Paterson NJ Homicide LawyersPaterson law enforcement has determined that a death previously ruled a suicide was actually a homicide, leading to criminal charges for murder.

The Paterson Police Department got a call about gunshots fired at a Paterson New Jersey apartment on September 18, 2016. When Paterson police officers arrived at the apartment, which is located on East 31st Street, they found the victim suffering from a single gunshot wound.

St. Joseph’s Medical Center paramedics soon arrived at the apartment, but they could not save the victim. Authorities pronounced the victim dead a short time later. The victim resided in Clifton NJ and was only 22 years old at the time of his death.

Paterson NJ detectives initially thought that the victim died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, New Jersey medical examiners and Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office detectives took a closer look at the victim and determined that someone else likely used a handgun to shoot the victim.

Police officers eventually identified the suspect as person who probably killed the victim. Since the suspect was already being held at the Bergen County Jail on unrelated charges, it was easy for law enforcement to find him.

The suspect has been charged with numerous crimes, including first degree murder and multiple weapons offenses.

For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Man Charged with Murder in What Was First Reported as a Suicide, Cops Say.”

Paterson New Jersey Murder LawyersA Paterson New Jersey man wanted as a murder suspect was recently captured by federal law enforcement in South Carolina.

The suspect allegedly committed thee homicide just before midnight on September 30, 2016. According to authorities, the suspect used a handgun to shoot a local man walking along 12th Avenue in Paterson’s Fourth Ward.

The victim, a 29-year-old Paterson resident, was transported to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center so that doctors could treat him for multiple gunshot wounds. Tragically, doctors were unable to save the victim’s life.

Meanwhile, the suspect allegedly evaded capture by Paterson police and then fled to South Carolina to hide out. Paterson police, Passaic County prosecutors, and US Marshals worked together to conduct an investigation into the fatal shooting and eventually located the suspect in South Carolina. That’s where US Marshals later apprehended the suspect and placed him under arrest.

When announcing the suspect’s arrest, the Paterson NJ police director said that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies had worked together to locate and capture the suspect.

The suspect is a 26-year-old Paterson man. If he is ultimately convicted on the very serious charges of first degree murder, he would be subject to a punishment of life imprisonment in NJ State Prison. Additionally, the minimum mandatory term of incarceration for a person convicted of murder in New Jersey is 30 years.

For more information about this case, go to the NJ.com article, “Murder Suspect Captured in South Carolina, Cops Say.”

Paterson New Jersey Assault LawyersPaterson New Jersey law enforcement arrested two individuals who allegedly shot at a Harrison NJ cop who was off duty and walking around in Paterson.

According to authorities, the two suspects, a man and a woman, fired several gunshots at the victim as he walked near the intersection of Oak Street and Madison Street in Paterson, NJ. The suspects allegedly took aim at the off-duty police officer while driving a car and then suddenly lost control of the vehicle. After crashing their car into a house, the female suspect reportedly fled the scene while the male suspect remained behind due to serious injuries sustained in the auto accident.

The male suspect was subsequently placed under arrest by Paterson police officers, while law enforcement captured the female suspect sometime later.

The good news is that the Harrison police officer was not struck by any of bullets and did not suffer any injuries as a result of the shooting.

The suspects include a 21-year-old woman from Paterson NJ and a 21-year-old man from the Bronx, NY. They have both been charged with multiple crimes, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon.

After being placed under arrest and charged, the suspects were remanded to the Passaic County Jail on bail amounts ranging from $150,000 to $250,000.

For further information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “2 Charged with Attempted Murder of Off-Duty Cop in Paterson.”

Paterson New Jersey Manslaughter ChargesA Paterson New Jersey man facing first degree murder charges for the killing of a pizzeria worker has now pleaded guilty to lesser charges of aggravated manslaughter.

The suspect committed the homicide on September 8, 2014 outside Big Chris’s Pizzeria in Paterson, NJ. According to authorities, the suspect got into an altercation with the victim, who was employed at the pizza shop. After the victim reportedly struck the suspect in the face, the suspect left the scene for a few hours. The angered suspect later returned armed with a handgun and fired six bullets at the victim, with at least one bullet hitting the victim in the lower back.

The victim was taken to a local hospital, where doctors tried to save him. Tragically, the 24-year-old victim did not survive his injuries and was pronounced dead at the medical facility.

Law enforcement later tracked down the suspect at a Pennsylvania motel, where he was allegedly hiding out. He was extradited back to New Jersey and charged with first degree murder.

The suspect later reached a plea deal with Passaic County NJ prosecutors: in exchange for the suspect pleading guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter, prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of 20 years in New Jersey State Prison.

When the suspect appears in Passaic County Superior Court on January 20, 2017, he will be official sentenced in the case.

For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Man Who Shot at Pizza Worker 6 Times Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter.”

Woodland Park NJ Fraud LawyersA Woodland Park woman is will be spending time behind bars after she pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud conspiracy.

The suspect is a 37-year-old woman who lives in Woodland Park, NJ. She reportedly committed the fraud crime with a co-conspirator, a 51-year-old woman who resides in Florida. Both women worked in the customer service department for a watch manufacturer in Bergen County, New Jersey.

According to prosecutors, the women committed the fraud for more than nine years and were only caught when someone else at the company noticed discrepancies in the financial records.

While employed by the Bergen County company, the suspects had merchandise, including watches and watch parts, secretly sent to a different address. The women allegedly doctors invoices, records, and customer complaints in order to cover their tracks.

The total amount of the suspects’ theft was said to be more than $250,000.

