Man used forged document to take truckload of expensive gear, according to prosecutors.

David Lacarriere (Photo: Essex County Prosecutor's Office) 

David LaCarriere, a truck driver, entered his guilty plea Monday in Superior Court on a charge of conspiracy to commit theft of over $75,000, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray said in a news release. LaCarriere -- who originally faced charges of money laundering, theft and conspiracy to commit theft -- took the plea in exchange for a five-year state prison term for the Christmas Day 2014 scheme.

An unindicted co-conspirator used a forged air freight bill to take the truckload of Hermes and Chanel clothing, pocket books, jewelry and other goods from the airport cargo area, according to Essex County Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Walter Dirkin, who handled the case. That person and LaCarriere took the truck to another facility near John F. Kennedy International Airport.

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When the real owners came to pick up the expensive goods, they were told the merchandise was already taken, prosecutors added. Port Authority police Detective Daniel McCarty tracked LaCarriere and the stolen truck using GPS in the vehicle and his cell phone. The prosecutor credited McCarty's work with leading to the plea.

Authorities said they recovered approximately $350,000 worth of the stolen merchandise.

LaCarriere is set for sentencing on Nov. 18.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Real estate values in the region increased but slower every other major metropolitan areas, according to a report released Tuesday.

Home prices in the New York area ticked up slightly over the last year but increased at a slower rate than 19 other major metropolitan markets in the country, according to a new report released on Tuesday.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-City Composite index notched a 5 percent year-over-year increase in July led by big gains in real estate values in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Portland and Seattle. The New York region, including northern New Jersey, saw home prices rise just 1.7 percent over that same time frame, the weakest growth among all of the cities included in that index. 

The Washington, D.C., area's rise in home prices was the second-worst at 2 percent year-over-year.

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Eight of the 20 cities in the index experienced a 6 percent or more growth in home prices over the last year. 

"Given that the overall inflation is a bit below 2 percent, the pace is probably not sustainable over the long term," David M. Blitzer, managing director and chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said in a statement.

The 20-city index remains about 7.6 percent below the peak it hit in 2006, making home prices today about equivalent to home values in the summer of 2005. 

Home prices in the New York metropolitan area are nearly 15 percent below their 2006 peak. Real estate values in the area are now about where they were near the end of 2004. 

A national index that includes all nine U.S. census divisions is just 0.6 percent below its 2006 peak.

Svenja Gudell, chief economist for Zillow, attributed gains in home prices nationally to "solid gain in incomes," among other factors, saying in a statement that "for the first time in recent memory, income growth is keeping pace with and even slightly exceeding home value growth nationwide."

Census numbers released earlier this month show median household income rose 5.2 percent nationwide in 2015.

New Jersey, however, didn't fare as well as the rest of the nation. The Garden State only saw a 0.3 percent in median household income from 2014 to 2015. 

Gudell also noted that "incomes are so far behind that they need to do a lot of catching up before homes become more affordable, especially for those at the bottom of the income distribution and in the country's most expensive markets."

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Three arrested after police chase in Newark

Veterans Courthouse in Newark (File photo) 

Andre Glaspie, 27, Khalif Ford, 23, both of Newark, and Dazhan Goff, 22, of Irvington, each pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree conspiracy and three counts of first-degree armed robbery, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced.

The trio was riding around in a van stolen from an 88-year-old woman early Jan. 16, 2014, when Glaspie and Ford admitted they jumped out and demanded cell phones, cash, pocketbooks and other items from the victims, according to prosecutors. Seven of the eight victims were females and most were going to and from work or school when they were accosted.

Following reports from 911 callers, Newark police identified a gold van as the vehicle used in each holdup. Police said officers chased the van near Bergen Street and Goldsmith Avenue, where Ford and Glaspie were arrested.

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Goff, the van driver, initially escaped but was identified by his fingerprint lifted from the van's driver's side door, according to prosecutors. He was arrested Feb. 7, 2014.

In a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a 20-year sentence for the trio.

"The 20-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes. These defendants brazenly ambushed innocent people as they went about their business," Assistant Prosecutor Jason Alterbaum, who handled the case, said in a statement. "Hopefully, the outcome of this case will deter others who might consider engaging in this kind of criminal behavior."

Assistant Prosecutor Casey Breslow, who worked with Alterbaum on the case, thanked the victims for coming forward.

"Their courage is essential to the successful resolution of these kinds of cases," Breslow added.

Glaspie and Ford also pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property for having the van. Goff additionally entered a guilty plea to second-degree eluding police. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 7.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

In a gesture underscoring meager funding for school lunch programs, food service workers tried to present the sandwiches to the Essex County superintendent of schools.

