Category: CNB CRIME

Camden County Prosecutor Concludes Use of Force by Police was Accidental in Camden City Shooting

CAMDEN CITY, NJ (Nov. 21, 2019)–The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office (“CCPO”) has completed its investigation into the use of force by an Investigator of the Camden

County Sheriff’s Department and has concluded that the use of force was accidental and not criminal.  The CCPO determined that it is not necessary to present this matter to the Grand Jury because there were no material facts in dispute regarding the lawfulness of the use of force.  The investigation was conducted in accordance with the Attorney General’s Independent Prosecutor Directive (July 28, 2015, Supplemental Law Enforcement Directive Regarding Uniform Statewide Procedures and Best Practices for Conducting Police Use of Force Investigations) (“Directive”).  Pursuant to the Directive, the Attorney General’s Office conducted an independent review of the use of force and agreed with the CCPO’s determination that there were no material facts in dispute and that the actions of  the Investigator in this case that led to the accidental discharge were justified.  The Attorney General’s Office concurred with the CCPO’s conclusion to forego presentation of this matter to the Grand Jury.

The incident occurred on August 22, 2018, within a residence located on 2

nd

Street, in the City of Camden.  The Investigator accidentally discharged his department-issued handgun, while clearing a residence during the execution of a narcotics, no-knock, search warrant, resulting in a graze wound to the arm of a seventeen-year-old male.  Upon entering the basement apartment, the Investigator encountered a male resident in the hallway.  That resident refused to comply with the Investigator’s commands to get onto the ground and to stop moving toward the investigator and his team behind him.  As a result, the Investigator unholstered his weapon to use the flashlight attached to the frame of his weapon, directly in front of the trigger guard.  As the Investigator tried to flick the flashlight and momentarily distract the resident, he accidentally hit the trigger instead.  The resident was not injured.  However, his seventeen-year-old friend was behind him in the hallway, and his arm was grazed.

Personnel from the CCPO responded and conducted an investigation.  Statements were taken from the Investigator, the resident, and the other officers present.  During the course of the investigation, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office complied with all portions of the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Directive regarding uniform statewide procedures and best practices for conducting police use-of-force investigations.  The investigation revealed that the discharge was accidental and that the Investigator’s actions were not criminal.  Accordingly, no criminal charges are being filed against the Investigator with regard to this incident.

Following the investigation, the CCPO charged the resident with multiple counts of Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Distribution/Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance and Distribution/Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance within 500 feet of a Park.

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

The undisputed facts indicate the Investigator’s conduct was justifiable under the law, and taking all of the facts into account, all of the evidence supports the conclusion that the discharge was accidental.  Accordingly, our investigation and review of all information failed to disclose sufficient evidence to prove an allegation of criminal conduct against the Investigator.  This statement was prepared and disseminated to the public in accordance with §8 of the Directive.

Released Thursday, November 21, 2019

Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrest Harrington man for Unlawful Weapons Possession

DOVER (Nov. 19, 2019) – A DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police investigation ended on Nov. 17 with the arrest of a Harrington man for multiple charges of illegal possession of

firearms and ammunition.

Charles M. Bright Jr., 58, was charged with three total counts of possession, purchase, ownership, or control of a firearm or ammunition by a person prohibited. Bright was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover and released on his own recognizance, pending a future court appearance.

Upon completion of the investigation, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers approached the suspect while he was deer hunting and in possession of a .50-caliber CVA muzzleloader. In addition to the muzzleloader confiscated at the scene, a Ten Point crossbow, 20-gauge Remington shotgun, and numerous rounds of shotgun ammunition were seized from Bright’s residence.

Delaware law prohibits a person from owning or possessing any type of deadly weapon whose criminal history includes prior felony convictions; misdemeanor convictions associated with violent crimes, drug convictions, or mental conditions as defined under the law; or court-issued protection from abuse orders. Deadly weapons consist of all types of firearms, as well as ammunition and any type of bow to include compound, recurve, or crossbow.

Hacktivist Sentenced, Man Took Down Government Websites

For a few days in 2017, visitors to the websites for the city of Akron, Ohio, and its police department received error messages instead of the municipal webpages. A hacker had overwhelmed the sites with traffic.

City officials spent about four days in a game of whack-a-mole with the hacker, restoring the sites only to have them attacked again. In this type of attack, known as distributed denial of service (DDoS), bots or other computers overwhelm a single website with traffic until the site shuts down from lack of bandwidth. In addition to denying the public access to the websites, other city services were limited by the outage. After the initial four-day attack, hacking attempts directed at local and state government continued off and on for months.

The city quickly notified the FBI, which opened an investigation.

“When you have a persistent attacker going after a single site, the organizations have to spend a lot of time and effort handling it. There are also often effects on other systems besides the website,” said the special agent who investigated the case out of the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office.

This hacker was a “hacktivist” who liked to brag about his work, helping investigators quickly find him. James Robinson, then 32, posted screenshots of the sites he’d taken down and of the tools he had used. When questioned by investigators, Robinson admitted to these attacks and to several previous DDOS attacks on more prominent websites, such as the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Treasury.

