Category: LegacyImport2

Ocean County Attorney George Gilmore Sentenced, Failed to Pay Taxes/Lied on Loan App

TRENTON, N.J. – George Gilmore, a partner at an Ocean County law firm, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for his conviction on two counts of failing to pay over payroll taxes withheld from employees to the IRS and one count of making false statements on a bank loan application submitted to Ocean First Bank N.A., First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

On April 17, 2019, Gilmore, 70, of Toms River, New Jersey, was acquitted of two counts of filing false tax returns for calendar years 2013 and 2014; the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on one count of income tax evasion for calendar years 2013, 2014, and 2015. The verdicts were returned following a trial that began April 1, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

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

Gilmore worked as an equity partner and shareholder at Gilmore & Monahan P.A., a law firm in Toms River, where he exercised primary control over the firm’s financial affairs. Because he exercised significant control over the law firm’s financial affairs, Gilmore was responsible for withholding payroll taxes from the gross salary and wages of the law firm’s employees to cover individual income, Social Security and Medicare tax obligations. For the tax quarters ending March 31, 2016, and June 30, 2016, the law firm withheld tax payments from its employees’ checks, but Gilmore failed to pay over in full the payroll taxes due to the IRS.

Gilmore also submitted a loan application to Ocean First Bank containing false statements. On Nov. 21, 2014, Gilmore reviewed, signed, and submitted to Ocean First Bank a Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) to obtain refinancing of a mortgage loan for $1.5 million with a “cash out” provision that provided Gilmore would obtain cash from the loan. On Jan. 22, 2015, Gilmore submitted another URLA updating the initial application. Gilmore failed to disclose his outstanding 2013 tax liabilities and personal loans that he had obtained from others on the URLAs. Gilmore received $572,000 from the cash out portion of the loan.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Gilmore to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, special agents with U.S. Attorney’s Office under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Mahoney, and special agents of the FBI Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Deputy U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Skahill; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division; and Trial Attorney Thomas F. Koelbl of the U.S. Department of Justice – Tax Division.

Defense counsel: Kevin H. Marino Esq., Chatham, New Jersey

GHS Lady Lions Action

Gloucester City, NJ (January 24, 2020)–Thursday evening, January 23,  Pitman visited the Lions Den. The Lady Lions playing shorthanded due to injuries, could not overcome the strong Panther squad losing 37 – 19.The Lady Lions were led by Chloe Bennett 8 points and Maghan Ferry\’s 5 points.

Related:

Gloucester High School

Gloucester Catholic

https://darrowphotos.com

Pictured below Ava Iepson

Pictured Below Hannah Bryzsewski

Pictured Lady Lions

Pictured below Lions Meg

han Ferry

Guest Opinion: American Dream Mall Fail to Pay Back Taxpayers

submitted by NJ Sierra Club

It has been 3 months since the grand opening of the American Dream Mall and towns are still waiting to be paid. In East Rutherford, where American Dream is located, officials said the mall owes $1 million in payments for last year, and an anticipated $2 million in payments in 2020 that are outstanding. For nearby Carlstadt and Secaucus, the missing payments amount to $750,000 and $100,000, respectively.

“The cost to build the American Dream mall has reached a historical price tag for both our wallets and the environment’s.  The mega mall is too costly to build and too costly to visit. From riding its thrilling rides to food costs to parking, a daily visit is very expensive. New Jersey taxpayers had to pay over $1billion to subsidize this monstrosity of a mall and now its customers are being charged even more to enjoy it. What’s even worse is that the mall still owes taxpayers millions of dollars for their mega mall. The mall has taken all of this public money without paying them back while the public still can’t afford to go there,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

It has taken 17 years to build and billions of dollars from subsidies, tax breaks, and tax incremental financing. The price tag for the mall has reached historical lengths and unfortunately the cost to its customers are seeing high price tags too. The American Dream/Xanadu mega-mall is the largest public subsidized development project in state history.  The project received $350 million in direct state subsidies from EDA plus another $800 million for financing including $100 million for road improvements, bringing it up to $1.5 billion project.