NEWARK -- Cheese sandwiches in hand, school food services workers from several Essex County districts marched to the office of the state-appointed Essex County superintendent of schools to make their case for better pay.

The sandwiches consisted of two slices of bread and a single slice of American cheese, which is what the workers said they are told to give students who have no money for whatever regular school lunch is being served that day.

Employees of school food service contractors are one of the most recent groups of low-wage workers to seek raises to $15 an hour. The point of the sandwiches, according to the union official who led the workers up to the superintendent's office, was to underscore the meager funding allocated for school lunch programs, which in turn limits the wages for food and workers' wages. Typically, union officials said, the cafeteria workers make $9 to $14 an hour. 

Essex Superintendent Joseph Zarra was not in his office at the time, so one of the workers delivered the the message to his assistant.

"This cheese sandwich is not a nutritious meal," said the worker, Leslie Williams, 58, who lives and works in Orange. "And that's the way this food service works. We can't even afford to buy our family a cheese sandwich."

The union official, SEIU Local 32BJ Vice President Kevin Brown, said negotiations are ongoing for a master contract with a food service company, Chartwells Higher Education Food Services of Port Chester, N.Y., The company supplies school lunches and labor for the Orange, Hackensack, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, and Woodbridge districts.

The union has also campaigned for a $15-an-hour wage for cabin cleaners, baggage handlers and security guards at Newark Liberty International Airport. Like cafeteria workers who used to be employed directly by their school districts, many low-paid airport workers now work for contractors following a wave of outsourcing by the airline industry. 

Last week, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport, decided not to impose a $15-an-hour minimum wage requirement on firms doing business at the airport. The agency had already imposed a minimum of $10.10 an hour for airport workers, above the state minimum wage of $8.38. 

Last month, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a Democratic bill that would have gradually raised the state's hourly minimum to $15. 

Brown said the five districts are far from alone in outsourcing food services, and that 70 percent of New Jersey's 10,000 K-12 food service workers are employed by private contractors, a privatization trend that dates back decades that continues as districts look to save money in times of stagnant or declining state aid. 

Chartwells did not return a request for comment on Tuesday. Last month, a regional vice president of the company, Gene Sanchez, told NJ Advance Media that Chartwells had reached agreements with the SEIU for 16 years, and remained committed to "a collaborative and productive process" during the current round of negotiations. 

"The contractors aren't paid enough by the school districts to pay their workers, thanks to the lack of school funding," Brown said.

Zarra, who works for the state Department of Education, did not respond to a message left at his office on Tuesday. A spokesman for the department declined to comment on the local contract talks.    

Williams, who has worked in Orange school cafeterias for 27 years, said she makes $14.45 an hour, not far below the wage the union is seeking, so her fight is largely for colleagues, unless the union manages to win raises for her and other longtime employees.

She said her bosses at Chartwells took care to thank her for her work and provide positive feedback, but that is not the same as providing adequate pay, she said. A diabetic, Williams said she had to turn down health insurance offered by the company because she could not afford the 20-percent employee contribution toward her premiums.

Williams said she relies on a Section 8 voucher from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to cover much of the rent on her $1,650-a-month apartment, which she shares with her adult daughter.

As low-paid as they are, Williams said she and coworkers often pay for poor children's lunches when a cheese sandwich won't suffice.

"They tell us, 'Good job,'" Wiliams said of her supervisors at Chartwells. "But you can't eat a 'Good job.' Sometimes 'Thank you' is not enough." 

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Ivan White and Lee Parker were honored for telling police about a bag of pipe bombs by the Elizabeth train station. Watch video

ELIZABETH -- Two weeks ago, Lee Parker didn't have anywhere to live. On Tuesday night, he got a key to his city.

The Elizabeth city council presented Parker and Ivan White with their own engraved keys and city plates in a packed council chambers, as community leaders, relatives and numerous reporters looked on.

Parker and White became national heroes last week when they found a backpack full of explosive devices near the Elizabeth train station and reported the bag to police. Their actions set into motion a chain of events that ended without injuries and with a suspect in custody. 

"None of this would have happened if Mr. White and Mr. Parker did not decide to walk into police headquarters and tell them what they would find," Mayor J. Christian Bollwage said Tuesday. 

In the days after Parker and White found the bombs, city school children wrote thank-you cards to the men. Board of Education president Charlene Bathelus on Tuesday read some of those letters aloud.

"Dear Mr. White and Mr. Parker, Thank you for saving everyone's life in our community," wrote a student from Benjamin Franklin School No. 13. "Both of you are inspiring to me, and when I grow up I want to be just like you."

The ceremony was the latest event in what has been a nine-day whirlwind for the duo since they found the backpack Sept. 18. As fundraisers, donations and interview requests from across the country stream in, Parker and White are adjusting to their new status as national celebrities. 

