Four suspects were charged Wednesday in two separate drug distribution investigations by the Essex County Sheriff's Office, authorities say.

NEWARK -- Four suspects were charged Wednesday in two separate drug distribution investigations by the Essex County Sheriff's Office, authorities say.

One female and three male suspects, arrested on Wednesday afternoon by department detectives during investigations of open air drug markets in Newark, were arraigned Thursday on multiple narcotics charges, said Sheriff Armondo Fontoura.

Muniefa Bullock, 36, of Irvington, Jerry Gray, 31, of Irvington, and Larry Farrar, Jr., 27, of Newark, were arrested and charged with 13 counts each for possession and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, authorities said. All three were remanded into custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility on $55,000 bail, Fontoura said.

Fontoura said investigators conducting surveillance near the intersection of Brookdale Avenue and Abinger Place observed the suspects loitering in front of a nearby residence.

The three suspects were later approached by two men, who allegedly exchanged cash for what investigators later found were quantities of crack cocaine, authorities said.

"In each incident, Bullock walked down the building's driveway where she was observed removing items from a plastic bag and exchanging those items with the passersby," Fontoura said.

After police moved in to detain Bullock and the other suspects, investigators searched a plastic bag used in the exchange, finding 51 "jugs" of crack, Fontoura said.

The two men allegedly seen making the purchase--James Blackman, 62, of Irvington, and Oomar Jordan, 49, of Newark--were also detained, authorities said. Blackman was issued a summons for possession of a controlled substance, and was found to be the subject of open criminal warrants issued by the Superior Courts in Hunterdon and Morris counties, authorities said.

Jordan was issued a summons for possession of a controlled substance and released on his own recognizance, officials said. He will be arraigned at a later date.

Twenty-year-old Jaquill Swain, of Newark, was busted in a second surveillance operation an hour later, Fontoura said.

Authorities said narcotics investigators observed Swain allegedly participating in a hand-to-hand drug sale with a buyer later identified as 36-year-old Newark man Carl Wilson.

"Our detectives then witnessed as Swain walked to the rear of the building where he retrieved a plastic bag that was secreted under a large plywood board on the ground," Fontoura said. Swain allegedly removed items from the plastic bag and exchanged them with Wilson for cash, he added.

According to authorities, Wilson was allegedly found to be in possession of one envelope filled with heroin and stamped 'EXXON' in black ink." A search of the plastic bag turned up an additional 12 decks of heroin and 17 glass vials of crack cocaine, authorities said.

Swain was charged with 11 narcotics crimes, including the sale and possession of and intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, officials said. He was later remanded into custody at the Essex County jail facility on $35,000 bail.

Wilson was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, issued a summons, and released on his own recognizance, authorities said. He will be arraigned next week.

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

All of these questions are based on this week's top NJ.com stories.

You're toast in this week's NJ.com News Quiz: I'm just warning you right now. All of the questions are based on NJ.com's most popular stories from the past week, which will make it that much more frustrating for you when you Epic Fail.
Once you complete with this week's quiz, share your score in comments and be honest: On how many of these questions were you totally just flat-out guessing? I just don't see many users getting more than half of these right, much less a perfect score. Good luck ... you're going to need it.

'Dance Cancer Away' being held Saturday in the Ironbound

NEWARK -- A fundraiser, "Dance Cancer Away," is being held Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight at the Ironbound Movie Studio, 164 Delancey St.

Deborah Smith  

The event, featuring live music and food, is free, although donations to the American Cancer Society are greatly appreciated.

The event is also a celebration of Deborah Smith, a breast-cancer survivor recently profiled by WBGO radio.

The event is sponsored by sergeants Ronald Glover and Sam Siino of the Newark Police Department and is being hosted by Raina Glover.  

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

Newark business owners on Lower Broadway say that new parking hours are causing them to lose customers who get ticketed and towed.

Stories about parking may not be juicy reading over morning coffee.

But this one - about a short commercial corridor known as Lower Broadway in Newark's Central Ward - makes you start to wonder about always following the rules.

Lower Broadway is a one-way street about two blocks long, running from Bloomfield Place to Seventh Avenue. The area doesn't have much parking to begin with and that's why a new - or not so new - four-hour parking restriction is confusing to merchants. 