“The American Scheme mega-mall has been the largest corporate subsidy in the state’s history. What’s even worse is that they have failed to pay back East Rutherford and other cities who are proposing to use taxpayer money for school improvements,”

said Tittel.

“If paying $24 for parking wasn’t enough, a daily price to ride American Dream rides will be $80 soon. Combined, that’s more than a season pass at Six Flags and just $5 shy for a daily pass to Disney World. The people who work at the American Dream Mall making $11/hr. cannot afford to go there. To spend a full day at the park could take a full week’s wages.”

The mall is an estimated 3 million square feet with more than half of that allotted to entertainment and the other 45% of the space will be for retail. There are 11,000 parking spaces and they share 22,000 with MetLife stadium on non-event days.

“There is no real traffic program for the bus or train services that are reliable, instead the mall will be car dependent. The project, which comprises 7.1 million square feet of office and commercial space, in order to be successful, it will need to generate around 120,000 to 150,000 cars a day, gridlocking Bergen County with traffic. Everyday traffic will be like game day at Giants Stadium,”

said  Tittel.

“The Murphy Administration have been trying to fix traffic problems by proposing a rail plan that will cost $1-$2 billion while NJ Transit is crumbling. That money could have been used to finish the Bergen-Hudson Rail, or important improvements for NJ Transit. Why should we be paying for a rail to a private male. They created the problem, why should NJ taxpayers pay to fix it?”

The American Dream/Xanadu mall sits partly on wetlands in an environmentally sensitive area prone to flooding. Meadowlands resources are important for flood control, fisheries, and migratory birds.

“We have been fighting this mega mall for over 20 years because it is too large, it’s in an environmentally sensitive area, and will cause a lot of pollution and traffic. The American Dream/Xanadu site flooded during Hurricane Sandy. The mall’s water park is built on top of wetlands, which means increasingly vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise and storm surges. Studies have shown the entire area will end up under 3 feet of water. The EPA and Fish & Wildlife under President George W. Bush opposed the project because of environmental impacts on clean air and water, and wildlife,”

said Tittel.

“Overdeveloping the Meadowlands will not only put more people in danger of flooding, but will actually impact wetlands and the fragile ecosystems.”

Governor Murphy believes this project has provided New Jersey residents with extraordinary opportunities for good-paying construction and building jobs, as well as opportunities for New Jersey’s business owners.

“The billions of dollars for American Dream could’ve been used for building schools and colleges, taking lead out of our drinking water, or cleaning up our toxic sites. Instead, this private enterprise is a one- two punch to our wallets, the billions it took to build it and the high price tag to enjoy its amenities. The American Dream mall shows everything that is wrong about New Jersey.  We don’t know what will be worse, it the American Dream succeeds, we will see all of the pollution from the traffic coming to the mall plus possible gridlock it would cause to commuters. If it would fail, it wastes billions of taxpayer dollars,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Anderson Diaz, 22, of Camden City, Charged with Murder

CAMDEN CITY, NJ –On January 23, 2020, Anderson Diaz, 22, of Camden, was charged with Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and Certain Persons Not to Have a Weapon for the murder of Michael Edwards, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and

Camden Police Chief Joseph Wysocki.

At approximately 12:54 a.m. on January 11, 2020, Camden County Police responded to a ShotSpotter activation and reports of a possible shooting near the 500 block of Pfeiffer Street in Camden. When officers arrived, they located the victim, Michael Edwards, lying unresponsive on the 400 block of Pfeiffer Street, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Anderson Diaz is currently being held in the Camden County Jail on an unrelated matter pending a pretrial detention hearing.

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

Released Friday, January 24, 2020.

NJ Residents Named to Coastal Carolina University Dean\’s List

CONWAY, SC (01/22/2020)– More than 2,400 Coastal Carolina University students were named to the Dean\’s List for the Fall 2019 semester. That\’s nearly 20 percent of the student body with a grade point average between 3.5-3.99 for the spring semester.