A local non-profit has arranged for Parker, who was homeless, to stay in a hotel room until the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless can find him a permanent place to live. People have donated meals and gift cards for groceries. Another community organization has raised more than $30,000 for the men. 

Their journey to fame began when they stumbled across a backpack full of pipe bombs sitting on top of a garbage can at North Broad Street and Julian Place. When they realized the strange-looking devices in the bag might be dangerous, they walked to the police department and told officers. 

Multiple agencies rushed to the scene to inspect the bombs, accidentally detonating one of them in the process.  

Federal officials have charged Elizabeth resident and Afghanistan native Ahmad Khan Rahami in the placement of the explosives and in blasts in Seaside Park and New York City the same weekend. State authorities also charged Rahami, who was captured after a shootout in Linden, with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. 

Rahami is reportedly in critical condition at University Hospital in Newark and does not yet have a lawyer.

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A National Voter Registration Rally held in Downtown Newark drew a small, passionate crowd of residents and community organizers determined to make their voices heard this election season. Watch video

NEWARK -- Donald Graham isn't thrilled with either presidential candidate this year, but that didn't stop the local Newark school teacher from dropping by the city's National Voter Registration Day rally Tuesday evening to make sure he'd be able to cast a ballot come Nov. 8.

The rally, held on the steps of the Essex County Courthouse, drew a small, passionate crowd of residents and community organizers determined to make their voices heard this election season.

"Neither one of the candidates are people I'd like to see president," Graham said. But, he continued, "if you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain."

E. Denise Peoples, one of the organizers of the National Voter Registration Rally, makes a call to passersby on the street to come and register to vote 9/27/2016 (Michael Anthony Adams | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

"Everyone should get out and vote," said Karen Thomas, another Newark native who registered to vote Tuesday evening. "We need to be powerful in our own communities. We need people to help us to be strong and to do the things that we desire to do as a people, as a culture."

Graham was one of a handful of Newark residents that registered to vote at the rally, which featured live music and spoken-word performances.

Lynda Lloyd, coordinator for the New Jersey Prepared to Vote campaign, one of the event's sponsors, said she feels it's her responsibility to register as many people to vote as possible before the Oct. 18 deadline.

"We are here to rally, to perform, to raise the spirit and the consciousness of people to, not only register to vote, but also come out and vote in this November's election."

Michael Anthony Adams may be reached at madams@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelAdams317. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Two people were killed and 17 others were injured in the August bus crash in downtown Newark

NEWARK -- More than a month after a NJ Transit bus crash claimed the lives of two people and sent 17 others to the hospital, the agency has released surveillance footage from the crash. 

The video showing the two buses collide in a T-bone crash early on Aug. 19 in downtown Newark was obtained by Eyewitness News Tuesday.

The driver of the No. 59 bus was pronounced dead at the scene. Joseph Barthelus, 70, of Union, had worked at NJ Transit for 27 years. 

Jesy Garcia, 49, who was riding the No. 13 bus to work, died several hours later at University Hospital. The Newark grandmother of three was described by her family as a hard-working family woman. 

Woman killed in bus crash had walked to work

Witnesses described the scene as "total chaos" just after 6 a.m., as people rushed to pull passengers from the wreckage at the intersection of Broad Street and Raymond Boulevard.

The No. 59 bus was traveling west on Raymond Boulevard when it slammed into the No. 13 bus heading north on Broad Street. The No. 59 bus had just started its route and had no passengers. 

Seventeen passengers were injured in the crash, six of whom were still hospitalized a week later.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, Chief Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly told NJ Advance Media Tuesday evening.

Calls to NJ Transit were not immediately returned. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.    

They were among 22 people indicted last spring in a federal sting to catch visa fraud

NEWARK -- Two consultants pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges that they used a fake New Jersey college in a "pay-to-stay" scheme to maintain their clients' student visa status and get them full-time work authorizations.

Harpreet Sachdeva, of Somerset, and Sanjeev Sukhija, of North Brunswick, each admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud in the scheme that enrolled foreigners in the fake University of Northern New Jersey. 

Sachdeva, 26, and Sukhija, 35, were among 22 people who authorities in April charged with recruiting foreign nationals to the purported for-profit college in Cranford.

Federal officials actually had created the school as a sting operation to catch visa fraud. 

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said Tuesday that Sachdeva and Sukhija were Indian citizens present in the United States on foreign worker visas. They were working at Somerset-based Right OPT, a purported international student consulting company, Fishman said.

Sachdeva was its business development, marketing and operations manager, while Sukhija was in charge of business development, Fishman said. 