Over the summer, Newark completed a street improvement project - lights, sidewalks, new pavement -  and the city's traffic and signals division put up new street signs that prohibit parking from noon to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. Previously, the "no parking" hours were from 7 to 9 a.m.

With the new hours, Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins says the city could clean the streets on alternate days.

Simple enough, right?  Swap it out and keep it moving. Nothing is ever that easy, it seems, when you learn that the new hours for parking are not really new. They've been part of a city ordinance for quite some time, but no one seems to know for how long and they haven't been enforced until now.

Still waiting for the answer as to why from the city's division of traffic and signals in the Engineering Department and the department of Neighborhood and Recreational Services.

Small business owners, who say they're losing 30 to 60 percent in sales because of the new hours, want to know why parking regulations are being changed after 45 years.

That's how long George Faludi, owner of a furniture store on Lower Broadway, has been in business. He's never had to worry about customers getting ticketed and towed - until now.

"Noon to 4 p.m. is prime time,''Faludi says, for doing business. "It's crazy.''

 So if it's not broken,  why did the city try to fix it?

The business owners, who are most affected by the change, say city officials told them that the noon to 4 p.m. ordinance is what's always been on the books.

It's the law and that's it.  It may be the law, but it's bad for business.  The neighborhood services department and the division of traffic and signals need to sit down and hash this out.

The old rule, or wrong rule, was great for business owners, but the recent change raises an interesting question: How did the 7 to 9 a.m. restriction last for at least 45 years, when it should always have been "no parking" from noon to 4 p.m.?

Still waiting for that answer, too, from the city.

"Nobody can find the ordinance or the resolution that authorizes 7 to 9 a.m.," Chaneyfield Jenkins says.

Abimael Velazquez needs something done fast. He's been selling men's clothing here for 28 years, and says this is the first time he has not done well.

His customers, who have been ticketed and towed, don't come back.

Velazquez says business is so slow that he had to lay off two employees and his sales have dropped 50 to 60 percent.

"This is a big problem,'' he says.

It's especially crucial since Christmas - his best time to do business - is not far away. He has every right to be worried if something doesn't happen to help the merchants.

"Everything they do is to hurt the business owners,'' says George Guerrero, owner of another furniture store. "If the customers can't come to shop here, they're going to go to the mall, they're going to go where there's parking.''

Angel Martinez, who leases space in a building that he owns to a surgical supply business, had business owners sign petitions about the issue.

"I think it's falling on deaf ears,'' say Martinez, speaking about their plight. "The business owners are biting the bullet because they have less parking.''

At this point, he says, they are willing to compromise with a "no parking" designation from noon to 2 p.m.  

It's not great, but it's better than what they have now.

If it goes back to 7 to 9 a.m., Chaneyfield Jenkins says, that's okay with her, too. While streets have to be cleaned, she says "no parking" restrictions in commercial areas are not friendly to small business owners throughout the city.

Three choices are on the table for the city.  One of them has to work out.

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

BELLEVILLE — Gus, short for Giustino, is a young cat in the care of Dap's Animals. Rescued from the streets of Newark, he has been described as a sweet cat with a whisper for a meow. Gus has tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus, but according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, "Infected cats who...

Giustino 

BELLEVILLE -- Gus, short for Giustino, is a young cat in the care of Dap's Animals.

Rescued from the streets of Newark, he has been described as a sweet cat with a whisper for a meow.

Gus has tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus, but according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, "Infected cats who receive supportive medical care and are kept in a stress-free, indoor environment can live relatively comfortable lives for months to years before the disease reaches its chronic stages."

The ASPCA also notes that "FIV is mainly passed from cat to cat through deep bite wounds, the kind that usually occur outdoors during aggressive fights and territorial disputes and can only infect other cats."

For more information on Gus, who has been neutered and is up-to-date on shots, call 973-902-4763 or email dapsanimals@gmail.com. Dap's Animals is a volunteer foster/rescue organization. For information on other animals adoptable through Dap's, go to petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=NJ694. Dap's currently has 51 homeless pets in its care.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email essex@starledger.com.

More than 250 artisans will bring their latest creations to the Garden State Exhibit Center.

WITH A TO-DO LIST that likely includes updating your fall wardrobe, picking up new plates for festive dinners and getting started on holiday shopping, it's time to visit the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival.