An additional 802 students were named to the President\’s List for achieving a 4.0 GPA during the spring semester.

Among the students earning recognition on the Dean\’s List:

Lisa Baker a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management Pre-Major major from Sicklerville, NJ (08081).

Ryan Barley a Marketing Pre-Major major from Mt. Laurel, NJ (08054).

Sarah Bartholomew a English major from Medford, NJ (08055).

Madison Chaparro a Communication major from Belmar, NJ (07719).

Gianna Conway a Computer Science-Preengineering major from Sicklerville, NJ (08081).

Hailey Cornell a Music major from Hammonton, NJ (08037).

Julia Dipietro a Finance major from Ocean City, NJ (08226).

Ryan Fleagle a Management major from Sicklerville, NJ (08081).

Sean Forte a English major from Wrightstown, NJ (08562).

Kyle Franks a Management major from Eastampton, NJ (08060).

Catherine Hans a Special Education Multi-Categorical Premajor major from Clarksboro, NJ (08020).

Brianna Heller a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management Pre-Major major from Vincentown, NJ (08088).

Cassie Hesson a Finance Pre-Major major from Burlington, NJ (08016).

Shannon Hossler a Communication major from Cinnaminson, NJ (08077).

Naomi Kellmyer a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management Pre-Major major from Bridgeton, NJ (08302).

Stephen Kirkwood a Biology major from Mount Laurel, NJ (08054).

Clorissa Kutney a Accounting Pre-Major major from Pennsville, NJ (08070).

Morgan Labbree a Communication major from Woodbury, NJ (08096).

Meredith LaLumia a Marine Science major from Moorestown, NJ (08057).

Ilyssa Liberto a Biology major from Sewell, NJ (08080).

Jake Maxwell a Special Education Multi-Categorical Premajor major from Estell Manor, NJ (08319).

Haley Molloy a Psychology major from Mount Laurel, NJ (08054).

James Moore a Management Pre-Major major from Magnolia, NJ (08049).

Carter Nelson a Art History major from Monroeville, NJ (08343).

Jensen Newsome a Elementary Education major from Pennsville, NJ (08070).

Amanda O\’Donnell a Public Health major from Somers Point, NJ (08244).

Courtney Olson a Exercise and Sport Science major from Galloway, NJ (08205).

Caitlyn Porter a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management major from Berlin, NJ (08009).

Bianca Ramsey a Exercise and Sport Science major from Woolwich Township, NJ (08085).

Jada Robinson a Management Pre-Major major from Medford, NJ (08055).

Kaitlyn Sanderson a Biology major from Sicklerville, NJ (08081).

Jack Sandone a Political Science major from Glendora, NJ (08029).

Hannah Silverman a Exercise and Sport Science major from Erial, NJ (08081).

Mikayla Smith a Communication major from Moorestown, NJ (08057).

Juliana Stahl a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management Pre-Major major from Bordentown, NJ (08505).

Erica Stratten a Exercise and Sport Science major from Ocean View, NJ (08230).

Mia Sudell a Management Pre-Major major from Woolwich, NJ (08085).

Alyssa Woolverton a Biology major from Columbus, NJ (08022).

Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Coastal Carolina University offers baccalaureate degrees in 73 major fields of study. Among CCU\’s 25 graduate-level programs are 21 master\’s degrees, two educational specialist degrees, and the doctorates in education and marine science: coastal and marine systems science. The most popular undergraduate majors are marine science, management, exercise and sport science, communication and psychology. CCU boasts a growing array of internship, research and international opportunities for students, as well as numerous online programs through Coastal Online.

More than 10,600 students from across the country and around the world interact with a world-class faculty, and enjoy a nationally competitive NCAA I athletic program, an inspiring cultural calendar, and a tradition of community interaction that is fueled by more than 160 student clubs and organizations.

Coastal Carolina University was founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College and became an independent state university in 1993.

For more information, visit

coastal.edu

.

Cherry Hill Man Charged with Pos. of Child Porn

CHERRY HILL NJ –Robert Hammond, 68, of Cherry Hill, was charged with one count of Possession of Child Pornography according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan.