Sachdeva and Sukhija told foreign students if they paid a fee, they could enroll at UNNJ without having to go to any classes and would be able to fraudulently keep their non-immigrant status, Fishman said.

Sachdeva, the foreign clients and others obtained and created fake student documents, Fishman said. Through this scheme, Sachdeva and Sukhija falsely got the phony student visas and reported them in government databases as legitimate foreign students, Fishman said. 

The duo also conspired to get fraudulent work authorizations for some of their clients, creating a total of about 45 fake student visas and work permits, Fishman said.

Both admitted they were trying to profit by outsourcing the foreigners as information technology consultants to U.S. companies for commissions, according to Fishman. 

At an April press conference announcing the charges, Fishman said once federal agents created the fake college, requests for student visas began flowing in.

Recruiters "descended on the school, clamoring to enroll their foreign student clients," he said.

Conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a maximum five-year sentence and $250,000 fine. 

Sachdeva is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 12. Sukhija's sentencing is slated for Jan. 10. 

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

FBI data released this week shows that even though the murder rate in New Jersey is slightly up, overall crime rates continue to nosedive.

FBI data released this week shows that even though the murder rate in New Jersey is slightly up, overall crime rates continue to nosedive.

According to the new 2015 data, there were 363 murders in New Jersey - up from 349 the previous year. The slight bump increased the rate to 4.1 murders per 100,000 residents.

The same statistics showed that murder rose nationwide last year at the fastest pace since 1990.

However, the murder rate in New Jersey is still slightly below what it has been for the last five years. In 2013, the murder rate in the state reached a peak of 4.5 per 100,000 residents before it fell to 3.9 per 100,000 the following year.

The good news is that both the overall violent and non-violent property crime rates in New Jersey are continuing their downward trajectory.

The data shows that there were 22,879 violent crimes in 2015 - down two percent from the previous year. The rate fell from 261.2 violent crimes per 100,000 residents to 255.4 in 2015.

Violent crimes include murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Non-violent property crimes in 2015, which include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft, are down in New Jersey a significant six percent from 2014.

The rate in New Jersey - 1626.5 property crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015 - has been in freefall since 2011 when it was 2151.

Besides murder, only three other crime categories were up in 2015: rape, aggravated assault  and motor vehicle theft.

In particular, reports of rape were up 6 percent from the previous year.

In 2013, the FBI started reporting new revised rape statistics that expanded what had been the standard definition of rape.

The report also included crime statistics for individual law enforcement agencies. We created a searchable database so that you can look up your town or municipality and find out if violent crime has gone up or down in 2015.

Not all law enforcement agencies reported 2015 data to the FBI report. For example, two big omissions are the Newark and Camden police department.

In April 2017, the New Jersey State Police is set to release its 2015 statistics which will include all statistics from all law enforcement agencies in the state.

Also, be careful when ranking towns to each other. There are many reasons why towns similar-sized towns can have different crime rates. For examples, if the citizens are more likely to report crimes to law enforcement, the rates may be higher, but it's not necessarily because there is more crime.

In addition, shore towns have a huge boost in population during the summer weekends compared its actual populations. This can manifest in a higher crime rate.

The city plans to hire 60 Newark residents as part-time crossing guards to increase

A crossing guard is shown in a file photo.

NEWARK -- In a push to increase safety for school children, Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced Tuesday that the city will hire 60 Newark residents as part-time crossing guards.

Only a month into the school year, records show 57 people under 18 years old have been struck by vehicles, said Frank Baraff, director of communications for the city.

While the numbers don't reveal whether they were stuck during school hours, a traffic study conducted by the city analyzed the number of unaccompanied students that were crossing streets and determined the need for 161 guard posts, Baraff said.

As of Sept. 27, 101 guards were employed by the city.

"There are 161 budgeted positions for school crossing guards throughout the city," Baraff said in an email. "Through years of attrition, their numbers have dwindled to 101 with only new four guards hired since 2010. Three were hired in 2014 and one in 2015.  Four former crossing guards were rehired during the same time period."

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Newly-hired crossing guards will undergo at least two hours of classroom training, receive information on methods of traffic control and the duties and responsibilities of crossing guards, a release from the city said.

"The safety of our children is paramount to both Mayor Ras J. Baraka and I," said Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose.

"At community meetings this summer, residents voiced their concerns about no longer having school crossing guards at their schools. I explained that because of budgetary constraints, previous administrations let their numbers dwindle from 161 to 101. Keeping my pledge to address citizen complaints, I met with Mayor Baraka and he authorized the hiring of additional crossing guards," Director Ambrose added.

"The current number of vacancies is unacceptable. Going without hiring additional crossing guards for so many years needlessly jeopardized our kids, who were simply trying to make it to and from school to get an education," he said. "We are working to complete this task as expeditiously as possible."

