Category Archives: News
Man accused in crash that killed officer appears in court
Lamont Gadson is charged with leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in the death of another, a second-degree offense that carries a prison term of five to 10 years upon a conviction. Gadson also is charged with driving with a suspended license, resulting in a death, a third-degree offense carrying a potential prison term up to five years upon a conviction.
“Authorities said 36-year-old Angelo Vasile, a Beachwood resident and a six-year veteran of the police department, was off-duty and riding a motorcycle south on Route 9 near Central Avenue in Lakewood shortly before 3 a.m. on Saturday when he was struck by a car that allegedly was driven by Gadson. Authorities said Gadson fled the scene, and his 2000 Mitsubishi Gallant was found abandoned nearby.”
Gadson was arrested Saturday on warrants for unpaid traffic fines issued in Howell. Gadson was released after posting $1,000 bail, but was arrested again Thursday after an investigation revealed he was driving the car that killed Vasile.
Story is here.
Music teacher is charged with sexual conduct involving six female students
Derick Jerinsky, an Eastside (Paterson) High School music teacher has been charged with inappropriate sexual conduct with six female students at Ramsey High School, where he volunteers as an assistant band instructor.
Jerinsky, of Suffern, N.Y., faces a charge of aggravated sexual contact, six counts of child endangerment and four counts of obscenity involving a juvenile. He was arrested Wednesday after investigators received information that he had inappropriate sexual conversations with students at Ramsey High School. The conduct started in 2008.
Story is here.
Police seize $30K in marijuana, arrest two Hillsborough men
Police seized $30,000 worth of marijuana and arrested two Hillsborough men. Michael Green was charged with third-degree marijuana distribution and possession with intent to distribute and a disorderly persons charge for possession of drug paraphernalia. Daren Caesar was charged with third-degree possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and obstruction of justice.
The men were arrested Thursday after a five-month drug investigation. Police were watching Green’s home when Caesar left with a backpack and officers stopped him on Woods Road in Hillsborough. Police found a pound of marijuana and nine cell phones in his car.
Authorities later pulled over Green after he left his home. Police found more than four pounds of marijuana in his bedroom, two digital scales, a vacuum sealer and a box of vacuum sealing bags.
Story is here.
Rutgers University sorority sisters accused of paddling pledges to face trial
Shawna Ebanks, 21, of East Orange, Kesha Cheron, 20, of Newark, Llana Warner, 20, of the Bronx, Vanessa Adegbite, 21, of Jersey City and Joana Bernard and Marie Charles, both 21, and of West Orange were charged several months ago with fourth degree felony charges. Since that time, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office has downgraded the charges to simple hazing and Rutgers has dropped all disciplinary charges. Nevertheless, the case will go to trial in New Brunswick Municipal Court.
They are all members of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority and the chapter itself remains suspended.
Story is here.
Seaside Park mayor charged with disorderly conduct
Seaside Park Mayor Thomas E. Connors and his two adult children were arrested Saturday night outside a night club in Seaside Heights following an incident in which he was allegedly protecting his daughter.
According to police:
The Mayor’s son, Anthony Connors, 23, of 8th Avenue, Seaside Park, was being escorted from Hemingway’s Cafe by the nightclub’s bouncers when police saw him attempt to break free of his escorts and force his way back into the bar. Police officers then stopped Anthony from fighting the bar’s staff, and he was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The Mayor’s daughter, Lindsay, 22, also of 8th Avenue, left the bar and “immediately began to interfere with the arrest,”. She hit a police lieutenant in the arms and the chest, and she was charged with disorderly conduct, interfering with an arrest and simple assault.
While his son and daughter were being arrested, Thomas Connors, 51, also of 8th Avenue, was also being escorted from Hemingway’s by the cafe staff. He reportedly had “minor facial injuries,”. Thomas also began to interfere with the police officers who were arresting his son and daughter. He was charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with an arrest.
The Mayor refused comment. Detectives are reportedly investigating whether or not Thomas was assaulted inside the club.
Story is here.
NJ Couple Charged with Murder
Gregory Elk and Susan Vasikonis both of Laurel Avenue, were charged Saturday with murder and desecration of human remains in the death of Ocean Grove resident Eric Pagan.
The Burlington County Medical Examiner determined pagan died of blunt force trauma to the head. His body was found after fire officials responded to a brush fire 30 yards off a local roadway in Woodland Township, Burlington County.
Story is here.
High school teacher is charged in online sex chat sting
Michael Seiler, a Hunterdon Central Regional High School teacher has been charged with second-degree attempted sexual assault of a minor and third-degree attempt to endanger the welfare of a child for allegedly contacting an undercover detective who was posing as a girl in a chat room. He told her to touch herself in a sexual manner and asked for nude pictures so he could masturbate.
Story is here.
Man admits to throwing baby over the Driscoll bridge but no body found
On Tuesday morning, the estranged girlfriend of 21-year-old Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem sought a restraining order against him. Less than eight hours after that order was granted, he kidnapped the couple’s 3-month-old daughter from an East Orange apartment and headed south on the Garden State Parkway. He is then alleged to have pulled over on the Driscoll Bridge and throw the baby over the railing into the Raritan River far below.
Other than the man’s confession, there is no evidence that any of this actually occurred. The body of the child has not been found. There were also no witnesses to the incident. Signs near the bridge today ask drivers to tune to an AM radio station to get more information about “an incident”. The message on the radio station does not indicate what occurred but asks anyone that saw anything in the early evening to call police.
While the restraining order had not been served at the time that the baby was taken, there is no indication as to whether or not he knew about the restraining order.
Story is here.
New Brunswick man arrested for ‘Gohst’ graffiti tags
Joseph Pafieka of New Brunswick, New Jersey has been arrested for criminal mischief for allegedly “tagging” walls and buildings across the city with his ‘Gohst” graffiti tag. Police allege that he has done this 100’s of times but how much of that they can prove it unknown. Oddly enough, the key witness that led to his arrest was a homeless man.
Assuming he has no criminal record, this shouldn’t be a big problem for him ordinarily. However, I have a feeling that the authorities will throw the book at him due to the amount of graffiti and to send a message to other “artists”. A good attorney needs to understand this and deal with it right away instead of finding it out a few months later when it is too late to do anything about it.
Story is here.
Child abuse charges dismissed
My client was charged with assaulting his child to the point where she was a bloody mess when the police arrived. The problem in New Jersey is that there is no clear line between corporal punishment and child abuse. So, I argued that this was nothing more than corporal punishment that took a wrong turn. This case took a few months to work out, but in the end, my client had all charges dismissed. He didn’t even have to pay court costs. It was a great result for a very nice client.
Tonacchio Law LC 