On January 24, 2020, detectives from the High-Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU) of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Members of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Cherry Hill Office executed a search warrant for Robert Hammond’s residence on the 500 block of Murray Avenue in Cherry Hill. An onsite preview of digital media devices found in the home resulted in Hammond being charged. Numerous digital devices were taken to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office’s HTCU forensic lab to be further analyzed.

Robert Hammond was transported to the Cherry Hill Police Department, where he was processed and released pending further court proceedings.

The Cherry Hill Police Department, Cherry Hill Police Department Tactical Response Team and a New Jersey State Police Electronic Storage Detection K9 assisted the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office HTCU Detectives and HSI-Cherry Hill in this investigation.

The investigation is ongoing.

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

Former Carlisle Police Detective And FBI Task Force Officer Indicted

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Guido Modano of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s New York Field Office announced that Christopher Collare, age 52, currently a resident of Blythewood, South Carolina, was indicted by a federal grand jury for bribery, drug distribution, fraud, and making false statements.

The indictment alleges that Collare, who was a veteran detective for the Carlisle Police Department, a task force officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and a member of the Cumberland County Drug Task Force, used his official position to obtain sex from two women in exchange for agreeing to take actions in prosecutions.  In 2015, Collare allegedly agreed to accept sex or money in exchange for not appearing at an evidentiary hearing so that a criminal charge would be dismissed.  In 2018, Collare allegedly agreed to accept sexual favors in exchange for taking steps to help reduce a potential sentence.

The indictment also alleges that Collare distributed heroin in 2016, and that he defrauded the Borough of Carlisle and the Cumberland County Drug Task Force between 2011 and 2018 by providing confidential informants with drugs and allowing informants to retain drugs that they had obtained during controlled buys.

The indictment further alleges that Collare lied on a federal form he completed during the process of becoming an FBI task force officer, and that he made multiple false statements in an interview with federal agents in May 2018.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler was designated United States Attorney for this case because United States Attorney David J. Freed recused himself.  Mr. Freed was previously the District Attorney for Cumberland County and worked with Collare.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlo D. Marchioli and Phillip J. Caraballo and Trial Attorney James I. Pearce of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law ranges from 10 years to 20 years on the bribery-related counts, 20 years on the drug distribution count, 20 years on each of the fraud-related counts, and 5 years on each of the false statement counts.  There is also a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant\’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at

www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years

.

Tyler Dralle, 22, and Kwamere Benjamin, 19, Convicted of Murder and Other Crimes

CAMDEN CITY NJ (January 24, 2020)–On January 23, 2020, a jury convicted Tyler Dralle, 22, and Kwamere Benjamin, 19, of Felony Murder, Murder, Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in connection with the murder of Deanna Scordo.  Assistant Prosecutor Peter Gallagher represented the State at trial.

Officers initially responded to a blueberry farm located at the 700 block of Bairdmore Avenue, in Winslow Township, shortly before 4:00 am on June 25, 2017, after receiving a 911 call from the victim’s father, stating that intruders had broken into his home and shot his daughter. On arrival, officers found Deanna Scordo lying on the floor of her bedroom. She had been shot three times and was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter. Detectives determined that the intruders had forced entry to the Scordo residence and, during the course of the home invasion, had stolen currency and property.

The extensive investigation was led by Sergeant Christopher Sarson and Detective Matthew Barber of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Detective Nick Arnold and Detective Darren Dogostino of the Winslow Township Police Department and included numerous witness interviews and the forensic examination of physical evidence.  As a result, detectives were able to determine that Kwamere Benjamin and Tyler Dralle had committed the home invasion after conspiring to do so. Both defendants were charged felony murder and arrested in connection with the home invasion and shooting of Deanna Scordo.

The trial for both defendants commenced the week of November 17, 2019, and culminated with guilty verdicts on all counts for both defendants on January 23, 2020.

Sentencing hearings for Tyler Dralle and Kwamere Benjamin are scheduled for February 28, 2020, before the Honorable Frederick J. Schuck. Both men face up to life in prison.

