may believe is a weapon, they can reach for it.

Other ways to search someone may include sniffer dogs, a metal detector, or a computer search for any outstanding warrants. A detention stop allows law enforcement officers to determine whether a suspect should be arrested, investigated further, or take no action. The officers don’t have to inform someone of their rights.

What does being arrested mean?

Law enforcement officers need probable cause to arrest someone, and a reasonable person would not feel free to leave because of the actions of the officers. The person is then taken into custody, and this could mean the person is taken to a police station or the person believes they will not be able to leave within a short time period.

Once arrested, the person must be advised of their rights by the officers before being questioned. This will include their right to remain silent, to have an attorney present during questioning, and to have an attorney provided by the state if they cannot afford one themselves.

A person also has rights to having a reasonable bail imposed

, to see a judge promptly, and to know about the charges against them.

When are you in custody?

Circumstances that suggest you’re in custody include:

Being physically restrained or handcuffed

Whether an officer informs you that you’re free to leave

Your personal property is retained by an officer (e.g. driver’s license)

If there’s a show of force, e.g. loud comments, drawn weapons

If you are in custody, and bail has been set, then you may wish to use a

bail bondsman

. This means that you can get help to post a bond and deal with the other expenses related to incarceration – and you can be released from custody within one to three hours after the bond is posted.

Being in custody isn’t a pleasant experience, but by understanding exactly what it means and what you and your loved ones can do to help, you can hopefully move past the troubling experience sooner rather than later.

AG Bill Barr Blasts ‘Completely Irresponsible Press,’

Hits FBI For ‘Gross Abuses’ In Trump Probe

CHUCK ROSS

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

Attorney General William Barr blasted the “completely irresponsible press” Tuesday as well as the FBI for their respective roles in pushing the debunked theory that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government in 2016.

Barr said in

an interview

with NBC News he disagreed with

a Justice Department inspector general’s report

, released Monday, that said the FBI had a legitimate rationale to open an investigation into Trump campaign associates in July 2016.

Barr said he believes the FBI may have acted in “bad faith” in opening the investigation.

“I think there were gross abuses … and inexplicable behavior that is intolerable in the FBI,” Barr told NBC News. “I think that leaves open the possibility that there was bad faith.”

WATCH:

The inspector general’s office said the FBI had a proper predicate for opening the investigation; however, the report also laid out extensive evidence of FBI agents omitting and withholding information regarding the Steele dossier, which the bureau used in applications to conduct surveillance against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

(RELATED: Watchdog Report Puts Final Nail In Steele Dossier’s Coffin)

The report said FBI agents working the case failed to disclose exculpatory information regarding Page and George Papadopoulos, another former Trump aide. FBI agents also withheld information that called the credibility of dossier author Christopher Steele into question.

Barr doubled down in the interview on remarks he made earlier this year that he believes the U.S. government spied on Trump campaign associates.

“It was clearly spied upon,” Barr said of the FBI’s actions towards the Trump campaign. “That’s what electronic surveillance is … going through people’s emails, wiring people up.”

Barr criticized the press on two fronts. He faulted the industry for largely ignoring the parts of the inspector general’s report that undercut the collusion conspiracy theories. He also accused news outlets of overhyping allegations of Trump-Russia collusion.

He lamented that the inspector general’s report has not been “accurately reported by the press over the last day.”

Barr also added: “I think our nation was turned on its head for three years based on a completely bogus narrative that was largely fanned and hyped by a completely irresponsible press.”

The special counsel’s report, which was released on April 18, said there was no evidence that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia or that any Trump associates acted as agents of Russia. The FBI opened its investigation on July 31, 2016 to find out whether anyone on the campaign was working with Russia to hack and release Democrats’ emails.

As part of the probe, the

FBI relied heavily on the unverified Steele dossier

to assert that there was probable cause to suspect that Page was conspiring with Russia to release emails.

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