For three days, beginning today, more than 250 artisans will bring their latest creations to the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset. Shoppers can find offerings in sculpture, glass, jewelry, fashion, wood, leather, metal, furniture, home accessories, photography and fine art. There also will be artist demonstrations, including iron forging, copper spinning and wheel-thrown pottery.

Festival hours are today and Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $8 online and $10 at the door (good for all three days); and free for children younger than 12. Free parking. The exhibit center is located at 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset. Call (800) 210-9900 or visit sugarloafcrafts.com.

GAME ON!

Celebrate your geeky side Oct. 24 at the South Jersey Geekfest Fall 2015.

 

Gamers, comic book nerds, TV enthusiasts and card collectors come together for tabletop games, music, video games, open board games and more, including comics, art, toys and vendors at Woodbury Heights Community Center. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Outside there will be a geeky car show, cosplay kickball and Smash Brothers Wrestling, plus the Great Geeky Pumpkin Patch for kids.

An adult pass is $8; children 12 and younger attend free, one child per paying adult; cosplay pass is $5; food drive pass is $5, with nonperishable food items. The community center is located at 741 Helen Ave., Woodbury Heights. Visit sjgeekfest.com.

AND MORE ...

• Things get down and dirty Oct. 24 as Pro Wrestling Syndicate Live comes to the Rahway Rec Center in Rahway. The action begins at 8 p.m. and is headlined by a match between former WWE World Champion Rob Van Dam and former WWE star John Hennigan. There will be appearances by wrestling legends Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Raven and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo. The rec center is located at 275 East Milton Ave. General admission is $30. Call (732) 669-3600 or visit bedofnailz.com.

• It may no longer be summertime, but tunes from "Porgy and Bess" are guaranteed to delight on Oct. 24 when Thibaudet Plays Gershwin comes to the the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. Soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, on piano, joins the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for an 8 p.m. show that features selections from George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein. The theater is located at 99 Monmouth St. Tickets are $20 to $75. Call (800) 255-3476 or visit njsymphony.org.

• Costumed canines compete Oct. 24 in the Strut Your Mutt: Pet Costume Parade. The event will be held in two locations: Brookdale Dog Park, on Grove Street, Montclair, with registration at 9:15 a.m. and the parade at 10 a.m.; and South Mountain Dog Park, on Crest Drive, Maplewood/Millburn, with registration at 1:15 p.m. and the parade at 2 p.m. Free to enter. Rain date is Oct. 25. Call (973) 268-3500 or visit essexcountynj.org.

• Can't get enough of Fido and friends? Then don't miss Woofapawlooza on Oct. 25 at the Gleyburn Estate in Riverdale. Crafters, vendors, food, entertainment and more will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pooches (with their people) are welcome. The fundraiser benefits Gentle Giants Inc., a Wayne dog rescue that specializes in giant-breed dogs. The estate is located at 211 Hamburg Turnpike. Visit gentlegiantsinc.org.

MORE FROM INSIDE JERSEY MAGAZINE

Follow Inside Jersey on Twitter. Find Inside Jersey on Facebook and Google+

Ali Bass, 33, of Newark, is accused of crashing head-on into a pickup truck while fleeing from police in 2009 when he drove in the wrong direction on Irvine Turner Boulevard in Newark

NEWARK -- On the morning of Dec. 11, 2009, Ali Bass is accused of fatally shooting a man inside a vehicle in Newark, marking the third homicide he allegedly committed in less than five months.

But about two hours later, Newark police officers have said they attempted to pull over Bass in a vehicle for a much different offense - he was not wearing a seat belt.

Yet when the officers activated their lights and sirens, Bass allegedly sped off and headed south on Irvine Turner Boulevard before veering into the northbound lanes and crashing head-on into a pickup truck.

Nearly six years later, Bass, 33, of Newark, went on trial Thursday on eluding, resisting arrest and related offenses in connection with that incident. The murder cases are being tried separately.

The eluding case hinges in large part on the extent of Bass's injuries and where he was discovered in the vehicle.

During opening statements on Thursday, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab told jurors Bass broke his left leg in the collision. When police officers approached the vehicle afterward, they saw Bass going from the driver's seat to the back seat, Edwab said.

Bass was trying "to avoid being caught in that driver's seat," Edwab said.