The Woodland Park suspect ultimately reached a plea deal with prosecutors. The suspect agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud conspiracy, while prosecutors agreed to recommend a prison sentence of one year.

Now the suspect has been officially sentenced to one year in federal prison. She recently made an appearance in U.S. District Court, located in Trenton NJ, for her formal sentencing hearing.

In addition to being ordered to go to prison, the suspect will have to pay restitution totaling more than $126K.

For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Woman Sentenced for Using Employer to Steal Watches, Parts.”

Wayne NJ Burglary LawyersAn 11-year-old boy escaped without injury after walking in on a burglary at his house in Wayne, NJ.

Allen Shneyderman is an 11-year-old child who lives with his family on Beech Terrace in Wayne, New Jersey. Shneyderman came home from school and encountered a stranger inside his house.

Shneyderman initially heard strange sounds coming from a room in the residence. When he took a closer look, the boy made eye contact with the burglar.

Shneyderman did not panic; instead, he calmly exited the house and found a neighbor who was driving by the residence. Shneyderman and the neighbor then contacted Wayne NJ police and alerted law enforcement to the break-in.

Wayne NJ detectives eventually identified the suspect as a 23-year-old resident of Pompton Lakes, NJ. Police then went to the suspect’s home in Pompton Lakes and placed him under arrest.

The suspect has been charged with multiple crimes, including theft of movable property and burglary.

Shneyderman talked to the media and said that he knew exactly what to do during the frightening situation because he had been taught by a D.A.R.E. officer at his Wayne NJ school.

To learn more about this case, see the NewJerseyNews12.com article, “11-Year-Old Wayne Boy Recounts Scary Encounter with Burglar in Home.”

Paterson NJ Heroin Distribution ChargesPolice officers recently raided an alleged heroin distribution operation at a residence in Paterson, NJ

According to prosecutors, the ringleader’s home in Paterson was used a base of operations for the illegal drug network.

New Jersey State Police investigated the suspect for a while before obtaining a search warrant for his car and his home. When police officer stopped the suspect’s vehicle on a Paterson roadway and conducted a search, they reportedly found 135 bricks of heroin and other illegal drugs. Police also reportedly discovered an unregistered handgun and a shotgun hidden inside the car.

A raid of the suspect’s home in Paterson allegedly led to the discovery of 79 grams of raw heroin and 3,791 packets of heroin.

The suspect, a Paterson NJ residence has been charged with numerous crimes, including maintaining a heroin production facility, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, conspiracy, and various weapons offenses.

Additionally, five family members of the suspects have also been criminally charged in connection with the alleged heroin distribution network. The other suspects hail from Paterson and West New York.

To learn more about this case, view the NJ.com article, “6 Indicted after N.J. Authorities Bust Heroin Ring in Paterson.”

Clifton New Jersey Heroin BustA Florida man facing criminal charges for distributing a large amount of illegal drugs in Clifton, NJ recently pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court.

According to prosecutors, the suspect was among a group of people who had roles in a major drug distribution network that sold cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and morphine throughout Passaic County, New Jersey.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted an investigation into the drug distribution operation and eventually arrested the suspects. During drug raids of motor vehicles and a residence in Clifton, DEA agents reportedly found 77 pounds of heroin and 44 pounds of cocaine.

The suspect is a 52-year-old man who resides in Morriston, Florida. He was charged with federal crimes for conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and conspiracy to distribute morphine. A conviction on those charges could have resulted in a sentence of life imprisonment.

However, the suspect reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors, with prosecutors agreeing to recommend a more lenient sentence when the suspect appears in U.S. District Court in Trenton for a formal sentencing hearing later this year.

For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Florida Man Facing Life in Prison for 121-Pound Drug Bust.”

Paterson NJ Police ShootingPassaic County authorities are investigating a police shooting that involved a Paterson cop and left a man with injuries requiring medical attention.

According to Passaic County prosecutors, the Paterson NJ police officer shot the suspect late Friday night in the area of Oak Street and Madison Street in Paterson, New Jersey.

One person sustained injuries due to the shooting incident. Emergency medical responders briefly treated the man at the scene of the shooting before rushing him to a local hospital for further medical treatment.

Investigators with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office are currently looking into the police shooting, which is standard procedure when a Paterson cop discharges their weapon in the line of duty.

The shooting victim will also be the subject of an investigation, with detectives trying to determine whether he caused the police officer to fire the weapon. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the person who was shot could potentially face criminal charges that include aggravated assault against a police officer and various weapons offenses.

For additional information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “1 Injured in Police Shooting in Paterson, Authorities Say.”

Murder at Clifton Liquor StoreA Paterson New Jersey teen is going to prison on aggravated manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal shooting in Clifton, NJ.

The violent incident occurred on October 15, 2015 outside Lexington Liquors in Clifton, New Jersey. The suspect and three of his friends allegedly got into a physical altercation with Leandro Mendoza, a liquor store worker. At some point, the suspect left the scene, only to return later armed with a handgun. The suspect then allegedly used the handgun to shoot Mendoza two times.

The suspect was just 17 years old at the time of the shooting incident, so he was initially charged as a minor. However, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office successfully lobbied to get the suspect charged as an adult, meaning that he faced severe consequences.

The suspect was charged with multiple crimes, including first degree murder, armed robbery, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He avoided trial on the criminal charges by reaching a plea agreement with Passaic County prosecutors.

In exchange for the suspect pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter, prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining charges and recommend a sentence of 16 years in NJ State Prison.

For further information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Teen Gets 16 Years for Killing Clifton Liquor Store Worker, Report Says.”