NJ Camp Fairs connect great kids with great camps

…FREE admission! –

Weekends starting January 18 – February 22, 2020

Throughout,New Jersey (PR MediaRelease)

For 2020, NJ Camp Fairs, along with the American Camp Association, will have an exciting lineup of 7 summer camp fairs for NJ families throughout Northern and Central New Jersey communities. This is a great time to seek out summer camps and programs for your child, whether it is a sleep away camp, traditional day camp, or specialty camp such as sports, adventure, travel, community service, academic, art, robotics, gymnastics, precollege, performing arts, foreign language, nature, and more. Will it be a full summer away in the woods, a month traveling, a 4- or a 2- week camp, a broad one or a specialized one focusing on learning a new skill? Many ACA accredited camps will be present.

Different camps will be at each fair. Meet face to face with a diverse set of high quality camps from various locations all under one roof. Kids ages PreK through High School go to camp! Older kids can seek summer jobs too. Don’t surf the internet; bring your kids and explore.

Sat, Jan 18 – Bergen County @ Bergen Town Center, Paramus, 12-3pm, FREE!

Sun, Jan 19 – Mercer County @ Quaker Bridge Mall, Lawrenceville, 12-3pm, FREE!

Sat, Jan 25 – Essex County @ Livingston Mall, Livingston, 12-3pm, FREE!

Sun, Jan 26 – Union County @ The Grand Summit Hotel, Summit, 12-3pm, FREE!

Sat, Feb 8 – Bergen County @ The Village of Ridgewood, Ridgewood, 12-3pm, FREE!

Sun, Feb 9 – Essex County @ Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, 12-3pm, FREE!

Sat, Feb 22 – Middlesex County @ Menlo Park Mall, Edison, 12-3pm, FREE!

RSVP at www.njcampfairs.com and receive a free gift and free admission at the fair.

About

Contact

For over 36 years, the NJ Camp Fairs and the ACA has been connecting kids to great camps. Please RSVP @ www.njcampfairs.com to let us know you’re coming and you’ll receive a free gift at the fair. For more information, please go to www.njcampfairs.com and check out the camp directory. Email info@njcampfairs.com for questions.

Philadelphia-Area Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Distributing Oxycodone

A Philadelphia-area doctor was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine yesterday for the illegal distribution of

oxycodone.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Philadelphia Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Jonathan A. Wilson of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division and U.S. Marshal Eric S. Gartner of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.

Richard Ira Mintz, D.O., 69, of Dresher, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who also ordered Mintz to serve three years of supervised release and 90 days of home confinement following release. Mintz pleaded guilty in March 2019 to eight counts of distributing controlled substances (oxycodone) outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

Mintz has surrendered his medical license and DEA Certificate of Registation.

The FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and Philadelphia Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Macko of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled the parallel civil case, in which Mintz paid a $107,584 monetary penalty.

The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

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

Health Benefits of Taking a Hot Bath

Gloucestercitynews.net(January 12, 2020)—Whether we like it or not, stress and anxiety are here to stay. Although modern times cannot eradicate their ever-presence, there is a way to manage them.

Taking a hot bath is an easy way to achieve

relaxation. Ancient cultures believed in the healing powers of water, and you can replicate their ideas easily by having a hot bath.

Freestanding baths

are excellent options that make

your warm bath comfortable. So fill your tub with warm water, bubble bath, and essential oils, and you\’re set to go.

Relieves headache

Most headaches happen when nerves, blood vessels, and certain muscles swell, tighten, and experience an increase in press

ure from the surrounding nerves. Heat can soothe pressure points and relieve pain. Taking a warm bath is an excellent way to use the properties of heat for relief.

Therapeutic and calming

Soaking in a hot tub helps your body and mind rest. It enables you t

o quieten your thoughts and experience the moment. This moment can help you see a clearer picture of the things that are going well in your life, which is dimmed by the amount of stress your daily activities give you. Then gratitude takes the place of your

worries and finally, a moment of Zen. Repeat the process as often as needed.

Helps blood circulation

As you rest your tensed muscles and tensioned mind during a hot bath, your breathing changes. Your tendency to breathe deeper and slower during a relaxin

g activity like hot bathing has a positive effect on your blood flow.

Improves skin

Warm water opens up skin pores. Just before you end your hot bath, gently exfoliate your clean skin in small circular motions. Follow it up with cold water to seal your cle

ar pores. To prevent your skin from drying after a hot bath, it helps to moisturise after each bath.

