Wayne NJ Theft by Deception SuspectsPolice in Wayne New Jersey recently arrested two Mahwah residents accused of committing fraud by soliciting donations to a fake charity.

According to Wayne authorities, the suspects committed the fraud outside the Stop & Shop in the Preakness Shopping Center in Wayne, NJ.

The Wayne Police Department got a report of a man and a woman fraudulently soliciting donations to a fake veterans’ charity. A representative of the actual charity, Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon, told police that the suspects were allowed to set up shop outside the grocery store by giving store employees false documents.

The real Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon charity is based in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. The charity helps wounded servicemen and servicewomen adjust to civilian life after the military.

The suspects, a 59-year-old male and a 57-year-old female, face criminal charges for wrongful impersonation and theft by deception.

After being arrested and charged, the suspects were taken to Wayne police headquarters. Once the suspects had been processed, they were released on summonses. They will be required to make appearances in Wayne Municipal Court to address the very serious criminal charges.

For more information about this case, see the NJ.com article, “N.J. Duo Accused of Fraudulently Posing as Veterans’ Charity.”

Paterson NJ Homicide LawyersPassaic County Prosecutor’s Office detectives have identified the victim in a fatal shooting on a street in Paterson, New Jersey.

According to officials, the murder occurred around 9:00 p.m. The Paterson Police Department got several reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Ellison Street in Paterson, NJ.

When police officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound.

The victim was transported to nearby St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, where doctors attempted to save him. A few hours later, doctors pronounced the victim dead.

Now Paterson NJ authorities have said that the victim was a 64-year-old man who owned a store in Paterson, New Jersey.

The Paterson Police Department’s major crimes division and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office are conducting a joint investigation into the shooting.

If investigators can eventually identify and locate a suspect, criminal charges for first degree murder would probably follow. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, murder is considered the most serious criminal offense in the NJ Criminal Code. A conviction on first degree murder charges could result in life imprisonment, with a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years behind bars.

Any members of the public who have information about the homicide should reach out to Paterson investigators at 973-321-1120 or 973-523-TIPS.

For more information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Store Owner, 64, Fatally Shot in Paterson, Police Say.”

Paterson NJ Murder LawyersPaterson NJ police are looking into the fatal shooting of a man on a city street.

The tragic death occurred on a Friday night. According to authorities, the 64-year-old victim was shot while walking on the 100 block of Ellison Street in Paterson, New Jersey.

Law enforcement waited to release the identity of the victim. Authorities later released the victim’s identity: 64-year-old Paterson NJ resident Jose Tavarez. This was in contrast to initial media reports that said the victim was a 39-year-old man.

Not long after the victim was pronounced dead, Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale issued a statement and indicated that this was the second homicide to occur in Paterson so far in 2016.

The Paterson Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office are conducting a joint investigation into the most recent killing.

If police can eventually identify and locate a suspect, murder charges would probably follow. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, murder is the most serious criminal offense in the NJ Criminal Code. A conviction for first degree murder could lead to life imprisonment in New Jersey State Prison, with a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years behind bars.

For further information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “39-Year-Old Paterson Man Shot to Death, Report Says.”

West Milford NJ Theft by Deception SuspectPolice in West Milford NJ recently arrested a local man accused of stealing funds from a fire company.

According to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the 22-year-old suspect illegally took the funds while he served as treasurer for the West Milford Community Volunteer Fire Company No. 2. The suspect served as treasurer between 2013 and November 2015.

Authorities first became aware of the suspect’s alleged fraud and deception in late 2015. The suspect reportedly had access to the West Milford fire company’s bank accounts and had control over fire company funds.

Prosecutors are alleging the suspect stole funds, which he then used for his own personal gain.

The suspect, who resides in West Milford NJ, faces criminal charges for third degree theft by deception.

If the suspect is eventually convicted of theft by deception, he would be subject to significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4, a person who uses deception to acquire between $500 and $75,000 can be charged with a third degree criminal offense. A conviction on third degree theft by deception charges could lead to a sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.

After being arrested and charged, the suspect was taken to the Passaic County Jail in Paterson, NJ. He was being held at the correctional facility in lieu of $35,000 bail.

For more information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Volunteer Firefighter Accused of Stealing from N.J. Fire Company.”

Clifton NJ Armed Robbery ChargesA Paterson NJ man allegedly committed an armed robbery at a Clifton NJ convenience store.