Robinson told investigators he had grudges against the city’s police department. He was also involved in a hacking group and participated in hacks directed by that group.

“He was very vocal about what he was doing. He wanted to bring attention to his opinions,” the agent said of the hacktivist.

With the availability of “stressor” sites online that will cheaply conduct a DDOS attack on your behalf, Robinson didn’t require any special technical skills to take down these sites. He was adept at using these tools.

“When you have a persistent attacker going after a single site, the organizations have to spend a lot of time and effort handling it.”

Special agent, FBI Cleveland

Robinson pleaded guilty to damaging protected computers and was sentenced in October to six years in prison.

The FBI case agent stressed the importance of organizations protecting their websites and other online infrastructure as much as possible. Quickly notifying authorities of an intrusion or attack is also critical.

“The Internet is based on trust, and it’s like a network of roads. When you’re driving, you trust other drivers will stop at stop signs. Occasionally, a driver doesn’t stop, and someone gets hurt,” the agent said. “When someone acts maliciously on the Internet, bad things happen, and there are real-world impacts. That’s why we have to pursue these types of cases.”

Resources

Akron Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Launching Denial of Service Attacks That Shut Down Websites for the City of Akron and the Akron Police Department

source Department of Justice

Miguel Angel Villegas Wanted for Shooting at Tuckerton Cop Arrested in NY

TUCKERTON NJ (Nov. 22, 2019)—Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Miguel Angel Villegas, 29,  (photo) of New Haven, Connecticut was taken in to custody at Penn Station in New York, NY shortly after 8pm this evening by the United States Marshals Service and the New York City Police Department. “A

massive manhunt began earlier today after Villegas exchanged gunfire with a Tuckerton Borough Police Officer earlier this mo

rning in Tuckerton,” Prosecutor Billhimer said. Villegas was taken into custody this evening without incident.

At approximately 10:22 a.m. this morning, a Tuckerton Borough Police Officer exchanged gunfire with Villegas after the vehicle he was a passenger in fled a lawful motor vehicle stop near the intersection of Route 9 and North Green Street and caused a subsequent collision with another vehicle. The Officer was not injured in the exchange of gunfire. Villegas fled on foot and a massive manhunt ensued ending in New York City this evening.

“Villegas will be charged with Attempted Murder, Kidnapping, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated. “It is my understanding that Villegas is wanted out of Connecticut. We will be seeking extradition from New York to bring him back here to Ocean County to face these charges,” Prosecutor Billhimer added.

“I’d like to thank the collaborative efforts of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, United States Marshals Service, New York City Police Department, Tuckerton Borough Police Department, Little Egg Harbor Police Department, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center, New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, New Jersey Transit Police, Ocean County Regional SWAT, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9, New Haven Police (Connecticut), Port Authority Police, Tuckerton Fire Department and Tuckerton Public Works Department. This was truly a team effort. The public can rest easy tonight knowing the men & women of law enforcement worked through the day into tonight to bring Villegas into custody peacefully,” Prosecutor Billhimer added.

“Even though Villegas is in custody, this remain an ongoing investigation. More details will be released as they become available,” Prosecutor Billhimer concluded.

Three Dogs Found Dead in Toms River, Owner Allegedly Abandon The Animals

LACEY TOWNSHIP—Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Lacey Township Police Chief Michael DiBella announced today that Allissa DeStefano, 29, (photo)of Toms River, has been arrested and charged with three counts of Animal Cruelty in violation of

N.J.S.A. 4:22-17c(2).

During the evening hours of November 11, 2019, the Lacey Township Police Department responded to a residence in Lacey Township for a report tha

t dogs had possibly been abandoned in the residence. Upon arrival, the officers determined that the house was indeed abandoned, and the remains of three dogs were discovered. An investigation by Detectives from the Lacey Township Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that DeStefano was responsible for the care of the dogs and had abandonded them in the residence, which resulted in their deaths. DeStefano was arrested without incident, and processed at the Lacey Township Police Department. She was released on a Summons pending a future court date.

Prosecutor Billhimer and Chief DiBella extend their gratitude to the Lacey Township Police Department and Detective Bureau as well as Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for their fine cooperative work in connection with this investigation.

The public and the media are reminded that all defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Senator Booker\’s Marijuana Provisions Pass House Judiciary Committee

2017 Booker bill provided framework for MORE Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. –

Three key

marijuana provisions designed to reverse decades of failed drug policy and first introduced by

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) passed the House Judiciary

Committee today: record expungement, reinvestment in the communities most harmed by the War on Drugs, and removing marijuana from the list of deportable offenses.

Booker’s

Marijuana Justice Act

, originally introduced in 2017, was the first congressional bill to incorporate record expungement and community reinvestment with marijuana legalization. This legislation along with a

Booker provision

to remove marijuana from list of deportable offenses provided the framework for the

Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019

(MORE) passed by the House today.

“This is a significant tipping point. The Committee passage of this bill is an important step towards reversing decades of failed drug policy that has disproportionately impacted communities of color and low-income individuals. These draconian laws have sacrificed critical resources, violated our values, destroyed families and communities, and failed to make us safer,”

Senator Booker said. “

This legislation continues us down the path towards justice and I’m excited to see momentum growing around the movement to fix our nation’s broken drug laws.”