Helps decrease blood pressure

Many people believe that a routine hot bath is effective in reducing blood pressure. For one, constant relaxation drives away

stress and the harmful effects it has on our health. Second, a study in 2016 revealed that passive heating releases levels of nitric oxide which dilates blood vessels and reduces blood pressure. Nitrix oxide, a molecule naturally produced by your body, is

essential in relaxing the inner muscles of blood vessels for improved blood circulation.

Prelude to a sound sleep

A warm bath increases your body temperature while relaxing tensed muscles along the way. Having an uninterrupted time during your bath is aki

n to meditating. It calms you, gives you peace of mind, relaxes your worries, and makes you feel safe. It replaces chaos with tranquillity, and before you know it, slumber is a matter of seconds away. Don\’t forget to hit the bed!

A warm bath has been a lon

g-standing practice for a good reason. It serves as an elixir that brings tranquillity to your present and alleviates your anxiety of the past and future. The pros of immersing yourself in hot water make it a good investment of your time; and bathtubs, a w

orthwhile investment of your money.

Rutgers-Camden women win third straight game, 63-57

CAMDEN, N.J

(

Jan.

, 2020

) –

The

Rutgers University-Camden women’s

basketball team opened its game here Saturday with a seven-point run and went on to post a

63-57

victory over Rutgers University-Newark in a New Jersey Athletic Conference contest.

The win was the third straight for the Scarlet Raptors, all coming in a six-day span during the week. They raised their record to 8-5 overall and 2-5 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Newark fell to 1-12 overall and 0-7 in the NJAC with its 11th straight loss.

Newark now leads the all-time series, 39-31.

Freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

scored the first five points of the game for the Scarlet Raptors and senior guard

Fatimah Williams

added the next field goal as Rutgers-Camden took a 7-0 lead. The Raptors led, 15-6, after on

e quarter and 30-18 at halftime, with Pitts notching all nine of her points during

the first 20 minutes and sophomore forward

Breanna Ettrick

scoring all seven of her points for the game.

The second-half production was carried by Williams, who notched 19 points to finish with a game-high 25, while junior guard

Shane Holmes

scored seven of her 10 points after the break. Holmes also finished with a game-high five assists, while sophomore forward

Tamara Johnson

added four assists.

Holmes added a career-high seven rebounds to lead the Scarlet Raptors, while Johnson, Williams and Pitts notched six apiece.

Rutgers-Newark received a big game from sophomore guard/forward Dorian Capurso, who notched a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Syncere Lambert added nine points and senior center Comfort Akinbo added eight. Freshman forward Ebony Odom Barnes grabbed eight rebounds, helping the Scarlet Raiders hold a 42-38 edge off the boards.

Rutgers-Camden shot 21-for-56 from the floor (37.5 percent) and 18-for-29 (62.1) from the foul line. Rutgers-Newark was 19-for-50 (38.0) from the floor and 13-for-28 (46.4) from the line.

Newark made 21 turnovers and Camden had 15.

The Scarlet Raptors have another three-game week next week, beginning with a non-conference 7 p.m. game

Monday

at the University of Valley Forge.

SJ Gas Pipeline Nightmare Continues – Pinelands Commission Fail to Rescind Approvals

The Pinelands Commission was prepared to put a stay on the application of the South Jersey Gas Pipeline application, however they voted down a resolution Addressing the Remand of the South Jersey Gas Company Application Due to a Significant Change in Material Fact.

The final vote was 4-5.

“The nightmare continues at the Pinelands. By voting down even this weak resolution, it blocks the commission from taking final action on the SJ Gas pipeline. This means the application for the SJ Gas Pipeline still stands. This is one of the most shameful episodes that the Pinelands Commission has ever done. The BPU approval is based on the Pineland’s approval so as long as the Pinelands Commission doesn’t rescind their approval, the BPU approval still stands. Our concern is that the SJ Gas proposal could come back,”

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

“What the Pinelands Commission did today was the worst thing that has ever been done in the Pinelands, it goes against the CMP and the AG’s letter vacating the approval of the SJ Gas. It shows the Chris Christie Pinelands Commission is pro gas pipelines.”

South Jersey Gas plans were to build a pipeline that would go through the southern part of the Pinelands to connect into the B.L. England plant. Now that B.L. England will not be re-opened, the company continues to pursue the pipeline claiming it will improve system resiliency. In May, the Attorney General asked the Appellate Court to remand the South Jersey Gas pipeline case,

Docket No. A-3310-16

, back to the Pinelands Commission. The SJ Gas pipeline in the Pinelands was originally intended to repower the B.L. England plant. Owners of B.L. England have now closed the plant permanently, eliminating any need for the pipeline.