The theft went down around 2:30 a.m. According to Clifton New Jersey detectives, the suspect entered the On the Go convenience store located on Lexington Avenue in Clifton and walked toward a cashier.

The suspect reportedly brandished a handgun during the robbery and ordered the store employee to hand over money from the register.

After getting an undisclosed amount of cash from the store clerk, the suspect exited the store and fled the scene on foot.

Thankfully, nobody inside the store during the robbery sustained any injuries.

Witnesses of the theft incident later talked to Clifton NJ police officers and said that the suspect wore dark clothing and covered his face with a mask.

The Clifton Police Department and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit worked together to canvass the surrounding area in search of the suspect, but they were not able to locate him in the hours immediately following the robbery.

Eventually, however, police were able to identify the 27-year-old suspect as the robber. A Clifton plainclothes detective saw the suspect walking near the intersection of Highland Avenue and Parker Avenue. A chase ensued, but the suspect was quickly apprehended.

The suspect, who lives in Paterson, has been charged with armed robbery, illegal possession of a handgun, and resisting arrest.

If the suspect is ultimately convicted of armed robbery, he would face significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, anyone who uses a deadly weapon such as a handgun or a knife during a theft can be charged with a second degree felony and potentially sentenced to 5-10 years in New Jersey State Prison.

For more information about this case, check out the NJ.com article, “Suspect in Clifton Armed Robbery Arrested.”

Paterson NJ Marijuana Possession AttorneysNew Jersey officials are worried that thousands of criminal convictions in Passaic County and elsewhere in NJ could be thrown out after a lab technician with the NJ State Police faked evidence in a drug case.

Kamalkant Shah worked as a lab technician for the New Jersey State Police as a lab tech. While evaluating evidence at the North Regional Lab Drug Unit in Little Falls NJ, Shah allegedly “dry labbed,” or faked crucial data, on a substance believed to be marijuana.

New Jersey law enforcement initially learned about the deception on December 10, 2015 and immediately opened an investigation into Shah. While officials conducted the investigation and gathered evidence in the case, Shah was taken off laboratory work with the New Jersey police. Around one month later, on January 12, 2016, Shah was formally suspended without pay.

On February 22, Ellie Honig, the director of the NJ Division of Criminal Justice, sent a letter to several NJ county prosecutors’ offices and highlighted evidence indicating that Shah had been caught “recording an anticipated result without properly conducting the analysis” in a drug case.

Additionally, Honig asked New Jersey prosecutors to disclose this potentially damaging information to criminal defense lawyers in open drug offense cases.

On February 29, NJ Deputy Public Defender Judy Fallon sent another memo to New Jersey Public Defender Joseph Krakora. The memo offered specific details about the allegations against Shah and directly stated that Shah is accused of faking important data in the marijuana possession case. The NJ deputy public defender also said that Shah was “observed writing ‘test results’ for suspected marijuana that was never tested.”

On March 2, 2016, officials with the NJ Municipal Court Law Update Service posted the memo on the agency’s website.

The impact of this latest news about the allegations against Shah could be significant. For example, the criminal convictions in all of the cases that Shah worked on as a laboratory technician could end up being overturned. Since he began his employment with the police in 2005, Shaw served as a lab tech on 7,827 criminal cases. Although investigators discovered just one instance of misconduct by Shah, all of the criminal cases he worked on could be in jeopardy. The drug cases were heard in courtrooms all over New Jersey, including Passaic County, Bergen County, Morris County, and Essex County. More than 2,100 of these cases come from Passaic County, NJ.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, it does not appear that prosecutors will be filing criminal charges against Shah.

The New Jersey State Police is currently working with Passaic County prosecutors and attempting to determine how to best deal with any open drug crime cases in Passaic County.

For more information about this developing case, see the NJ.com article, “Lab Tech Allegedly Faked Result in Drug Case; 7,827 Criminal Cases Now in Question.”

Paterson New Jersey Assault LawyersTwo teens allegedly committed a violent “knockout game” assault in Paterson, NJ.

According to authorities, the teens attacked an elderly man at the intersection of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Van Houten Street in Paterson, New Jersey. As the victim tried to walk across the street, one of the teenage suspects allegedly approached the man and punched him in the face.

Meanwhile, the other teen suspect is said to have record the attack on video. During the attack, he also allegedly urged the attacker to keep hitting the victim.

Police said that the assault was entirely unprovoked. The video recording of the assault, which circulated online, has generated outrage among viewers.