Bass had been driving a Ford Taurus and he crashed into a Toyota Tundra, Edwab said. Witnesses are expected to testify about how Bass was driving the vehicle that day, Edwab said.

His front-seat passenger, Arsenio Payton, also known as Marvin Smith, ran from the vehicle and was quickly apprehended by police, according to Edwab. The driver of the Tundra complained of dizziness and later went to the hospital, Edwab said.

By driving the wrong way on Irvine Turner Boulevard, Bass "put himself, his front-seat passenger, the police and other drivers out there in harm's way with those actions," Edwab said.

But Bass's attorney, Thomas Ashley, told jurors that Payton had been driving the vehicle. Ashley noted how Bass was arrested in the back seat and argued his broken leg made it impossible for him to quickly move there from the driver's seat.

"The injuries themselves create more than a reasonable doubt, because it would have been impossible for Mr. Bass to have performed this because of the nature and extent of the injuries," Ashley said.

The collision occurred roughly two hours after Bass, Payton and Tyree Miller allegedly participated in the fatal shooting of Quawan Robinson, 31, of Newark, in front of 26 Johnson Avenue in the city. Robinson was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and torso while inside his vehicle.

Bass also is charged with fatally shooting Hassan Brown, 29, of Newark and Franklin Johnson, 47, of East Orange, during a July 20, 2009 incident at 109 South 12th Street in Newark. Authorities have said that killing was an act of vengeance after Brown was arrested and charged with the slaying of Bass's sister in 2008.

The attorneys did not discuss the homicide cases in their opening statements.

When the officers tried to pull over Bass on Dec. 11, 2009, they were unaware he had allegedly committed a murder about two hours beforehand, authorities said. The officers were attempting to pull over Bass for the seat belt violation, authorities said.

At that early stage, investigators did not know who was involved in the homicide yet, authorities said.

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

R&B singer and former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland will also make an appearance at the special two-day event

In this 2012 file photo, Ava Mungiello and her brother, Matthew along with their grandfather, Gerald Fontana walk through an M&Ms World pop-up store in Hackettstown. The candymaker will bring a similar store to Newark for two days next week. (Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger)

NEWARK - M&M'S will return to its birthplace in Newark for a limited engagement next week.

The famous candymaker will construct a Halloween-themed pop-up store downtown on Broad Street Tuesday and Wednesday, where it will give out free candy and up to 15,000 costumes to children 12 and under.

R&B singer and former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland will be on hand on at a special "Family Fun Zone" at the John F. Kennedy Recreation Center on West Kinney Street Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will include face painting, caricature drawing, balloonists and other activities.

In a statement, Mayor Ras Baraka said he was "thrilled (M&M'S) have turned their attention to our city this Halloween."

"M&M'S is offering the residents of Newark a safe and family-friendly environment to have some fun, and we hope it will be an event this community will remember for years to come," he said.

M&M's traces its history back to Newark, where the chocolates and their thin candy shells were first manufactured in 1941. The company stayed in the city until 1958, when it shut down its factory in the Clinton Hill section of the South Ward and moved to Hackettstown.

The pop-up store will be located at located at 744 Broad Street, between Commerce Street and Clinton Street, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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

 

Stop & Shop purchased 25 A&P and Pathmark locations after that company declared bankruptcy.

SOUTH ORANGE -- Attention shoppers: Stop & Shop has officially started opening its revamped A&P and Pathmark locations in New Jersey.

Friday's grand opening of the new South Orange Stop & Shop - a former Pathmark - marked the first of the stores the chain acquired in New Jersey to reopen, company spokeswoman Arlene Putterman said.

The location is one of 25 former A&P holdings that Stop & Shop bought after the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company declared bankruptcy in July. Three of the stores are in New Jersey. 

Stop & Shop is converting the 25 stores in five waves of five stores each, Putterman said. The five "wave two" stores, which include South Orange, opened Friday.

The stores were closed on Oct. 15, and went through a seven-day overhaul that Putterman said included replacing all of the products sold in the stores, the installation of new shelving units, lighting, and signage.

Each day, between 100 and 200 workers were in the South Orange location working on the transition, she said. The cost of the store rehab was not immediately available.

"The store just feels refreshed," Putterman said. Shoppers returning to the store "will see many of the same smiling faces," she said. "Many" of the store's 84 employees were retained from Pathmark, though not all, she said. Putterman did not have an exact number of employees that signed on to work with the new company.