“We have been trying to get the Commission to rescind their approval since March, and now they sided with SJ Gas over the Pinelands. The decision made today means SJ Gas would still be able to reapply or find another buyer for B.L England. The Commission vote also goes against Attorney General Grewal’s letter to remand SJ Gas pipeline case to undo the approvals. The Pineland Commission’s approval for the SJ Gas pipeline should be revoked with prejudice because it is in violation of the CMP. Instead the most shameful episode of the Pinelands Commission is continuing. Instead of protecting the Pinelands, the commission is giving another chance for this unnecessary and unneeded fossil fuel project to be built,”

said Tittel.

“The Attorney General has already said that the SJ Gas pipeline does not meet the criteria for the Pinelands approval and has asked the Appellate Court to remand the South Jersey Gas pipeline case back to the Pinelands Commission for further action. The NJ Sierra Club also won our motion to remand the Pinelands Commission to reconsider its approval on SJ Gas. Enough is enough.”

Last spring, Governor Murphy announced that he will appoint Jessica Sanchez and Jennifer Coffey to the Pineland Commission. Jessica Sanchez will be replacing Gary Quinn and Jennifer Coffey will be replacing Bob Barr. Murphy has also re-nominated Ed Lloyd as Commissioner. Governor Murphy also appointed Rick Prickett as the new chair of the Pinelands Commission.

“On the 6

Anniversary of the original denial of the SJ Gas application by the Pinelands Commission, what they did today was disgraceful. Six years ago, the Pinelands Commission denied the application, then Governor Christie stacked the commission with his appointees who are still running it. They want to turn the Pinelands into the Pipelands. We need Governor Murphy to veto the minutes of today’s Commission meeting so that this outrageous act did not happen and so that we can get a denial on this terrible project. It is better to have no resolution than a voted down resolution because then we can still work on rescinding the approval,”

said Tittel.

“The Governor also needs to fight to get his nomination through and hold the Senate President accountable and get these nominations approved.”

The Pinelands is the largest open space on the eastern seaboard and recognized for its biodiversity by the United Nations. The New Jersey Sierra Club is currently suing the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and the Pinelands Commission on their approval of the SRL pipeline. The New Jersey Sierra Club also filed with Pinelands Preservation Alliance requesting a motion for a stay by the Board of Public Utilities and the Pinelands Commission on the Southern Reliability Link Pipeline.

“Today, instead of protecting the Pinelands Protection Act, the commission turned into the Pinelands Permissive Act. When the Pinelands Act was passed forty years ago, one of the major reasons was to prevent pipelines coming through to connect offshore oil to refineries in south Jersey. The purpose of this pipeline was to build a natural gas plant in Cape May, now that purpose is hot air. The SJG pipeline would not only destroy the Pinelands but also impact critical drinking water for millions of people,”

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

“Today’s meeting shows that it is more important than ever to push Governor Murphy appointees for the Pinelands Commission through. We need people who will protect our environment and protect the Pinelands.”

Link to Pinelands Commission Meeting Live Stream:

https://www.nj.gov/pinelands/home/meetings/live/#1

NIAAA Study: Alcohol-related deaths increasing in the United States

An analysis of U.S. death certificate data by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National

Institutes of Health, found that nearly 1 million people died from alcohol-related causes between 1999 and 2017. The number of death certificates mentioning alcohol more than doubled from 35,914 in 1999 to 72,558 in 2017, the year in which alcohol played a role in 2.6% of all deaths in the United States. The increase in alcohol-related deaths is consistent with reports of increases in alcohol consumption and alcohol-involved emergency department visits and hospitalizations during the same period. The new findings are reported online in the journal

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

“Alcohol is not a benign substance and there are many ways it can contribute to mortality,” said NIAAA Director Dr. George F. Koob. “The current findings suggest that alcohol-related deaths involving injuries, overdoses, and chronic diseases are increasing across a wide swath of the population. The report is a wakeup call to the growing threat alcohol poses to public health.”

