One of the three suspects has been arrested, Newark police said.

Edwards was arrested April 22, police said. (Courtesy Newark police)
 

NEWARK -- Police have arrested a woman who they say helped scam a 65-year-old man out of his car.

According to a release from Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, just after midnight on April 8, the senior citizen agreed to help three acquaintances --  Patricia Edwards and two other men  -- pay a debt they owed.

The man drove the trio to the bank in his 1992 Mercedes Benz, and withdrew an undisclosed amount of money, police said.

The group took the money and fled in the car, authorities said.

Edwards was arrested on April 22 at an 18th Street home on carjacking, robbery, and conspiracy charges, Ambrose said.

Police are continuing to investigate the incident and are working to identify the two other men allegedly involved, authorities said. Anyone with information is asked to call 877-NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867).

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Two years after the state's election watchdog agency brought charges against Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo over alleged misuse of campaign finances funds, an appellate court dealt a major setback to the case.

TRENTON--The state's appellate court today refused to allow a long-stalled campaign finance investigation against Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo to continue, which could lead to the dismissal of all charges against the powerful Democrat.

DiVincenzo was accused of improperly spending thousands of dollars in campaign funds on personal expenses--including gym membership fees, travel and tickets to sporting events.

The case, first brought by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission more than two years ago, ended up before the Appellate Division after continuing vacancies on the campaign watchdog board led to challenges by attorneys for DiVincenzo over the legality of any enforcement action.

The commission, which by statute has four members, cannot have any more than two representatives of any one party. But four years after the death of one of the two Democrats on the commission, Republican Gov. Chris Christie still has yet to name a successor. The other Democrat, Walter Timpone--recently nominated to the Supreme Court--recused himself in the DiVincenzo case, leaving the two Republicans to vote on filing a complaint.

Attorneys for DiVincenzo, who is a major Christie supporter, argued that the lack of a bi-partisan quorum meant ELEC effectively could take no action in the matter, and said the complaint had to be dismissed.

In fact, with Timpone about to depart, ELEC will soon have no Democrats--and presumably, no ability to take action on any election law complaint in the state until Christie names a Democrat to the commission.

Nominee scrutinized over political favor

A spokesman for the commission said they were reviewing the ruling and considering their options. ELEC could further appeal the matter to the Supreme Court.

A spokesman for the county executive, in a statement, said the ruling supported the recommendations of an administrative law judge to dismiss the matter.

"We always have maintained that the public, candidates and elected officials are served when ELEC abides by the rules governing the time table to review ALJ recommendations and, most importantly, that when ELEC acts, it does so with a bi-partisan quorum," said the spokesman in the statement.

DiVincenzo was accused of allegedly misusing more than $16,000 in campaign funds and failing to disclose nearly $72,000 in campaign spending over a two-year period--including more than $9,000 for airfare, hotel stays and food for two trips to Puerto Rico during Super Bowl weekend in 2011 and 2012. The event was described by the county executive as a political retreat for Essex County Democrats. According commission's complaint, DiVincenzo also used his campaign account to pay for tickets to the U.S. Open, Devils games and a Houston Astros game; a $676.94 tuxedo at Joseph A. Bank; a $97.25-a-month gym membership; and more than $100 in parking tickets in Nutley.

ELEC filed its enforcement action after a DiVincenzo political opponent, Marilynn English, filed a complaint in 2011 about the Essex County executive's lack of disclosure on campaign finance reports.

Attorneys for DiVincenzo, however, argued the complaint against the county executive had been legally flawed from the start. Administrative Law Judge Jeff Masin, who issued the recommendation calling for the case to be dismissed, agreed, saying the Legislature had specifically precluded the ability of a single-party majority from making a determination in any campaign enforcement matter in New Jersey.

ELEC attorneys, in their court filings, sought to keep the matter alive indefinitely until the governor appointed additional members to the commission.

In a ruling written by Judge Marianne Espinosa and joined by Judges Garry S. Rothstadt and Heidi Willis Currier, the appellate court said there was a legitimate concern over whether the public's confidence in the integrity of the political process might be compromised when ELEC's enforcement efforts are hobbled by the actions or inaction of other branches of government.

"However, the public--and respondents--also have an interest in having such enforcement efforts resolved in a reasonable, and not unlimited, period of time, rather than have unproven allegations of wrongdoing endure," noted the ruling.

The court said the law does not support ELEC's request to keep the matter open until the commission's roster of commissioners is filled.

"DiVincenzo is an elected official actively involved in public life. If unresolved indefinitely, the complaint creates a cloud over the integrity of his campaign finances, including future campaigns," said the court.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Graduates will be limited to three guests inside High Point Solutions Stadium when President Barack Obama speaks at commencement.

PISCATAWAY -- Rutgers University graduates will be allowed to bring only three guests to commencement next month when President Barack Obama addresses the Class of 2016.

The university announced Monday that each of the more than 12,000 graduates will be given three guests tickets for the May 15 commencement ceremony at High Point Solutions Stadium.

The announcement included no information about tickets being made available to the public. 

"Our focus is on the graduates and their guests," said Greg Trevor, a university spokesman. "It is their commencement."

Obama to speak at Rutgers

Registration for tickets has not yet opened, but each graduate of Rutgers-New Brunswick and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences who has registered for graduation will be guaranteed three guest tickets and one parking pass, according to the university. Rutgers-New Brunswick includes the College Avenue, Douglass, Cook, Livingston and Busch campuses. 