Background on Booker’s leadership on issues of marijuana and criminal justice:

Booker has seen the effects of our broken marijuana laws first-hand, dating back to his time as a tenant lawyer, City Council member, and Mayor of Newark, where he created the city’s first office of prisoner re-entry to help formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into their communities. He is the author of the landmark

Marijuana Justice Act

, which would end the federal prohibition on marijuana, automatically expunge the records of those convicted of federal marijuana use and possession crimes, and reinvest resources into the communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs through a community fund. Since

introducing the bill in 2017

, Booker has garnered support from Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ed Markey (D-MA).

In the Senate, Booker was an outspoken

critic of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ effort to revive the failed War on Drugs

. More recently, he pressed Attorney General William Barr on his stance on marijuana legalization and the rescission of the Cole memo, winning a

commitment

from Barr to leave states alone that have legalized marijuana.

In addition to the Marijuana Justice Act, Booker is the co-author of the

bipartisan CARERS Act

, which would allow patients to access medical marijuana in states where it’s legal without fear of federal prosecution, and the

bipartisan REDEEM Act

, which would allow nonviolent drug offenders to petition a court to seal and expunge their drug offenses, while automatically sealing, and in some cases

expunging criminal records

, the nonviolent records of juveniles. These reforms would reduce a major barrier that formerly incarcerated individuals face when attempting to rejoin society. He is also a co-sponsor of the

Fair Chance Act

, which prohibits the federal government and federal contractors from asking about the criminal history of a job applicant prior to a conditional offer of employment. Earlier this year, the Fair Chance Act

passed

out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Government and Reform Committee. In June, Booker

introduced

legislation to remove marijuana from list of deportable offenses.

Maple Shade Used Car Dealer Faces Criminal Charges

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher announced that a Maple Shade used car dealer has been charged with altering temporary license plates that were provided to

customers in an effort to conceal the fact that he sold vehicles for which he did not have possession of the title of ownership.

Gavry Nelson, 36, of Medford Lane in Willingboro, was charged with two counts of Forgery (Third Degree) and two counts of Tampering (Fourth Degree). He was also issued a summons for placing counterfeit license plates on a motor vehicle.

Arrangements are being made for Nelson to surrender himself to the Maple Shade Police Department to be processed on the charges. The case will then be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.

The investigation began after a Maple Shade Police Department patrol officer pulled over a vehicle for having a temporary license plate with an altered expiration date.

The investigation revealed that Nelson, the owner of The Automotive Outlet at Route 38 and Stiles Avenue, was selling vehicles he had obtained at auctions even though he was unable to take possession of the title because the vehicles had liens placed on them.

Nelson did not disclose to the buyers that he was selling a vehicle without possession of the title. In attempt to cover his actions, Nelson would repeatedly provide the purchasers with new temporary license plates that had been altered to extend the expiration date. His failure to secure the titles meant that those who purchased the vehicles were unable to register them with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, which has opened an investigation into Nelson’s actions.

Consumers who suspect they have been victimized by this business are asked to call the Maple Shade Police Department at 856-234-8300.

The lead investigators on the case are Maple Shade Patrol Officers Justin Jericho and Anthony King.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Cinnaminson Drug Dealer Charged with Causing Death of Palmyra Customer

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Palmyra Borough Police Chief Scott Pearlman announced that a Cinnaminson drug dealer was arrested

today for causing the death of a customer who fatally overdosed during the summer on heroin that she sold to him earlier that day.

Colleen Wedge, 29, of the 700 block of Foxcroft Drive in Cinnaminson, was charged with Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death (First Degree), Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree), Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third Degree) and Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin (Third Degree).

Wedge surrendered this morning at the Palmyra Borough Police Department. The case will now be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.

The investigation began after officers from the Palmyra Borough Police Department were called to a house on West Fifth Street on August 9 for an unattended death. Upon arrival, they discovered the body of a 31-year-old male on the floor of his bedroom. Empty baggies of heroin were found in the bedroom.

The investigation revealed that Wedge had sold heroin to the victim on numerous occasions, including four bags on the day of his fatal overdose for which he paid $50.

An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood concluded the cause of death was heroin and fentanyl toxicity.

Wedge will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Jeremy Lackey. The investigation was conducted by the Palmyra Borough Police Department and the BCPO Gang, Gun and Narcotics Task Force, with assistance from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Six Philadelphia Women Sentenced For Fraudulent Tax Refund Scheme

PHILADELPHIA (November 2018)(CNBNewsnet)– First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced today that six Philadelphia women, several of whom are sisters and cousins, have been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for their role in a scheme to defraud the United States through the filing of false claims for tax refunds.

The six defendants all pleaded guilty and admitted to engaging in a scheme to present false federal income tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in order to generate fraudulent federal income tax refunds.  Dozens of false tax returns were filed with the IRS, often using names and social security numbers stolen from individuals who were unaware their personal identifiers were being used to perpetrate the fraud.

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