In the new study, Aaron White, Ph.D., senior scientific advisor to the NIAAA director, and colleagues analyzed data from all U.S. death certificates filed from 1999 to 2017. A death was identified as alcohol-related if an alcohol-induced cause was listed as the underlying cause or as a contributing cause of death. The researchers found that, in 2017, nearly half of alcohol-related deaths resulted from liver disease (31%; 22,245) or overdoses on alcohol alone or with other drugs (18%; 12,954). People aged 45-74 had the highest rates of deaths related to alcohol, but the biggest increases over time were among people age 25-34. High rates among middle-aged adults are consistent with recent reports of increases in “deaths of despair,” generally defined as deaths related to overdoses, alcohol-associated liver cirrhosis, and suicides, primarily among non-Hispanic whites. However, the authors report that, by the end of the study period, alcohol-related deaths were increasing among people in almost all age and racial and ethnic group.

As with increases in alcohol consumption and related medical emergencies, rates of death involving alcohol increased more for women (85%) than men (35%) over the study period, further narrowing once large differences in alcohol use and harms between males and females. The findings come at a time of growing evidence that even one drink per day of alcohol can contribute to an increase in the risk of breast cancer for women. Women also appear to be at a greater risk than men for alcohol-related cardiovascular diseases, liver disease, alcohol use disorder, and other consequences.

“Alcohol is a growing women’s health issue,” said Dr. Koob. “The rapid increase in deaths involving alcohol among women is troubling and parallels the increases in alcohol consumption among women over the past few decades.”

The authors note that previous studies have shown that the role of alcohol in deaths is vastly underreported. Since the present study examined death certificates only, the actual number of alcohol-related deaths in 2017 may far exceed the 72,558 determined by the authors.

“Taken together,” said Dr. Koob, “the findings of this study and others suggests that alcohol-related harms are increasing at multiple levels – from ED visits and hospitalizations to deaths. We know that the contribution of alcohol often fails to make it onto death certificates. Better surveillance of alcohol involvement in mortality is essential in order to better understand and address the impact of alcohol on public health.”

About the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA):

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is the primary U.S. agency for conducting and supporting research on the causes, consequences, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol use disorder. NIAAA also disseminates research findings to general, professional, and academic audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at

www.niaaa.nih.gov

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

NIH, the nation\’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit

www.nih.gov

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health

Reference

Aaron White, PhD, I-Jen P. Castle, PhD, Ralph Hingson, ScD, Patricia Powell, PhD. Using death certificates to explore changes in alcohol-related mortality in the United States, 1999–2017

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Published online January 8, 2020.

Randolph Inspection Station Temporarily Closed January 13

(

TRENTON) – The Randolph Inspection Station will be temporarily closed on Monday, January 13, 2020, due to construction work being performed at the site. The station is expected to reopen the following day on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, but please check the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) website,

njmvc.gov

, before heading to the Randolph station on Tuesday.

Alternative inspection stations that will be operational on Monday, January 13, 2020, include:

Washington

114 Route 31 North

(Enter on Pershing Avenue)

Washington, NJ 07882

Newton

90 Moran St.

Newton, NJ 07860

Wayne

481 Route 46 West

Wayne, New Jersey 07470

The MVC reminds customers to always check our website before visiting a local office and to take advantage of driver license renewal and other online services, such as vehicle registration renewals, driver abstract requests, and surcharge and restoration payments.

For more about the ongoing positive changes at the MVC, visit

njmvc.gov

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Visit us at

.njmvc.gov

New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer

National Inventors Hall of Fame Announces 2020 Inductees at CES

Honorees’ Contributions to Society Are Centerpiece of May Event

LAS VEGAS

—

Jan. 7, 2020

— Twenty-two innovation pioneers were announced today as the National Inventors Hall of Fame

(NIHF) 2020 class of Inductees on stage at CES

These innovators, whose landmark inventions range from the hard hat to the sports bra, will be celebrated as the newest class of Inductees during the NIHF Induction Ceremony. In partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), NIHF will honor these Inductees in Washington, D.C. on May 6-7 at one of the innovation industry’s most highly anticipated events — “The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation

.”

“My passion for science and creating led me to a career in engineering,” said 2020 Inductee Raffaello D’Andrea, a pioneer of mobile robotic material handling for order fulfillment, professor at ETH Zurich and founder of Verity. “It’s an honor to be recognized alongside Mick Mountz and Pete Wurman for our accomplishments at Kiva Systems.”

THE CLASS OF 2020

• R. Rox Anderson: Laser Dermatology

Anderson has improved lives across the world with his invention of laser dermatology treatments and procedures that are now commonly used to remove birthmarks, scars and other skin lesions.

• Sylvia Blankenship and Edward Sisler (Posthumous): 1-MCP for Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Freshness

Blankenship and Sisler invented 1-MCP, a compound that has become essential in preventing food waste, and increasing accessibility to fresh fruits, vegetables and cut flowers.