Graduates will also get a fourth ticket for themselves that they must keep in order to be admitted onto the field at the stadium, according to Rutgers. Anyone attending graduation needs to have a ticket, regardless of their age, and will be asked to provide photo identification, according the university. 

Rutgers-Newark and Rutgers-Camden graduates will be offered a single ticket to watch the ceremony from inside the stadium but will not be allowed on the field.

All tickets will be barcoded, the university said. 

With the additional seating on the field, the university is expecting to have about 52,000 people at the 12:30 p.m. ceremony.

"While the limit to three guests at the stadium is a change from past practice, it ensures that every graduating student from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and from Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences is accommodated," the university said. 

Additional friends and family members who want to watch graduation but do not have a ticket can watch on large screens from other on-campus viewing sites, such as the College Avenue, Livingston, and Busch campus student centers. 

Students will receive information about time of arrival and parking during the week before commencement, the university said. 

The White House announced on April 14 that Obama will speak at Rutgers, marking the first time in the school's 250-year history that a sitting president will deliver an address at commencement. 

University President Robert Barchi extended the invitation in the fall of 2013, saying he couldn't imagine a more inspirational commencement speaker. Obama will not receive a speaking fee. 

Prior to the White House's announcement that Obama will be coming to Rutgers, the university had already named journalist Bill Moyers as graduation speaker. 

Moyers will instead speak at the School of Arts and Sciences convocation but will still receive a $35,000 fee, according to the university. 

Preye Roberts was sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting then-Fairfield Police Officer Gerald Veneziano in 2010

NEWARK -- For more than six years, Beth Veneziano has watched Preye Roberts from afar in a Newark courtroom when he appeared on charges of trying to kill her son, a former Fairfield police officer.

But on Monday, Veneziano addressed Roberts from a few feet away before he was sentenced to 15 years in state prison for shooting then-Officer Gerald Veneziano six times on Jan. 30, 2010.

"You have played the system for six years, but now you will serve your sentence," Beth Veneziano told Roberts. "Then one day you will meet your maker, and I pray that you will burn in the eternal fires of hell."

Roberts, 29, of Nutley, received the sentence after having pleaded guilty on March 7 to attempted murder and unlawful possession of a handgun. He entered the guilty plea on the day before jury selection was set to begin in his trial.

Roberts must serve nearly 13 years before becoming eligible for parole and he will receive credit for more than six years of time served.

Roberts declined to make a statement during Monday's hearing.

The sentencing comes after the case was delayed for years in large part due to issues involving Roberts's mental health.

After mental health experts determined Roberts had been faking or exaggerating his mental disorders, Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler ruled in 2014 that Roberts is competent to stand trial.

At his trial, Roberts was expected to argue he suffered from "diminished capacity" at the time of the incident, meaning he had a mental defect or deficiency and did not form the intent needed to be convicted of certain offenses.

During Monday's hearing, Roberts's attorney, Joseph Krakora, cited Roberts's "undisputed history of mental illness" in asking Wigler to sentence him to a prison term less than the 15-year sentence recommended under a plea agreement.

But the judge rejected that argument and said he wished he could give Roberts an even longer prison sentence.

"This was about as heinous and barbaric of an act as one can envision, and for what reason? To this day, I don't think any of us really know why," said Wigler, adding that Roberts's history of mental illness doesn't give him "an automatic pass" in shooting Veneziano.

"There's a lot of people out there that have mental health issues that don't do what Mr. Roberts did in this case," the judge said.

The shooting occurred after Roberts was driving a rental car and following Veneziano on Routes 3 and 46 into Fairfield as the off-duty officer was driving his personal car on his way to work.

When Roberts ultimately stopped in a parking lot near the Fairfield police headquarters, Veneziano pulled up next to him and Roberts opened fire.

Roberts first shot the officer in the head while Veneziano was sitting in the driver's seat, according to Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Romesh Sukhdeo, who handled the case with Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Magdalen Czykier. After Veneziano got out of his vehicle while the car kept moving, Roberts continued firing at him as the officer rolled on the ground, Sukhdeo said.

Sukhdeo said in court on Monday that Veneziano was "essentially a sitting duck there on the pavement, getting shot time and time again."

Two weeks after the shooting, Roberts was arrested for firing a gun outside a Route 22 liquor store in Union Township. Authorities later determined that weapon was the same one used in the shooting of Veneziano.

Roberts pleaded guilty on March 28 to criminal mischief and weapons charges in the Union County case, and his sentence in that case is expected to run concurrent to the 15-year prison term. His sentencing is scheduled for May 13.

In a phone interview after Monday's hearing, Beth Veneziano said "we're glad that it's over with finally."

"It's been a long six years," said Veneziano, adding that the 15-year sentence "definitely was not enough time for what he did to him.

Due to the injuries he sustained in the shooting, her son ultimately retired from the Fairfield Police Department, Veneziano said. Gerald Veneziano did not attend Monday's hearing.

Now Gerald Veneziano and his family have to go forward and move beyond "this nightmare," his mother said.

"It's definitely changed his life," Beth Veneziano said. "He'll never be the same."

But given how her son survived the attack and endured multiple surgeries, Veneziano said he's definitely a "strong person."