Released Friday, January 24, 2020.

Few Cancer Patients Enroll in Potentially Life-Extending Clinical Trials

Newswise — Patient enrollment in clinical trials as the first course of treatment after

cancer diagnosis is low, despite the fact that enrollment may increase life expectancy, according to researchers at Penn State. They also found that white males with private health insurance and metastatic cancers treated at academic medical centers are more likely than other groups to enroll in clinical trials.

Dr. Nicholas G. Zaorsky, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Penn State College of Medicine, led a team of Penn State Cancer Institute researchers who analyzed data from more than 12 million patients with 46 different types of cancer between 2004 and 2015 in the National Cancer Database. They found that only 11,576 (0.1%) of those patients were enrolled in clinical trials as their first course of therapy following diagnosis.

According to Dr. Niraj J. Gusani, professor of surgery at the College of Medicine and senior author of the study published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the low enrollment is troubling because clinical trials may be beneficial for patients.

“Major advances in cancer treatment have been supported by clinical trials,” Gusani said. “By volunteering to participate in a trial, patients may help further the field of research and gain access to new treatments.”

Zaorsky, Gusani and their team found that patients with cancer treated in clinical trials, when matched and compared to similar patients not treated on trials, lived longer. They report that patients with cancer in clinical trials at the first course of therapy had a median survival of seven and half months more than those not enrolled in a trial.

According to Zaorsky, previous evaluations of whether clinical trials improved survival compared patients who were enrolled in trials against those not enrolled in trials —  but didn’t account for factors like age, race, gender and cancer type.

The researchers performed a stratified analysis in which they matched each patient who participated in a clinical trial with another patient who was not enrolled in a trial that had ten similar characteristics —  including cancer type, age, race, insurance type, disease stage, and whether or not surgery or chemotherapy were part of the treatment plan.

“If you’re going to evaluate whether clinical trial enrollment is beneficial for patients, you have to try and match each patient to someone who has a similar cancer and sociodemographic profile,” Zaorsky said. “Otherwise, it is like comparing apples to oranges.”

While the survival trend was evident across cancer types, the researchers said that this may not necessarily be true for the general population. In their analysis, they determined that the patients who enrolled in clinical trials at first course of therapy tended to be white males with private insurance, metastatic disease, who had no other chronic medical conditions and were treated at academic medical centers.

“If clinical trials are going to be used to determine standards of care for the general population, then the study participants need to be representative of the general population — and this study shows that often this isn’t the case,” Gusani said.

According to Zaorsky, increasing patient enrollment in clinical trials cannot happen without first improving the infrastructure of clinical trial design and management. Patients may not live close to locations where clinical trials are offered. Even if they are in close proximity to a center offering clinical trials, the trials may not be for their type or stage of cancer.

Gusani suggests that the biggest barrier to clinical trial enrollment is the stigma around them. Patients may feel they are ‘guinea pigs’ in experiments and that they are receiving substandard care. In reality, trials emphasize patient safety at every stage and are carefully regulated and monitored by institutional review boards.

“The increased level of quality control in clinical trials may be beneficial for patients,” Zaorsky said. “Patients who go onto a clinical trial must be treated

per protocol

, meaning that there are many quality measures that must be met, and that there are many other health care providers looking over the patient’s care.”

Incumbent Congressman Jan Van Drew Endorsed by Camden County Republicans

JANUARY 23, 2020)–Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino released the following statement announcing the Camden County Republican Committee has officially endorsed Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew for re-election.

“Over the last few days the Waterford Township and Camden County Republican Committees thoroughly screened all of the candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Congress in the 2nd Congressional District,” said Ambrosino. “Upon completion of the candidate interviews, it was the unanimous recommendation of our county screening committee to endorse our Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew for re-election. I am honored to affirm their recommendation and award Congressman Van Drew the use of our Camden County Republican line and slogan in June’s Republican Primary. We know he will continue fighting for South Jersey and we look forward to working with him to grow the Republican Party.”