Guards will work at intersections near elementary and middle schools that the traffic study identified as problem areas.

Applicants will go through a comprehensive criminal background check that investigates their driving, financial and employment histories, and asks about their residency history and other relevant information, the release said.

Michael Anthony Adams may be reached at madams@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelAdams317. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The South Orange Train Station centennial celebration will be a roaring 20's affair aimed at raising money to support continued restoration projects at the historic station.

SOUTH ORANGE -- When the South Orange train station was built in 1916, there was no NJ Transit. Trains had not yet been electrified, and the population of the suburban community was less than half of what it is now.

Today, village officials say the station is the busiest along NJ Transit's Morris-Essex line, serving about 4,000 riders everyday.

In honor of the station's centennial, South Orange is throwing a theme party this weekend. Funding raised from ticket sales to the shin-dig will go toward continued rehabilitation, restoration, and beautification efforts at the station.

Village President Sheena Collum said the projects are a "thank you" the station deserves, as she credits it with much of the growth and prosperity the community has seen over the past 100 years.

"The South Orange Train Station has been at the heart of South Orange's growth and development since train service was first established," Collum said.

A major wave of growth began in 1996 after the South Orange station gained access to NJ Transit's 'Midtown Direct' service, Collum said. That dropped commuting time from South Orange to New York Penn Station to about 30 minutes.

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The speedier service "had an almost immediate impact on our community," Collum said. "(It has spurred) robust redevelopment and growth, only slowed temporarily by the 2008 recession, which is continuing to this day."

Village officials credit the train station, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, with attracting the 600 new housing units and 40,000 square feet of retail space that have been developed in the area over the past 20 years.

Proximity to the station was a big component in the recent sales of the former Village Hall building, and the Gateway luxury apartment complex, Collum said. The village is also in the midst of negotiating about $150 million worth of new mixed-use development projects, she said.

The invitation to the train station celebration. (Courtesy Village of South Orange)
 

Local realtors have even dubbed the community "Brooklyn West," referring to the influx of residents moving in from NYC.

On Saturday, hundreds of people are expected to don "roaring 20s" attire and celebrate with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, live jazz music, and commemorations from local officials and NJ Transit.

"Since the station opened in 1916, it has experienced significant growth complementing the vibrancy and attractiveness of the community it serves," NJ Transit Interim Executive Director Dennis Martin said in a statement.

The party is happening from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sloan Street in front of the South Orange Station, weather permitting. A rain date has been set for Oct. 8.

Tickets may be purchased online in advance for $25 or at the door for $30. All proceeds will go to the "Fund for South Orange Station" that organizers say will pay for restoration and beautification projects that will allow the historic station to serve residents for another hundred years.

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

Woman faces charges of forgery and sale of cigarettes without N.J. tax stamps

Merysol Mendez-Reyes, 51 (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

NEWARK -- The victim of a Newark carjacking turned out to be a suspect in an investigation that led authorities to seize two vehicles with a haul of counterfeit cigarette tax stamps and more than $18,000, authorities said Wednesday.

Merysol Mendez-Reyes, 51, of Newark, was arrested Sept. 20 after police responded to a reported carjacking and shots fired near Highland and Delavan avenues, according to the city's Department of Public Safety. A man told officers he ran from a carjacking while one of the attackers fired at him with a handgun.

Authorities said they identified Mendez-Reyes as a victim of the carjacking and detectives learned she was also suspected in a scam involving counterfeit cigarette tax stamps. Police did not disclose how they centered on Mendez-Reyes as a suspect in the alleged scheme.

City detectives alerted agents with the state Treasury Department and investigators served search warrants at an unspecified location.

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According to police, the search netted evidence, including 75,736 counterfeit New Jersey cigarette tax stamps worth about $204,487, more than 400 cartons of cigarettes with Virginia tax stamps or no stamps and 123 cartons of cigarettes with the phony New Jersey stamps valued at more than $47,000.

Investigators also seized cash, ledgers and tools used to remove and attach the tax stamps on cigarette boxes.

Mendez-Reyes was charged with seven counts related to having counterfeit stamps, contraband cigarettes, and distribution of the items. 

In cigarette tax schemes, traffickers often purchase large amounts of cigarettes in Virginia and other states with lower taxes and sell them in New Jersey, which has a higher tax on cigarettes. Traffickers can also use fake New Jersey stamps to make the cigarettes appear legitimate.

"This type of incident, involving counterfeit cigarettes -- commonly known as loosies -- has the potential of creating an even greater quality of life issue for both the public and the police," Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

Ambrose credited the work of Newark police, Treasury Department officials, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agents. The original carjacking remains under investigation, he added.