"He's beyond strong," she said. "He's tough. Thank God."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The ex-Giants punter and philanthropist said he wants to help students overcome adversity. Watch video

NEWARK -- Former New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford once again helped several students' prom dreams come true Monday at Newark's Barringer High School.

"To be able to leverage my athletic success and notoriety to kind of give them the gift of attending their senior prom, is very special to me," the Super Bowl winner said.

"I remember how fun (prom) was," he added. "The memories and friendships that kind of culminate on your senior prom night is something that I hold very dear."

Jersey City and Weatherford prep for prom

This is the third straight year of the professional athlete's "Project Prom," an all-expense-paid prom contest which he started in 2014 at a South Jersey school whose community had been hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. Weatherford has since been using his name and influence to motivate students to achieve their dreams with hard work and determination.

Last year, several lucky students from Dickinson High School in Jersey City received all-expense-paid proms from Weatherford, and the married father even accepted one student's invitation to prom, later posing for photos with her at prom and sitting at her prom table. The Giants also reduced prom ticket expenses for every senior with a $25,000 donation.

Despite being let go from the Giants in Sept. 2015, Weatherford came back to Project Prom this year.

The winners at Barringer, who Weatherford announced in person on Monday morning after 16 finalists were named, are: Yanette Ortiz, Briana Vera, Johnathan Carcamo, Amanda Dominguez, Grace Appiah, and Imani Mitchell. 

The six students won because they wrote essays on cyber bullying that moved a panel of judges, which did not include Weatherford. In all, about 50 students submitted essays, officials said.

Dominguez said she wrote about her cousin's experience with online "slut-shaming."

"I came and I gave her that support and advice," she said. "I'm still in shock (I won)."

All the winning students will be offered free tuxes, gowns, hair, makeup, flowers and transportation to their June prom for them and/or their dates, and Weatherford will attend their prom as well. This gift was made possible by Weatherford's World Champion Foundation and Next Level Training, which is helmed by Weatherford's friend Donald Shauger, and their co-sponsor, bullying reporting app STOPit, officials said.

According to school administrators, prom expenses, which cost hundreds of dollars, are a big deal for the school. About 72 percent of students at the school qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to the state.

"So that all the kids would embrace (the essay), we made it an assignment in the classrooms," said Barringer High School Principal Crystal Breedlove. "To write an essay, they have to analyze, synthesize, it's a lot of what we're doing in our classroom. So it was awesome."

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Special needs students ranked in the contest's top 10 percent nationally.

NEWARK -- A new type of reading is happening in a Newark school that officials say focuses on technology.

School officials are applauding the efforts of special needs students at Louise A. Spencer school, who recently took first place in the state in the second annual Learning Ally Reading Games. The students also finished in the top 10 percent of the 300 schools nationwide that competed in the contest, which counts how many pages students read.

The Spencer students, who all have reading disabilities like dyslexia, read 4,453 pages during the competition, school officials said.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the students," Newark Superintendent Chris Cerf said in a statement about the recognition.

Michelle Obama visits Newark kids

"Through Learning Ally audiobook technology, and the support of our teachers, all of our children have the opportunity to access critical reading material to enhance their personal and academic achievement."

The nonprofit provides audiobooks to special needs students across the country. Newark schools began using the Learning Ally technology at the beginning of this school year, officials said. According to Learning Ally public policy director Edward Bray, the program's implementation in Newark is done in partnership with the Governor's Literacy Program.

"We are very proud of the achievement of Newark's students," he said in a release about the contest. The setup at the district, he said, "is a great example of the benefits we can realize with strong collaboration among schools, the state education department, and nonprofit non-governmental organizations."

School officials in Newark said the Learning Ally program is part of its increased focus on adding technology to its classrooms, and is in line with its recent purchase of more than 11,000 Google Chromebooks for city classrooms. Students, school officials said, can download the Learning Ally books to school and portable devices, so they can read the books at school or at home.

Sixth grade Spencer teacher Anthony Dilley said the program has "enhanced our instruction."

"The best part is seeing their reading levels improve, sometimes dramatically, and then the self-confidence that follows," he said.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jessica Manno said she was "extremely sorry" for the 2014 crash that killed Anthony Gant

NEWARK -- Jessica Manno wiped tears from her eyes in a Newark courtroom on Monday as she listened to Terrell Gant discuss the hit-and-run crash that killed his brother, Anthony.

When Manno visited Newark in 2014 to purchase drugs from Anthony Gant, the two became involved in an altercation and Gant punched her in the face. She tried to drive away and Gant held onto her car.

Manno sideswiped a parked car, knocking Gant off the vehicle and ultimately causing his death.

Before Manno was sentenced on Monday to a term of probation, Terrell Gant acknowledged how she and his brother both played a role in the fatal crash. Gant said he hopes Manno takes "this second opportunity to...get yourself together and make better decisions."

Nearly two years after his brother's death, Gant said his family is "still working on moving forward."

"Everybody's hurt, but at the end of the day, it is what it is and both parties did play a role in the passing of my brother," said Gant, who ultimately broke down in tears.

Manno, 29, of Bayonne, pleaded guilty on Feb. 29 to a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident in connection with the Sept. 17, 2014, crash that killed Anthony Gant, 28, of Newark.