The other two New Jersey locations - a Pathmark in Kinnelon and an A&P in Closter - are part of later waves, but will both reopen by mid-November, store officials have said.

Stop & Shop executives said each new store is donating $2,000 to a local charity to represent its planned commitment to be involved in the community. In South Orange, the donation will go to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Essex County, they said.

In statements about the store conversions, president of Stop & Shop New York Metro Division Don Sussman has said the plan is for a smooth transition for local shoppers.

"Stop & Shop is committed to improving the overall shopping experience in these 25 stores to meet the quality, selection and savings that customers have come to expect from us," he said in a statement.

A&P plans to sell or close all of its stores.

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

 

East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador said the $10 million in transitional aid the city received this year was unfair compared to packages received by smaller communities home to fewer state agencies

Newark Councilman Augusto Amador, shown here in a file photo. (Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger)

NEWARK - City leaders are still fuming over the state's handling of their budget, and at least one is prepared to take the matter to the courtroom.

East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador in recent weeks has repeatedly proposed suing the state to demand it either increase the city's share of transitional aid, or provide other concessions to account for the various state agencies housed in Newark, none of which provide Newark with tax revenue.

"Its not fair for the state of New Jersey to treat us this way. We need to continue to fight," he said.

Resentment toward Trenton is commonplace in Newark, where the state controls both the city's schools and much of its finances. Last month, however, the Local Finance Board's decision not to allow the use of $13.3 million in Redevelopment Area Bonds from a settlement with PSE&G and adopted a budget with a 9 percent city tax increase without a council vote, sending the executive body into a fury.

"The biggest function we have as a council is to approve the city budget, and we were deprived," At-Large Councilman Carlos Gonzalez said this week. "We are being emasculated here. We are losing all the power, or any power that we may have had, to the Local Finance Board."

In a Tuesday interview, Amador cautioned that he was hoping to review how the state treated other communities that receive transitional aid, the number of state agencies they house and the level of budget oversight they received before pursuing any further action.

He has repeatedly cited smaller towns such as Kearny and Atlantic City as examples of the perceived inequity. Kearny received $1.5 million in transitional aid this year, while Atlantic City received $13 million, as well as $33.5 million in casino tax typically reserved for redevelopment projects. Newark received $10 million in aid in both 2014 and 2015.

"I need to know how many entities are involved, and what was the behavior of the Local Finance Board in regard to Newark, versus the rest of the municipalities," Amador said.

"Why should we be treated differently for a meager $10 million?"

In an interview earlier this month, Local Finance Board Chairman Tim Cunningham stressed that the needs of each community under state oversight are examined on an individual basis, and said it would be unfair to compare Newark's financial issues with the "incredibly unique" challenges in Atlantic City.

"We look at how much state aid will they need to adopt a balanced budget that compiles with all laws. We determined the amount of aid was sufficient to reach that," he said.

While a lawsuit against the state may seem like a long shot, the concept is not without precedent in Newark. In 1998, officials filed suit against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in hopes of extracting a large payment from the agency for the land it uses in the city - an effort that eventually proved successful.

Amador, who joined the council the same year that suit was filed, claims that many of the same arguments might apply to state-owned properties based in the city, such as Rutgers-Newark and the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission.

"I think there's a way of finding a happy medium, if the state wants to sit down and kind of come to terms with the city of Newark," he said. "We need to be treated in a more respectable manner by the state in terms of our contributions to the state."

Other officials, including Council President Mildred Crump, have also advocated for rebellion against the state, calling for residents to organize and formally protest its tact toward the city.

At least one leader, however, is preaching caution. On Tuesday, Mayor Ras Baraka told the council that the Newark's relationship with the state is "historically different", and said the denial of the one-time PSE&G revenue was a lesson that would color his approach toward next year's budget.

"It's not a negotiation. We don't negotiate with the Local Finance Board," he said. "They either approve it or disapprove it. That's it."

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

 

The Livingston High School Spanish Honor society marked the end of Hispanic Heritage month with a "Hispanic Heritage Night" celebration.

Livingston High School Spanish Honor Society members Justin Gelman, Rohan Sampat, Jessie Korovin, and Garrett Meinhardt compete in a Chipotle-eating contest at the school's Hispanic Heritage Night celebration. 