Law enforcement officials have dubbed Interstate 95 as "Tobacco Road," for the known cigarette smuggling route that runs from the Carolinas to Maine. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

"Color Purple" star Cynthia Erivo and Grammy nominee Kenny Lattimore will also perform at New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Spotlight Gala this weekend. Watch video

Leslie Odom Jr. likes risks. In 2014, he passed up a high-profile role in a network TV drama to tackle a challenging part in an off-Broadway production. 

The pay wasn't great, the future unclear.

But the role, Odom said in a recent interview with NJ Advance Media, "was a fantastic challenge, a great part that asked me to do everything I ever wanted to do on stage and some things I never though I could do on stage."

That show, of course, was "Hamilton," which would go on to dazzle Broadway and the world, launching Odom and his co-stars into the stratosphere. The cast took home the Best Musical Theater Album at the 2016 Grammys. Odom also won the 2016 Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his nuanced portrayal of Aaron Burr. 

Whatever's next, Odom said, has to be just as demanding.

"What I'm addicted to now are things that are going to  stretch me and challenge me and make me grow," he said. "It doesn't have to be as big as Burr or as big as 'Hamilton,' but something that sounds tough, like something I've never done before."

Odom will next take the stage in Newark on Saturday, Oct. 1 as part of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Spotlight Gala, the annual fundraising event that buffers the center and its arts education program. Fellow 2016 Tony winner Cynthia Erivo ("The Color Purple") and Grammy-nominee Kenny Lattimore will also perform during the black tie event.

After the performance, Odom will continue touring the country in support of his soulful, self-titled solo album, which was released in June. Looking into 2017, there are a few movie possibilities, he said, maybe another television opportunity. For now, though, he's introducing Leslie Odom Jr., not Aaron Burr, to the world at large -- even if the two really aren't that different.

"I tried to bring as much of myself, my heart and soul, into that part as I could, vulnerable, afraid  unlikeable, afraid, fragile and hopeful," he said. "I wanted to remove as much distance between the man and audience as possible so it was hard to judge him." 

In doing so, Odom began to rewrite history, recasting a man once seen as a pure villain as a man seen as, well, a man. He's proud of that work and knows that it currently represents "a pinnacle for me ... the greatest work of my career." 

He also knows more high points are to come. Odom admits to feeling vulnerable when he takes the stage during concerts, knowing he doesn't have a costumed-supporting cast dancing around him or a revolving stage to wow the audience.

"We don't quite have the budget of 'Hamilton,'" he laughed. "There a different type of courage needed and a different type of fear that sets in now. A little bit of that is not meeting people's expectations."

For this weekend's NJPAC performance, Odom, Erivo and Lattimore will each perform separate sets. Odom was still working on his own set list. 

"Hamilton" fans, however, will be happy to learn that his performance will include songs from the musical. "I know people enjoying hearing the songs and I enjoy singing the songs" he explained. On the other hand, he added, "I don't want to be doing 'Hamilton' concerts for the rest of my life."

That's unlikely as the opportunities before him seem endless. No, he's not thinking about joining that exclusive club made up of EGOT -- Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony -- winners, even if his fans and management already are. But he does acknowledge feeling optimistic 

"When one show can get you halfway there, that's a pretty good show," he said. "We're going to keep our eyes out for fantastic opportunities to stretch and bleed all that I have out. If you're where you're supposed to be, you'll be fine. That's been my experience.'"

That TV show that Odom passed on? It was cancelled after one season.

An Evening of Elegant Soul

Featuring Leslie Odom, Jr., Cynthia Erivo and Kenny Lattimore

October 1, 7 p.m.

NJPAC's Prudential Hall, Newark

Tickets: $50, available on www.ticketmaster.com.  

Full Gala tickets: $1000 (includes pre-show networking and post-performance dinner and dancing). To purchase individual tickets or for information about table sponsorships, call 973-353-7043 or email womensassociation@njpac.org 

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

The award winners were announced by the U.S. Department of Education.

TRENTON -- The U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday announced that 10 New Jersey schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools, a recognition celebrating excellence in academics. 

The six public schools and four private schools are among 329 nationwide to receive the honor. 

Blue Ribbon Schools have either demonstrated overall academic excellence or have made strides to improve the achievement gap among students in the building. 

"National Blue Ribbon Schools are proof that we can prepare every child for college and meaningful careers," Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. said in a video message to the schools. 

New Jersey regularly places several schools on the national list, including 15 last year and 11 the year before. Acting state Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington congratulated the schools on their accomplishment. 

"Schools across the nation covet this honor and rightfully take great pride when they are selected," she said. 

At Essex Fells Elementary School, students watched the video announcement in an assembly. When the school's name and picture came on the screen, the gymnasium erupted with cheering and confetti.