In accordance with a plea agreement, Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler sentenced Manno to a suspended three-year state prison sentence and five years of probation. Since Manno already served about nine months in jail, the prison term was suspended and she was placed on probation.

Saying "you have a drug problem that you need to address," the judge ordered Manno to participate in an intensive, in-patient drug treatment program. Manno must perform 250 hours of community service, and her driver's license will remain suspended until July 2017, Wigler said.

Manno also had been charged with vehicular homicide and endangering an injured victim, but those charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Before receiving her sentence, Manno said she was "extremely sorry for everything that happened" and she hopes the Gant family will be able to forgive her one day.

"It was never my intention for any of this to happen," Manno said. "Words can't describe how truly sorry I am for everything that happened."

But Gant's family members have criticized the plea deal. In addressing the court on Monday, Terrell Gant said, "I still don't think it's fair because a man lost his life."

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Pollock, who handled the case, said during Monday's hearing that the plea agreement accounted for "the unique circumstances surrounding this crime."

When Manno pleaded guilty, she said that after Gant approached her Nissan XTerra on Riverview Court and struck her, she tried to drive away and Gant held onto the vehicle. Gant was standing on a step near the driver's side door and holding onto a railing on the roof of the vehicle, Manno said.

With Gant clinging to the vehicle, Manno said she sped off and turned onto nearby Albert Avenue. Then Manno said she drove alongside a parked car and knocked Gant off her vehicle.

Manno said Gant struck a part of the parked car, fell off her vehicle and suffered injuries that led to his death. After the crash, Manno said she left the scene and did not contact the police.

Noting the "unusual circumstances" of the case, Wigler said during Monday's hearing that while Manno did not intend to kill Gant that day, she visited Newark for the wrong reasons.

"One bad thing led to another and it was very unfortunate with Mr. Gant's ultimate death," the judge said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Shawn Ohazuruike, a Delbarton School senior, is the first student from Newark to win a Princeton Prize in Race Relations.

Shawn Ohazuruike figured it would take some time to settle in when he entered a private high school in Morristown four years ago.

Delbarton is mostly white and affluent, but he didn't expect students to ask if he had seen drug dealers in his Newark neighborhood, or if he had ever been stopped by police because he's black.

And he was certainly caught flat-footed when a black student threw him this racial curve: "I can't talk to white people.''

"That's when you knew there was a serious problem,''said Shawn, now 17.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns    

As a result, the Minority Mentors Program was started four years ago by a former teacher who asked Shawn and other minority students to take part. The goal was simple - upperclassmen would be paired with freshman to help students become acclimated to Delbarton culture and to communicate that students of color want to be accepted.

Shawn jumped at the chance to champion the cause. What he didn't see coming were growing pains and, later, a prestigious prize on race relations when the scope of the program was expanded to address racial stereotypes and economic disparities.

The school administration understood that students of color were struggling to assimilate, but there were also preconceived racial undertones among the student body that Shawn pushed to address as the mentoring program evolved.

Initially, there was a backlash that Shawn didn't expect. He discovered that some students wouldn't participate in the mentoring program because its name left an impression that the group was was only for minorities.

Shawn and friends - Obinna Abalihi, 18; Zohaib Ahmad, 15; and Paulo Frazao, 17 - heard the daily lunchroom chatter. It wasn't good and they didn't like it.

"Why can't it be the majority mentoring program?'' said Zohaib, recalling one of the comments he overheard.

The stigma hurt. The program, they said, wasn't intended to exclude anyone, and they believed that they had to do something to change that.

So they regrouped during Shawn's junior year and fleshed out the mentoring program, calling it "Diversity Among Peers." Students gradually came around - a seismic shift, with the help of guidance from Jenna Nourie and Tony Negrin, who are diversity coordinators at the school.

The effort, with Shawn out front, was centered on inclusion and it sometimes made the Delbarton community uncomfortable. Many of the students, as well as teachers and administrators, had a part to play in this social justice movement that challenged students to talk about race. 

Shawn was determined to make a difference. He attended diversity workshops sponsored by the school last year and others he found on his own this year. He became so passionate about the issue that his work was recognized last week when he was named one of the recipients of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations.

"His application didn't nibble around the edges,'' said Richard Cammarieri, one of the committee judges for northern New Jersey. "It went right to the core about problems of race relations.''

And it made Shawn the first student from Newark to win the prize, which was established in 2003 by Princeton graduate Henry Von Kohorn. It recognizes high school students' work on race relations, making Shawn one of 26 top Princeton Prize recipients nationwide who will participate in a leadership symposium this weekend at Princeton. He also will receive $1,000.

What started as a school program to help 18 minority students adjust to private school has grown to involve nearly 100 students of all backgrounds, who have participated in workshops in which they dealt honestly with race and stereotypes.

MORE CARTER: Wrongly arrested, Bloomfield man seeks his day in court

Tim Guider, an 18-year-old senior, said white kids in his group spoke about when black kids discounted their opinions on race because they are not black."It seems as if our opinions didn't really matter or that it's kind of held a little lower because you're not a minority, so you shouldn't be a part of this conversation,'' he said.

Zohaib Ahmad, who is Muslim, told his classmates about the embarrassment he experienced at an airport when an employee stared at his passport longer than those of other passengers going through a checkpoint.