LIVINGSTON -- The Livingston High School Spanish Honor society marked the end of Hispanic Heritage month Oct. 9 by hosting a "Hispanic Heritage Night" celebration at school.

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

The evening featured games, homemade Spanish food and two dance performances -- one by a student group and the other by Livingston mom, Sara Cabral-Fogarty. There was also Spanish karaoke and a chipotle eating contest.

"On a Friday night, you'd expect teenagers to be hanging out at their friends' houses or at sports activities, so it was very special for them to come to school to honor a language and culture that brings everyone together," said Susana Fernandez-Poyatos, Spanish Honor Society adviser.

"The celebration was fantastica. The performances were touching and hilarious, and I of course loved the variety of Hispanic food, all muy delicioso," said Adam Chang, Spanish Honor Society co-president.

"Super enjoyable," added Garrett Meinhardt, Spanish Honor Society secretary, "and not just because I won the Chipotle-eating contest."

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Authorities have arrested three Elizabeth men in connection to the October 8 killing.

NEWARK -- Earlier this month, county authorities announced the shooting death of Newark resident Michael Williams II. Officials said that Williams, 28, was shot to death outside Wet, a notorious Belleville gentlemen's club, in the early hours of Oct. 8.

County authorities on Friday announced the arrests of three Elizabeth men in connection to his death.

Yanafi Mojica, 31, Armand Padron, 28, and Nathaniel Garcia, 21, have all been charged with homicide and weapons offenses in connection to the killing, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter. 

The three men were involved in a dispute with Williams prior to the shooting, Carter added. Additional circumstances of the shooting, and what led to it, were not made available.

RELATED: Newark man shot outside Belleville strip-club

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, two men who live in a residence near where the homicide took place said Williams was shot in the street outside of Wet at the intersection of Smith Street and Belleville Avenue at approximately 2 a.m.

Another local resident told NJ Advance Media he heard the sound of people arguing in the street before four gunshots rang out.

All three suspects were arrested without incident, Carter said. Padron was arrested in Miami, where he remains, pending extradition back to New Jersey. The others were taken into custody in New Jersey, Carter added.

Mojica is currently being held on $1,000,000 bail. Padron and Garcia are both being held on $750,000 bail.

The killing marks the second time in two years that Wet has made headlines in connection to a homicide. In 2014, a 39-year-old Hackensack livery cab driver was fatally shot on Route 80 shortly after leaving the club. A Newark couple was later arrested in connection with the killing.

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

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

Gross used the name of another attorney when he diverted funds from the closing into a personal account, according to the prosecutor

The case against Neil Gross will be handled in the Morris County Courthouse. (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

MOUNT OLIVE -- A disbarred Morris County attorney has been charged with stealing $75,000 during a real estate closing in which he used the name of another attorney, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

Neil Gross, 47, of Livingston, a former partner in the Mount Olive law firm of Ward & Gross, was charged with theft, identity theft, forgery and unauthorized practice of law, said Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp.

Gross was suspended from practicing law in October 2012 and subsequently disbarred in October 2014 for a series of violations of professional conduct, Knapp said.

During a real estate closing in Mount Olive in 2013, while Gross' law practice was suspended, he used the name of another attorney, Knapp said.

As part of the closing on a property in Livingston, Gross held more than $75,000 in a trust account, but did not distribute the money to the property seller, according to Knapp.

Gross "diverted" the funds to a personal account while forging the name of the other attorney, Knapp said.

The prosecutor's office received a referral of this incident from the New Jersey Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection in July 2015, Knapp said.

Following an investigation by the Morris prosecutor's financial crimes unit, charges against Gross were signed Friday by Morris County Prosecutor's Detective Joseph Soulias, Knapp said.

Gross was released on his own recognizance pending an appearance that will be scheduled in Superior Court in Morristown, Knapp said.

Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

On Oct. 15, Montclair State University held its annual "Feel Good Fest," a student-run event created to bring awareness to mental health issues and promote relaxation around campus through stress-free activities.

Students at Montclair State University took time to relieve stress last week with Colorama, the coloring book for adults, as part of a mental health awareness campaign. 