The Paterson Police Department investigated the violent incident and eventually identified the suspects after getting tips from individuals who saw the online video.

One of the teen suspects is a 16-year-old boy from Paterson, New Jersey. He turned himself in to Paterson police and was charged with multiple crimes, including aggravated assault and endangering an injured victim.

Paterson authorities are still looking for the actual attacker in the case. It is believed that the other suspect is a 17-year-old male.

Paterson NJ police have said that this violent attack is an example the “knockout game,” which usually involves young people hitting an unsuspecting victim as another person records the encounter on video.

For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Charges Filed in Apparent ‘Knockout Game’ Attack in Paterson.”

Clifton New Jersey Heroin LawyersFederal authorities recently arrested six individuals accused of heroin distribution in Clifton, NJ.

According to law enforcement, the investigation into the suspects was thorough and eventually resulted in police obtaining search warrants.

Agents with the NJ division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed the search warrants over the course of a single day and raided multiple locations.

DEA agents reportedly found, and seized, 20 kilograms of heroin while conducting the drug raids. The heroin is said to have a street value of roughly $10 million. Officials indicated that the heroin would sell for between $5 and $10 per dose on the street.

Details of the DEA drug raids and subsequent arrests are currently being kept under wraps by federal law enforcement.

If the suspects in the drug case are eventually convicted on the heroin distribution charges, they would likely face significant criminal penalties. Although the suspects will probably be charged under federal law, New Jersey state drug laws also impose severe punishments. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, manufacturing, distributing or dispensing heroin in a quantity of five ounces or greater is a first degree crime and could lead to a sentence of 10-20 years in New Jersey State Prison, as well as fines of up to $500,000.

The suspects will soon be required to appear before a federal judge in Newark, NJ so that their bail amounts can be set.

For further information about this case, check out the NJ.com article, “Feds Arrest 6, Seize $10 Million Worth of Heroin.”

Paterson NJ Aggravated Assault ChargesPaterson police recently arrested a local man wanted in connection with a non-fatal shooting.

The shooting went down a short time before 2:00 a.m. According to authorities, the suspect brandished a handgun and shot the female victim, a Paterson resident, as she walked in the area of Haledon Avenue in Paterson, NJ.

Sometime after being shot, the victim checked herself into St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center with a gunshot wound to her leg.

The Paterson Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office conducted a joint investigation into the shooting and eventually identified the suspect as the probable shooter. Police then obtained a warrant to arrest the suspect.

Sometime after the arrest warrant was issued, the 28-year-old suspect turned himself in by surrendering to NJ state parole officials. He was subsequently turned over to the Paterson Police Ceasefire Unit.

The suspect is charged with numerous crimes, including aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and a certain persons offense for being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun.

If the suspect is ultimately convicted of aggravated assault, he would face significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b), anyone who knowingly causes bodily injury while using a deadly weapon like a handgun or a knife can be charged with a second degree crime. A conviction for second degree aggravated assault could result in a sentence of 5-10 years in NJ State Prison.

After being placed under arrest and charged, the suspect was remanded to a Paterson NJ jail to await a bail determination.

For more information about this case, see the NJ.com article, “Suspect in Paterson Shooting Arrested.”

Paterson New Jersey Heroin Distribution ChargesPassaic County authorities apprehended two men who allegedly sold heroin throughout New Jersey.

Detectives with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office got a tip about illegal drug activity in Paterson’s third ward. Police then set up surveillance in the area and reportedly saw the suspects place a bag into the trunk of a vehicle.

Passaic County detectives watched the suspects drive away in the car. Not long after that, police officers stopped the suspects’ vehicle and conducted a search.

During the search of the car, law enforcement reportedly discovered 1,450 packets of heroin. The glassine envelopes of heroin are said to have a street value of roughly $7,500.

The suspects, who both hail from Albany, NY, have been charged with multiple drug crimes, including possession of heroin and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. The suspects are also subject to enhanced penalties because they allegedly distributed heroin within 1,000 feet of school property.

The Passaic County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the suspects, so additional criminal charges could be on the horizon.

If the suspects are convicted on the heroin distribution charges, they would face severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing heroin in a quantity of five ounces or greater is a first degree felony and carries a potential punishment of 10-20 years in NJ State Prison.

After being placed under arrest and processed, the suspects were moved to a Paterson police cell block to await a bail determination.

For more information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “N.Y. Men Allegedly Caught with 1,450 Packets of Heroin in Paterson.”