"Nobody else can feel that feeling I felt, just standing there under his glare,'' he said.

And for Arul Elango, 17, he always finds it amusing when some Delbarton students automatically think he's a vegetarian because he's from India.

"If they would see me eating a hamburger, they would say, 'You're going to eat that?'' he said.

Ah, yeah.

"I wasn't offended, but I could see where someone else would be.''

With those misconceptions and issues as a backdrop, Shawn had classmates addressed what many students call the "Delbarton bubble,'' an attitude among affluent peers who don't always recognize that that the poor are struggling economically.

"I think that's why (DAP) has been so effective,'' said Billy Schroeder, 17. "It's really trying to rid that division and bring people together.''

Much of this thinking changed when students attended school-sponsored retreats in the past two years in Camden. They spent several days working in soup kitchens and food pantries, and touring impoverished neighborhoods.

"I didn't expect it to be as bad as it actually was,'' said Andrew Papantonis, 17. "I was kind of blown away. The exposure opened my eyes.''

Shawn said the program has made students more cognizant of racial stereotypes, but there's more to be done to foster social growth at Delbarton.

"He's one of the best students that I've ever seen," said Nourie, the diversity coordinator.

"He took it that extra mile to find out how he could be the best leader.''

But in the fall, somebody else has to step up to continue the work. Shawn is bound for Dartmouth University, an Ivy League school at which he'll major in psychology.

And no, he didn't get in because he's black - another stereotype he faced.

He's graduating from Delbarton, the school he loves, with a well-earned 3.85 grade point average and a legacy of inclusion that won't be forgotten.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

Sixteen people, including seven from the one family in Belleville, were charged in the alleged conspiracy in 2014.

NEWARK -- A federal judge Monday sentenced a "minor participant" in a Newark-area drug ring to 30 months in prison, saying that while his role was limited, he nonetheless was opening the door to the state's epidemic of heroin abuse. 

Johnny Horvath last September pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. 

"It's an extremely serious offense," U.S. District Judge Esther Salas told Horvath of Belleville, saying the oxycodone he helped put on the streets was a "gateway" to the heroin epidemic. 

Salas also noted that she recently sentenced Horvath's son, Daniel, to 27 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. And, there will be more members of the family imprisoned, too.

"As a father, you should have done more," Salas said. 

Horvath, 46, apologized to the court and his wife. "I apologize to whoever I hurt," he said. "I wish I had never done it." 

Grape St. Crips members plead guilty

Horvath "is not a big-time drug dealer," said defense attorney Richard J. Verde in asking Salas for consideration before sentencing. 

Horvath's problem, he said, was compounded by the involvement of several family members. 

"He was involved in this case because of family members," Verde said.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Merin said oxycodone acts like heroin and that makes the crime a significant one.

"They were building a new generation of heroin users," she said. 

Johnny Horvath acted as a lookout, she said, while his sister allegedly sold 119 pills to an undercover agent. He also advised her about which pharmacies to avoid while pill shopping, she said. Victoria Horvath pleaded guilty earlier to conspiracy to distribute, she has not been sentenced.  

Salas recalled that she had given a break to Daniel Horvath by letting him stay out of prison until after his baby is born, but she was in no mood to cut breaks for Johnny Horvath. Johnny Horvath, she said, didn't fully cooperate and show full remorse throughout the case. 

Besides the prison time, Salas also sentenced Johnny Horvath to three years of supervised release. 

The seven members of the Horvath family were among 16 people charged in 2014 for their alleged roles in the oxycodone ring. 

Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Jersey, generally speaking, has one of the highest average lifespans in the nation. But new research shows where you live and how much money you make can add years to your life.

Angel Carlo was convicted by a jury on March 16 in the 2014 shooting in Newark

NEWARK -- As he sentenced Angel Carlo on Monday to 18 years in state prison for trying to kill a man in a 2014 Newark shooting, Superior Court Judge John Zunic noted the irony of Carlo's names.

His given name is Angel, but his nickname is "Rage," the judge said.

"It's polar opposites," said Zunic, adding that "it's unfortunate that you chose to act like your nickname as opposed to your given name."

Carlo, 30, of Newark, received the sentence in light of his conviction by a jury on March 16 on attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses in connection with the Oct. 29, 2014 incident.

Carlo must serve slightly more than 15 years before becoming eligible for parole and he will receive credit for nearly a year and a half of time served.

The shooting occurred hours after Carlo and the victim got into an argument that resulted in a fistfight, authorities said. Later that day, when they ran into each other in the 600 block of Broadway in Newark, Carlo opened fire on the 22-year-old Newark man, authorities said.

Authorities said Carlo fired at the victim seven times and struck him three times, but the man survived his injuries.

Carlo has two prior felony convictions -- one for robbery and one for possession of drugs in a school zone, authorities said. He was released from state prison about six months before the shooting, Zunic said.

During Monday's hearing, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor David Feldman, who tried the case with Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Allison Korodan, told the judge that "if it weren't for Mr. Carlo's terrible aim, this would be a homicide."

"When you fire a gun seven times at someone from that proximity, you are putting their life squarely at risk," said Feldman, who requested a 25-year prison sentence for Carlo.

Carlo declined to make a statement during Monday's hearing.