MONTCLAIR -- On Oct. 15, Montclair State University held its annual "Feel Good Fest," a student-run event created to bring awareness to mental health issues and promote relaxation around campus through stress-free activities.

The event was free to MSU students and featured a variety of stress-free stations around campus. One of the most popular stress-relief activities was Colorama, the coloring book designed for adults.

The coloring books were donated by the As Seen on TV company, Telebrands, whose president and CEO Ajit J. Khubani is a graduate of the university.

Other activities included free massages, a meet-and-greet with school counselors and stations with information about stress and sleep.

If you would like to submit news pertaining to your college, please send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Attorneys confirm a judge's Friday pretrial decision.

NEWARK -- A judge has ruled that the widow of a New Jersey lawyer killed during a 2013 carjacking in a parking garage at the Mall at Short Hills can seek damages from the emotional distress of witnessing her husband's death, according to the woman's lawyer.

Bruce Nagel, an attorney representing Jamie Schare Friedland in lawsuits against the mall's owners, Taubman Centers, Inc., and Universal Protection Service, the company that provides security at the facility, said Friday that Superior Court Judge James S. Rothschild, Jr. denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the widow's claim to emotional stress damages.

The pretrial decision will allow Friedland to seek an undisclosed sum for emotional stress in a pair of suits that claims that the mall and security company could have taken precautions that may have prevented Dustin Friedland's shooting death.

An attorney for UPS did not respond to a request for comment on the decision. An attorney for Taubman declined to comment.

In a hearing over the summer, mall attorney Stanley Fishman argued that the killing was a "random act of violence," and that the upscale shopping center could not have prevented it.

Nagel called the judge's Friday decision "well-reasoned. It is a significant blow to the mall's attempt to avoid responsibility in this case," he said.

Friedland's suits are separate from the criminal trials pending for four men charged in the shooting. Basim Henry, 34, of South Orange, Hanif Thompson, 30, of Irvington, and Karif Ford, 33, and Kevin Roberts, 37, both of Newark, are facing murder, felony murder, carjacking and weapons charges in connection with the murder. All four have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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

 

 

Authorities have accused two in the July shooting death of a Newark father of two.

NEWARK -- Authorities have charged two in the killing of a Newark father shot to death outside his home in July.

Zahir S. Stevenson, of Newark, and Lance C. Herbert of Jersey City are charged with killing Hassan Scott as he was leaving his home in the 200 block of South 9th Street on July 22, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Stevenson, 21, remains at large, Carter said. Herbert, 24, is currently incarcerated at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, she added. According to a county corrections website, Herbert faces illegal weapons possession charges in connection to a prior incident.

According to a preliminary investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Task Force, Scott, 37, was heading to his vehicle to take his three children--ages two, four and nine--to daycare, when he was shot multiple times, authorities said.

A source speaking on condition of anonymity said Scott's children were present as the shooting unfolded. According to the source, the suspect gunman was waiting for Scott outside his residence.

During the confrontation that led up to the shooting, the gunman ordered Scott to return his children to the home, the source said. Scott refused, after which the gunman opened fire, said the source.

First-responders arriving at the scene shortly after the 7:40 a.m. shooting discovered Scott unresponsive, Carter said. Scott was later transported to University Hospital in Newark, where medical personnel pronounced him dead at 8:06 a.m., Carter added.

Stevenson and Herbert have both been charged with felony murder, robbery and weapons possession. Bail has been set for Stevenson at $300,000. A superior court judge set Herbert's bail at one million dollars.

An investigation into the crime is ongoing, authorities said.

Scott's death was the 51st homicide in Newark in 2015. As of October 11, the city's 2015 homicide total stood at 79.

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

Authorities have called the Bloomfield man a 'lifelong con man.'

Robert Kosch. (Courtesy Essex County Prosecutor's Office)
 

BLOOMFIELD -- A township man already serving a 20-year prison sentence is facing five or more years in jail after being convicted on unrelated drug distribution charges, authorities announced Friday.

In May of 2012, police in Belleville found Robert Kosch, 58, with some pill bottles that were unlabeled, and others that were labeled with different names, Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced Friday. In the bottles were 699 oxycodone pills and eight Adderall pills, Assistant Prosecutor Nancy Hersh said in the announcement. Kosch was convicted on various drug charges in connection with the incident, authorities said.