'"It was pure joy," principal Michelle Gadaleta said. 

The schools will be honored at a ceremony on Washington, D.C., in November. Here's the list of New Jersey schools named Blue Ribbon Schools for 2016:

Public schools

Academy for Performing Arts, Union County Vocational Technical Schools

Essex Fells Elementary School, Essex Fells School District

Lyncrest Elementary School, Fair Lawn Public Schools

Cedar Hill Elementary School, Montville Township Public Schools

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School (Somerset)

Cranbury Elementary School, Cranbury School District

Private schools

Academy of the Most Blessed Sacrament (Franklin Lakes)

St. Augustine of Canterbury School (Kendall Park)

St. Cassian Elementary School (Montclair)

Saint Peter School (Point Pleasant Beach)

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Woman died after she was shot on Broad Street in Newark, according to authorities.

A 24-year-old woman was shot near 82 Broad Street in Newark Sept. 25 (Photo: Google Maps) 

Hanniyah S. Anderson was shot while in the passenger seat of a car near 82 Broad St. around 10:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Anderson died the next day around 6 p.m. at University Hospital.

Prosecutors seek 20-year sentence for trio in Newark robbery spree

Investigators have not identified any suspects or made any arrests in the killing, the prosecutor's office said. Anyone with information is asked to call the county Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

As of Sunday, police reported 72 murders in the state's largest city compared to 76 during the same time span last year.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Mack Edwards, Phobus Sullivan and Danuweli Keller are charged with killing Dardar Paye, 33, of Maplewood, a U.S. Army veteran from Liberia.

TRENTON -- Almost six years ago, a Liberian immigrant and U.S. Army veteran was kidnapped, killed and stuffed in the trunk of a car. Five suspects were later charged in connection with the crime

On Wednesday, attorneys completed jury selection for three of the suspects - Mack Edwards, Phobus Sullivan and Danuweli Keller.

Opening statements are expected to begin on Monday.

Dardar Paye fought for the U.S. military in the 1990s, serving tours in Iraq and Kosovo. He also served in the New Jersey National Guard. He was found dead in Trenton in 2011. 

The three men are charged with killing Dardar Paye, 33, of Maplewood. His body was found in the trunk of a car following a police chase in Trenton on Jan. 16, 2011.

The three suspects were also accused of kidnapping and robbing Alfonso Slaughter three months before Paye's slaying. The trio will be tried for both incidents as soon as jury selection is complete.

It's a long time coming for the case, which Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier called, "the oldest case in Mercer County," during a status conference in court earlier this year.  

Paye received public attention in 2010 for his legal battle against deportation, which was chronicled in a Star-Ledger newspaper story.

A teenage refugee from war-torn Liberia, Paye ran afoul of immigration authorities after being convicted on weapons and drug charges. Despite his military service, he was to be deported under a 1996 federal law that expanded the crimes under which a non-citizen could be removed from the country.

Authorities have said Edwards, Sullivan and Keller are accused of first carjacking and kidnapping Slaughter on Oct. 31, 2010.

Mercer County prosecutors have said the three men took Slaughter to a basement of a house on Monmouth Street, where they tied him up and robbed him before Slaughter managed to escape.

Three months later the three suspects, along with a fourth man, Abdutawab Kiazolu, kidnapped Paye and held him in the same basement where they robbed him before shooting him to death, prosecutors allege.

After the pursuit, authorities said Sullivan was driving the car and Edwards was a passenger.

From top left, Phobus E. Sullivan, 27, Abdutawab Kiazolu, 22, Danuweli Keller, 23, and Mack W. Edwards, 25, all of Trenton have been charged in the slaying. 

Police also stopped a van, which they believed was connected to the car. Keller was driving the van with Kiazolu as a passenger, prosecutors have said.

All four men were indicted on counts of murder, felony murder and weapons charges for the slaying.

A fifth man, William Daquan Brown, was indicted on felony murder charges in connection with the incident. Prosecutors have said Brown was present for the robbery and kidnapping of Paye, but not the killing itself.

Kiazolu and Brown, who were only accused of playing a role in Paye's kidnapping and not Slaughter's, have since been severed from the court proceedings.

Their cases are being handled separately from the trial of Edwards, Sullivan and Keller. 

Brown is already in prison serving a 50-year term for the September 2008 slaying of Tracy Lamont Crews in Trenton.

And Sullivan is already serving a 20-year prison term for the December 2010 slaying of Andrew Leonard, also in Trenton.

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman.

Schools, community and other civic groups can now get a behind-the-scenes look at the Manischewitz's food production. Watch video

NEWARK -- For some, getting a tour of Manischewitz's plant and corporate headquarters in Newark is a bit like peaking inside Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, but instead of Snozzberies and Everlasting Gobstoppers, there's thousands of boxes of Mazto Ball mix and Tam Tams.