But his attorney, Ann Sorrel, said Carlo maintains his innocence and claimed the victim was "confused and mistaken" in identifying Carlo as the shooter. Sorrel asked Zunic to impose the minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

"He did not have a gun," Sorrel said. "He did not shoot the gun."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

An investigation into the shooting by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force is ongoing.

NEWARK --  An overnight shooting on Poinier Street in Newark left one victim dead, officials confirmed Tuesday.

The victim's name has not yet been released.

An investigation into the shooting by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force is ongoing, said department spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A Newark man was was arrested Monday on multiple narcotics charges following a plainclothes surveillance operation by Essex County Sheriff's Office detectives.

NEWARK  --  A Newark man was was arrested Monday on multiple narcotics charges following a plainclothes surveillance operation by Essex County Sheriff's Office detectives, said Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

Antwon Parker, 25, was taken into custody after detectives observed him near the intersection of North 11th Street and 4th Avenue Monday afternoon exchanging drugs for cash, Fontoura said.

Following the exchange, a man later identified as Timothy Moran, 52, of Belleville was found in possession of five vials of crack cocaine and 10 heroin-filled envelops stamped with "JUNGLE BOOK" in red ink.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/04/1_killed_in_overnight_newark_shooting.html

Moran was charged with two counts of possession of CDS and issued a summons for have narcotics in a motor vehicle. He was released in his own recognizance and will be arraigned at a later date.

Parker, who officials said initially tried to flee from the scene, was found with a plastic bag containing an additional 364 vials of crack cocaine and 526 similarly marked decks of heroin, Fontoura said. 

Parker was charged with two counts each of the sale of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and other drug-related charges.

Following his arrest, Parker was arraigned and lodged into custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility. His bail was set at $200,000, officials said.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

NCSF CEO provides a blueprint for what she believes will lay the foundation for sustainable public charter schools in Newark.

By Mashea Ashton 
 
Perhaps the most important measure of a great city is the way it prepares its children for the future through education. Over the last few decades in Newark's history, efforts to strengthen the public school system have been difficult, and at times contentious.

But recent years have seen demonstrable changes in the status quo. As the Newark Charter School Fund looks back over the first two phases of its impact and prepares for leadership transition, we set out to understand what has worked, and what will work for the future, as we continue to focus our attention on making sure all of Newark's students are getting the education they need to get enrolled in college.

In a new report, "Better Options, Better Futures: Eight Years of the Newark Charter School Fund," the Fund proposes that the blueprint for success is founded on a commitment to doing what's best for students -- not adults -- and encompasses four main themes: quality growth of public school options, access and equity, collaboration, and advocacy.

The public charter school sector in Newark has grown tremendously since 2008, and now serves roughly one in three students in the city. The sector has worked hard to do so in a way that preserves and strengthens quality along the way.

There's clear evidence of this quality growth -- despite quadrupling the number of students served since 2008, multiple studies have confirmed that Newark's public charter schools are succeeding on a national stage, including Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes, which ranked Newark's charter sector second in the nation out of 41 urban districts in both reading and math achievement impact.

A 2015 study by the Center on Reinventing Public Education found that more than 86 percent of Newark charter school students are enrolled in schools considered to be "beating the odds" in math, and 76 percent are enrolled in schools considered to be "beating the odds" in reading.

A strong education system serves all students well, including its highest need  student populations. On this front, Newark's charter sector has made solid strides. The percentage of students with special needs in Newark charter schools substantially increased from 6 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2014. While there is still room for improvement, this upward trend has continued: about 15 percent of incoming ninth graders who were matched to a charter school for the 2015-2016 school year had special needs. The sector also serves a high percentage of children at or near poverty levels, with 82 percent of charter students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

As the sector continues to grow, the Fund must -- and will -- continue to ensure that the charter sector is striving to reach all students, so that high-need students are offered the same educational options as all other students.

Collaboration plays a critical role in assuring that the goals remain achievable. Through partnerships with families and other community stakeholders, the Newark public school system and city leadership, and other local partners, we can collectively strive towards system-wide equity, transparency and accountability. The partnership between Newark Public Schools and the charter sector to implement an innovative universal enrollment system has made it easier for parents to access the array of educational options in the city -- just one example of the power of collaboration.

Yet collaboration always presents challenges, and chief among them is making sure that all stakeholders have a voice in the process. If Newark is to succeed in expanding access to a high-quality education for all students in the city, it will be through collaboration that prioritizes children's needs. Everyone involved in the process -- from administrators and policymakers to educators, parents and even students -- must unite across the district and charter sectors around a vision for education that prepares all students for college and a career.

That is why one of the most important lessons of all, is ensuring that parents are part of the conversation.

The families of Newark have the most at stake in the decisions that are being made, but city and charter leaders have not always sufficiently engaged them in the process. Continuing to strengthen parent engagement and parents' voice in advocating for quality schools will help make certain that they have options that will give their children an excellent education.

As we pursue greater levels of access to educational opportunity across Newark, we must prioritize quality growth, access and equity, collaboration and effective advocacy. These are the keys to a future that is even brighter than our past. 

Mashea Ashton is the outgoing CEO of the Newark Charter School Fund (NCSF), a private foundation established in April of 2008 that makes grants to support the quality and sustainability of Newark's public charter schools.