Kosch, authorities said, has a long criminal history that includes theft and forgery convictions. In 2014, he was found guilty of renting out homes that he did not own in Sussex County. Authorities said Kosch targeted individuals in financial distress who had moved out of their homes, forged signatures to transfer the properties to himself, and rented out the homes.

He was sentenced in 2014 to 20 years in prison, and must serve six years before he is eligible for parole.

Sentencing for the drug charges is on Dec. 14, Essex County authorities said. He is facing five to 10 years on the charges, but prosecutors plan to ask the Kosch be considered a "persistent offender," which could increase the sentence, officials said.

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

 

City man allegedly had marijuana and loaded automatic in vehicle

NEWARK -- A city man was arrested early Friday on a number of charges after he was seen in a car illegally parked in a handicapped spot, department spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.

 

Members of the Newark Violence Reduction Initiative spotted the car near West Bigelow Street and Chadwick Avenue. When officers in unmarked cars approached, someone who had been talking to the person inside the car walked away. Jaquan Jackson, 26, could be seen fumbling with something inside the car, Glover said.

Jackson was ordered to show his hands after officers smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle, where there was an open container of alcohol inside, Glover also said. Police also allegedly found a loaded .380-caliber Smith & Wesson automatic and a bag containing several smaller bags of marijuana.  

Jackson was charged with the unlawful possession of a handgun and other weapons-related offenses, as well as several drug offenses. He was also issued summonses for motor vehicle violations.

"Great job by the NVRI. Paying attention to a minor motor vehicle infraction led to an arrest for more serious offenses - possession of a loaded gun and drug possession," said Newark Police Director Eugene Venable

Anyone with information about this or any other crime is being asked to call the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

Students at Caldwell University will host poetry readings at the Caldwell Public Library on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5.

Poet Laurie Byro will be the first to take part in the Caldwell University student-organized poetry reading series at the Caldwell Public Library on Oct. 29. 

CALDWELL -- Students at Caldwell University will host poetry readings at the Caldwell Public Library on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5.

On Oct. 29, Laurie Byro will read in celebration of the arrival of her new book, "Luna." Byro has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and she has won or placed in 43 InterBoard Poetry Community competitions. Her work draws on myth and fairy tale and her experiences of foreign places.

Poet Susan L. Miller will read on Nov. 5. Miller has published poems in "Iowa Review," "Meridian," "Los Angeles Review," "Image," "Sewanee Theological Review," "Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion," "Commonweal" and other journals. She has also received two Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg awards for poetry.

For more information, call 973-226-2837. The library is located at 268 Bloomfield Ave.

If you would like to submit news pertaining to your college, please send an email to essex@starledger.com.

A Grand Jury indicted a Bloomfield teen Friday on charges he used Twitter to orchestrate the sale of illegal firearms.

Authorities say Bomani Duncan (left) and Taquan Williams (right) used social media for illegal gun sales. (Essex County Department of Corrections) 

NEWARK -- An Essex County grand jury indicted a 19-year-old Bloomfield man Friday on charges he used Twitter to orchestrate a host of gang-related crimes, including the sale of illegal firearms.

Bomani Duncan now stands accused of 22 counts of robbery, gun trafficking and multiple other charges, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Two other men--Taquan Williams, 19, and Yasin Shabazz, 18--both of East Orange, were indicted on related charges, Carter said.

Authorities allege that starting on Feb. 18, Duncan conspired with others to illegally sell guns in furtherance of a G-Shine set of the Bloods Street Gang dispute with a rival group.

Details of the current dispute were not made available, but authorities in East Orange have said feuds between local street gangs date back decades. A summer flare-up between rival Bloods sets led to multiple shootings and one thwarted gang killing, East Orange police confirmed in August.

As part of their alleged gang activities, Duncan and other accused members of the G-Shine set allegedly met at a firing range in Randolph for shooting practice.

Authorities arrested Duncan in East Orange on Sept. 28. Following an arraignment hearing, he was remanded into custody at the Essex County Jail Facility on $150,000.

The grand jury indicted Williams on seven of counts, including conspiracy to commit robbery, multiple weapons offenses and possession of prescription pills with intent to distribute, Carter said.

Shabazz now stands charged with attempting to buy a gun from Duncan without a valid purchasers' permit and attempting to sell a handgun to Duncan via Twitter, authorities said.

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