On Tuesday, David Sugerman, president and CEO of Manischewitz, along with Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, cut through a bright orange ribbon with a cartoonishly large pair of scissors -- a scene akin to something Roald Dahl might have written --marking the beginning of a new walking tour called "The Manischewitz Experience."

Schools, community and other civic groups can now get a behind-the-scenes look at the Manischewitz's food production, kosher practices, and a cross-cultural experience centered on the brand's history and innovation in food trends, a release from the company said.

While Manischewitz has opened its doors to a select few in the past, Sugerman told New Jersey Advance Media that this new experience gives the company an opportunity to share their rich history in kosher food production with a wider audience.

"As we approach Rosh Hashanah," Sugerman said, "we thought this was the perfect time for us to kick this off."

Rabbi Aron Yonah Hayum, a rabbinical supervisor at Manischewitz, took students from the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and Boys & Girls Club of Newark on a guided tour throughout the plant.

"For people who are observant of Kosher, Halal; it would be very meaningful for the kids to see how this food that they eat is made," Hayum said. "To people who are not Kosher...it's a little education on how other people look at the world."

Michael Anthony Adams may be reached at madams@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelAdams317. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

These photos represent a small sampling of what could be called Jersey Americana.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, "Americana" is defined as "materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culture; broadly: things typical of America."

Backyard barbecues with family including the ever-vivacious Aunt Lena Meschi, may she rest in peace.Photo courtesy of the Hatala family 

American culture is a smorgasbord of traditions - a Swedish word, incidentally, that gained popularity following the 1939 New York World's Fair when the so-named buffet was offered at the Swedish Pavilion's "Three Crowns Restaurant."  So then, our rich mix of cultures must be credited when we consider the many things we qualify "as American as ..." 

When this Americana photo gallery was pieced together, the pictures were selected based on the "feeling" they conjured. Simply stated, each photo reminded the editing staff of an American experience -- or more specifically, an N.J. experience.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

These photos represent a small sampling of what could be called Jersey Americana. We have pictures of yard sales, flea markets, drive-in movie theaters, drag racing and eating contests.

Make sure you have captions enabled to read all about these classic photos.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

On Thursday night, city officials will hold a meeting at the St. John's Community Baptist Church in the South Ward to explain the proposed South Bergen Development Plan

NEWARK -- Newark officials will host the first of two community meetings Thursday at a neighborhood church to seek public's input on the final phase of redevelopment plan intended to help revive a 15-block stretch of Bergen Street.

The plan covers about a mile of the South Ward thoroughfare, from Madison Avenue at the north end to Weequahic Avenue at the south, bisected by the Route 78 overpass.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at St. John's Community Baptist Church, 1066 Bergen Street, between Lyons and Lehigh avenues.

Newark to hire 60 school crossing guards

The redevelopment is intended to spur growth outside the city's downtown section.

Earlier this year, Mayor Ras Baraka signed a local law providing five-year tax abatements for commercial, industrial or multi-unit residential projects in areas other than downtown or air and seaport zones.

"Redevelopment will not immediately solve all of a neighborhood's problems, but the community and the city can have a role in guiding development," reads part of a presentation to be given by officials at Thursday night's meeting.

If the city council adopts the plan, possibly by December, property within the redevelopment area may be acquired through negotiations or condemnation, and turned over to designated developers.

According to the city's consultant for the project, Heyer, Gruel & Associates of Red Bank, residents have called for more clothing stores bookshops, coffee shops, a fresh produce market, restaurants with outdoor dining, and a nursery. Other suggestions include child care, educational institutions, job training centers, social service offices, and healthcare facilities.

The housing development options include single and multi-family townhouses and up to six story apartment buildings.

Most of area north of Route 78 would be zoned for residences, while the south would be mainly commercial.

Officials say the plan is still in its draft phase. The community meeting Thursday is the last step in the process before the final plan is presented at a meeting scheduled for Oct. 30, also at St. John's.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The person was hit around 6:20 a.m.

NEWARK -- A person was struck and killed by an Amtrak train at Newark Penn Station Thursday morning, according to an official. 

Northeast Regional train 190 hit the "trespasser" around 6:20 a.m. on track 2, an Amtrak spokesman said.

No one aboard the Amtrak train was hurt. The passengers were transferred to a New York-bound NJ Transit train.

The spokesman didn't know the age or gender of the person killed.

Customers traveling btwn NWK/NYP are currently experiencing delays due to police activity. We hope to have the situation resolved shortly.

-- Amtrak Northeast (@AmtrakNEC) September 29, 2016

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