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Shaheed Brown's last trial ended in a hung jury in the fall. He's accused of shooting a Ewing man to death two years ago

TRENTON - Jury selection started Monday in the murder retrial of Shaheed Brown, who is accused of shooting a Ewing man to death two years ago.

Shaheed Brown

Brown was arrested in Newark in August, 2014, and charged with murder for the shooting death of 20-year-old Enrico Smalley, of Ewing. 

Smalley was found with multiple gunshot wounds, lying in the ground outside of LaGuira Bar just a month before Brown's arrest. He was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, authorities have said.

Brown was indicted on murder and weapons charges in the November after his arrest. He pleaded not guilty in January of last year.

Murder suspect arraigned on separate charges

Just a few months after his plea, ballistics tests indicated that the shell casings found at the site of Smalley's killing were linked to an Essex County homicide and two Trenton shootings prior to Smalley.

But the gun was never retrieved and Brown was not issued any further charges.

This will be the second trial for Brown, who was first tried in the fall of last year. That trial ended in a hung jury in October.

There's no word on when the trial and opening statements will begin but jury selection was still underway on Tuesday afternoon. 

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook. 

The Paterson resident is a certified pilot, according to a report

NEWARK -- A 35-year-old Paterson man was arrested after attempting to bring a loaded gun through a security checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Jason MegariotisPort Authority police 

Jason Megariotis was ticketed to board a flight to Aruba when a Transportation Security Administration agent detected the .32 caliber handgun in its holster tucked into a backpack as it passed along a conveyor belt, the TSA and Port Authority police said.

The firearm had five hollow-point bullets, including one in the chamber, the TSA said.

Megariotis, who has a pilot's license, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon following his 7:15 a.m. arrest in Terminal C.

He was released on $30,000 bail and is due in court on May 10, according to Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

An increase in the city's share of Newark Public School's budget could drive taxes up by more than 6 percent

Update: Gov. Christie has responded to the mayor's comments.

NEWARK - Taxes may be on their way up in Newark once again, and Mayor Ras Baraka is placing the blame on "irresponsible" funding decisions from Gov. Chris Christie and the state.

Despite a small decrease in the city's state-controlled school district's roughly $1 billion proposed budget for 2016-17, the city will need to kick in $127,561,585 to help fund it - a 10.3 percent hike. The change would cause the school portion of city tax bills to jump by roughly 6.2 percent in 2016, and carry additional cost in 2017.

In a statement issued Tuesday morning, Baraka said Newarkers were "being forced to pay for bad decisions by state officials", including a $72 million deficit he attributes to the former superintendent Cami Anderson's controversial "One Newark" school reorganization plan, the creation of a pool of teachers without a classroom placement and charter schools' continued expansion in the city.

Earlier this year, city and state officials penned a letter with education advocates asking Christie to end years of flat funding for Newark schools. The group requested $36 million - enough to cut the gap in half - but the state did not fully oblige.

Christie: 'We'll run over' Newark mayor to open more charters

"We received $27 million, not $36 million," Baraka said. "That was a help in reducing the deficit but not enough to avoid a school tax increase."

Representatives for Christie and the state Department of Education did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.

In a statement, Newark Public Schools noted that the $27 million increase from the state was easily the largest in New Jersey, and that less than half of the money would be allocated to charter schools.

Newark taxpayers already faced an overall tax hike of roughly 6.7 percent in 2015, a decision the City Council laid at the feet of the state, largely for its refusal to allow official to a $13 million settlement with PSE&G to offset other lagging revenues.

Baraka said he had gone to great lengths to add revenue to the city's perpetually strained coffers, but that any progress could be erased the potential school-driven tax hike. He asked Superintendent of Schools Chris Cerf and other school officials to delay submitting the budget for final approval in order to allow the state to look for other revenues that might help keep local taxes flat.

"It is the responsibility of the State, not Newark taxpayers - to eliminate the need for a school tax increase," he said.

The district, however, suggested that the mayor should continue looking forward to address the city's fiscal issues, noting that taxes for city services have risen by 75 percent since 2009, compared to just 13 percent for the district.

"The mayor acknowledges inheriting a $93 million budget deficit, just as the current NPS administration inherited a $75 million one; rather than blame the mayor's predecessors and the city council for that deficit, we applaud him for his sound budgeting practices," it said. "We would hope for a similar sentiment."

Alexis Carthens also admitted to his role in another scheme to steal tax refund money.

NEWARK -- In a hyper-connected online society, all it took was $150 to gain access into America's financial underworld. 

And on Monday, Alexis Carthens of Newark admitted in federal court that he make that marketplace work by making and selling fake driver's licenses for $150 each. 

Carthens pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with authentication features and one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.

Carthens and two other alleged accomplices, Abraham Corcino and Ricardo Rosario, both of Jersey City, operated  "Fakeidstore.co" and "fakedlstore.com," according to a criminal complaint. Corcino's and Rosario's charges are still pending.   

The fake cards offered "scannable barcodes" and "real" holographic overlays, it said, and would replicate legitimate licenses for drivers from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. 

Fake W-2's netted $400K in tax returns

Buyers could pay with bitcoin, the virtual currency, or prepaid payment cards, the complaint said. 

Carthens printed the licenses and fulfilled customers' orders, it said.

The orders were sent, "No refunds and no snitches," the complaint said.

The scheme went on from at least October 2012 to August, 2014, just before the three were charged, court records show.