• Dana Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li and Pushkar Tandon: Bend-Insensitive Optical Fiber

Bookbinder, Li and Tandon invented the bend-insensitive ClearCurve

optical fiber. Because it can bend without significant signal loss, ClearCurve optical fiber has reached locations previously inaccessible to optical fiber and advanced data transmission across an array of industries.

• Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller and Polly Smith: Sports Bra

Lindahl, Miller and Smith invented the sports bra, a revolutionary garment that has enabled women’s participation in athletic activities and advanced women’s health and well-being.

• James McEwen: Automatic Surgical Tourniquet

McEwen invented the first microprocessor-controlled automatic surgical tourniquet system, and his innovations ensure safer outcomes in nearly 20,000 surgeries across the world each day.

• Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman and Raffaello D’Andrea: Mobile Robotic Material Handling for Order Fulfillment

Mountz, Wurman and D’Andrea invented the Kiva system, a revolutionary warehouse order fulfillment system that uses mobile robots and control software to bring inventory shelves to workers, dramatically improving all aspects of fulfillment operations.

• Margaret Wu: Synthetic Lubricants

Wu advanced the field of synthetic lubricants, and she has revolutionized the way both automotive and industrial lubricants are designed and synthesized.

• James Abercrombie and Harry Cameron: Blowout Preventer (BOP); (Posthumous)

Abercrombie and Cameron invented the world’s first reliable blowout preventer (BOP) to successfully contain catastrophic blowouts from oil and natural gas wells. This mechanism allowed operators to close wells, control pressure during drilling operations, protect the environment and save lives.

• Stewart Adams and John Nicholson: Ibuprofen (Posthumous)

Adams and Nicholson co-developed ibuprofen, which is used worldwide to safely and effectively treat pain, fever and inflammation related to conditions from headaches to arthritis.

• Evelyn Berezin: Computer Systems for Business Use (Posthumous)

An expert in logic design and data transmission, Berezin invented a computer reservations system for airlines and founded a company that developed the first computerized standalone word processor for business use.

• Edward W. Bullard: Hard Hat (Posthumous)

Bullard invented the hard hat, the first commercially available industrial head protection device. Originally designed for miners, hard hats are now used by millions of people in an array of industries.

•

Floyd Smith: Modern Parachute (Posthumous)

Smith invented the modern parachute. A trapeze artist turned aviator, Smith’s invention led to the creation of the parachute industry and provided safe landings across the world, saving countless lives.

•

Frank Zybach: Center-Pivot Irrigation (Posthumous)

Zybach invented the center-pivot irrigation technology that has revolutionized agricultural production not only in America’s heartland but throughout the world.

For full biographies of each Inductee, visit

https://www.invent.org/inductees/new-inductees

THE CELEBRATION

The class of 2020 will be honored at “The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation,” a two-day event held in our nation\’s capital. Danica McKellar — star of the TV show “The Wonder Years,” Hallmark Channel regular, and author of New York Times bestselling McKellar Math books — will serve as master of ceremonies.

• May 6 – Illumination Ceremony at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum

at the USPTO Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, where new Inductees will place their names on illuminated hexagonsin the museum’s Gallery of Icons

™

• May 7 – The 48

Annual National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

will be held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., where the new Inductee class will be honored for its contributions to society during an evening event including a black-tie dinner, ceremony and after party. To learn more about the event, visit

https://www.invent.org/induction

“Innovation is the foundation for everything we do at the National Inventors Hall of Fame,” said NIHF CEO Michael Oister. “Our class of 2020 — and their world-changing inventions as diverse as ibuprofen, optical fiber, the word processor and the parachute — will be incorporated into our Innovation Ecosystem and our leading children’s STEM programs such as Camp Invention.”

The 2020 National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is sponsored by the USPTO, Qualcomm, AgroFresh, Corning, North Carolina State University and Red Point Digital.

About the National Inventors Hall of Fame

The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is the premier nonprofit organization in America dedicated to recognizing inventors and invention, promoting creativity, and advancing the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. Founded in 1973 in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, NIHF is committed to not only honoring the individuals whose inventions have made the world a better place, but to ensuring American ingenuity continues to thrive in the hands of coming generations through its national, hands-on educational programming and collegiate competitions focused on the exploration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Explore the NIHF Museum

digitally

in Google Arts & Culture’s “Once Upon a Try” project

For more information, visit

invent.org

To nominate an inventor for Induction, visit

invent.org/nominate

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.