Many of the fake cards were used later in criminal acts, the complaint says. 

In addition to the fake credit card scheme, Carthens also admitted being involved in another scheme, to use stolen personally identifiable information to steal tax refund money from the government, according to Fishman's office. 

Carthens admitted using information stolen from a medical lab to file fraudulent tax returns, the office said. Carthens also admitted to working with at least one other person who provided addresses to receive the fraudulently claimed tax refund money, Fishman's office said.

The count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with authentication features carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine, according to Carthens' plea agreement. 

The count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine, the agreement says. 

Fishman credited special agents of the FBI in Newark; U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspectors; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Shawn Custis is charged with attempted murder and related offenses in the 2013 home invasion attack in Millburn Watch video

NEWARK -- At Shawn Custis's trial on charges in a 2013 home invasion attack in Millburn caught on a "nanny-cam," an Essex County Sheriff's officer testified Tuesday that he admitted committing that offense during an altercation last month in a holding cell area.

Alexis Perozo, a detective with the sheriff's department, told jurors Custis threatened her during the March 9 incident by using an expletive and saying he would "bash your face in like I did that (woman) in Millburn."

"I could hear him clearly," Perozo said. "I could see him clearly."

But Custis's attorney, John McMahon, challenged Perozo about how she has said she was "bothered" by the case and he suggested Perozo was racially biased against Custis. Perozo is Caucasian and Custis is African-American.

Perozo acknowledged the case bothered her, but said, "I don't care about these individuals," referring to defendants being held in custody.

"I deal with many individuals," she said. "I don't hold any resentment for their charges. It was the video that disturbed me."

McMahon then questioned Perozo about whether those defendants in custody are individuals "who are predominantly black."

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper immediately objected to the question and Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler sustained the objection. Perozo did not answer the question.

When Perozo later answered questions from Semper, she said she was not biased against Custis or angry at him, and she said she did not lie in her testimony.

Custis, 45, of Newark, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, robbery, burglary, criminal restraint and theft in connection with the June 21, 2013 incident.

Custis is accused of breaking into the victim's house and kicking her, punching her and throwing her down the basement stairs. The woman's 3-year-old daughter was sitting nearby on the living-room couch and her 18-month-old son was asleep in an upstairs bedroom, authorities said.

Custis also stole various jewelry items and a cell phone from the residence, authorities said. The attack was captured on a "nanny-cam" video.

The incident involving Perozo allegedly took place in the holding cell area adjacent to Wigler's courtroom after Custis had appeared before the judge for a hearing in the "nanny-cam" case.

On the witness stand on Tuesday, Perozo said she was in the holding cell area removing a defendant when she overheard Custis and another defendant speaking loudly to each other. Custis and the other defendant were inside a holding cell at the time, Perozo said.

Then as Perozo was standing outside the cell in front of Custis, he allegedly used an expletive and told her that when the cell gate opens, he would "bash your face in like I did that (woman) in Millburn," according to Perozo.

Perozo said she documented that exchange in a report she wrote the following day, but McMahon challenged her about she did not take any notes about the incident on the day it allegedly occurred.

In a pretrial hearing, Perozo also claimed Custis said he was "already getting thirty years" and that he was not worried, and that he spit in her face and the face of another sheriff's officer. But Wigler prohibited those alleged details from being presented at the trial.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The governor accused the Newark mayor of attempting to protect an "antiquated" school system that has failed for decades

NEWARK - Gov. Chris Christie has fired back at criticisms from Mayor Ras Baraka, saying Newark has only itself to blame for its struggles with school funding.

Earlier Tuesday, Baraka placed blame on Christie and the state for a newly introduced school budget that would increase Newark taxpayers' share by more than 10 percent. Much of Baraka's criticism centered around the growth of charter schools in Newark, which he maintain siphons vital dollars from their already struggling traditional public counterparts.

Christie wasted no time in responding, saying charters' spread were a direct reaction to decades of academic failure in the city, perpetuated by an "antiquated system which protects poorly performing teachers and hurts students."

"As the mayor knows, the demand for public charter schools grows every year in his city," he said. "Unfortunately, the mayor pursues policies which look to close the doors of new or expanded public charter schools to Newark families in order to pursue his pro-union political agenda. The state will stop him from doing so."

Baraka blames potential Newark tax increase on state's 'bad decisions'

The spat marks the latest conflict between Baraka and Christie over the future of the state's largest public school district.

While the two struck common ground last year by negotiating to return control of the city's schools to local officials after more than 20 years, they have continued to clash over funding issues, particularly around the growth of charters.

As recently as last month, Christie threatened to "run over" Baraka or any other opponents to continue building the reform-minded schools - prompting angry responses from the mayor and State Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex, Morris).

On Tuesday, he reminded Baraka that while Newark's share of its education costs might be on the way up, state taxpayers continue to foot the bill for $803 million of the district's $1 billion budget - a figure that will rise to $829 million over the 2016-17 fiscal year.

"(Baraka) should consult his fellow mayors in the suburbs and rural areas whose property taxes are artificially high due to this court-ordered disproportionate aid to the Newark school district," Christie said.

"Maybe the mayor would then have a greater perspective on the challenges that mayors and school boards all over New Jersey are facing rather than complaining about the hundreds of millions of dollars New Jerseyans already send to the Newark School District."

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.