Police said they found the man carrying a handgun inside an apartment building on Johnson Avenue near Straford Place.

Stacey Turman. (Newark Department of Public Safety)
 

NEWARK -- A 55-year-old city man was arrested on weapons charges Tuesday morning after police say they caught him illegally carrying a handgun.

Officers arrested Stacey Turman at an apartment building on Johnson Avenue near Stratford Place after responding at 9:54 a.m. to a report of a man with a gun, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement.

Turman was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and arrested without incident, police said. 

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

State DOT officials said the planned summer reopening of the Pulaski Skyway to northbound traffic will be pushed off for one year so retaining walls can be replaced.

The full reopening of the Pulaski Skyway will be pushed off until Spring 2018, instead of this summer so contractors can replace retaining walls between the Skyway and Route 139, state Department of Transportation officials said.

That news comes as DOT officials said that the project to install a new bridge deck on the 85-year-old Skyway between Newark and Jersey City is about 77 percent complete. The retaining walls were not part of the original $1 billion Skyway rehabilitation project, said Stephen Schapiro, an NJDOT spokesman.

"If they are not reconstructed now, they would need replacing in a few years, resulting in future closures, detours, and inconvenience to motorists," Schapiro said. "This work is expected to be completed next spring, at which time the Skyway will reopen to two-way traffic."

Crews working on the southbound lanes of the Pulaski Skyway to replace the bridge deck on Tuesday. While that would is 77 percent complete, a different project will push back the reopening date.Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Now only one side of the Skyway is open to southbound traffic. The Skyway has been closed to northbound traffic since 2014. Southbound traffic is currently using the reconstructed northbound lanes.

A  construction contract to replace the retaining walls is expected to be awarded in May, with construction starting in late summer, Schapiro said.

This makes the third time reopening the Skyway has been pushed back. In April 2015, officials blamed the harsh winter and the discovery of rusted floor beams which pushed the completion to late 2016. Last June, officials said the Skyway wouldn't reopen to traffic until sometime in Summer 2017. A specific date was to be decided this spring.

The retaining wall replacement was advanced to get the work completed while the bridge deck replacement is underway to take advantage of the closed lanes and alternate routes that are in place, Schapiro said. 

"Reconstructing these walls now will extend the life of the entire Pulaski Skyway/Route 139 corridor from Newark through Jersey City to the Holland Tunnel for the next 75 years without the need for additional closures or rehabilitation," Schapiro said

About 2.7 miles of the 3.5-mile long southbound side of the Skyway has new bridge deck panels installed. What's left to do is pouring the concrete between the northbound and southbound lanes, construct a median barrier and any remaining and install guide rails, he said. Then a concrete driving surface will be applied to the southbound lanes
 
"Much of this (retaining walls) work is being done at the same time as bridge deck panel installation, he said.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Roy Depack once threatened someone with 'a Louisville Slugger', authorities say

NEWARK --  Two men allegedly defrauded half a dozen companies, netting a plethora of items ranging from power tools to coin-operated washers to NFL-branded jackets, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said Wednesday.

Roy Depack, also known as Ray Depack, John Soriano, and Roy Soriano, 42, of Elizabeth, was arrested Wednesday alongside 39-year-old Louis J. Pobutkiewicz of Newark by FBI agents. The two were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Authorities say that beginning in 2014, Depack posed as a representative of companies that had lines of credit, existing relationships or accounts with the companies that were the targets of the scam. Depack then ordered items that also included plasma cutters, food processors and TV sets, instructing the companies to ship them to addresses in Union, Elizabeth, Newark and New York..

The companies then billed the firms Depack claimed to represent, authorities said.  Depack and others sold the items to pawn shops and other buyers.

In one instance, Pobutkiewicz was seen by agents meeting with Depack near a Newark address where a $1,200 power tool kit had been sent. Pobutkiewicz was later seen accepting delivery of the took kit, according to authorities, one of a number of deliveries Pobutkiewicz handled.

Depack allegedly took elaborate measures to carry out the scheme, including pretending to be a woman and using more than 100 different phone numbers belonging to other people. Many of the calls were recorded, according to authorities.

Depack also allegedly resorted to threats of litigation, or worse, when companies balked. When one firm rejected his order, Depack allegedly said "I'm gonna come down there with a Louisville Slugger. We're gonna see what they're gonna do now, alright. Thank you."

All told, the victimized companies lost $900,000, authorities said.

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

Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James spoke before an Essex County jury Wednesday, describing how he met his son's ex-girlfriend and Irvington police officer, Monique Smith, during a confrontation that ended on his front steps.

NEWARK -- Former Mayor Sharpe James took the witness stand on Wednesday telling an Essex County jury how a confrontation between his son, a city councilman, and his son's girlfriend, an Irvington police officer, ended on the front steps of his home. 

The officer, Monique Smith, is accused of striking South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James' SUV three times as she followed him through the streets of Newark in January 2015, after James broke off their two-month relationship via email.

In the second day of testimony before Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin, the elder James told the jury he received a call from his son on the night of Jan. 5, saying he was being chased by a police officer. 

"I was confused because I've never heard of such a situation," James said, adding that at first he thought a Newark officer was giving chase. He stood outside his Wilbur Avenue home to wait for his son who arrived minutes before Smith drove up "at an excessive rate of speed."

"She came running up toward my son, her arms waving to reach him," James, dressed in a suit with a purple tie, told the jury. "I didn't know what was happening."

Smith is charged with two indictable offenses: unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. A charge of aggravated assault was dismissed prior to trial.

She also faces disorderly persons offenses to be decided by the judge, including criminal mischief resulting in damage of $500 or less to James' SUV.

James -- Newark's mayor for 20 years who served 18 months behind bars on fraud charges -- told the court that Smith was saying she loved his son and "all kinds of incoherent statements relative to my son" in front of the former mayor's house that January night.

He said he ordered his son to go in the house and put his hands up because Smith was "close enough to strike" his son. James said he could smell alcohol on Smith's breath but that she was not staggering or slurring her words. 

He described his conversation with Smith as otherwise "calm, collected, responsible" as the two talked about a mutual friend of theirs from Irvington and he congratulated her on her promotion that day to the rank of captain. 

"That's a tremendous achievement for an African American woman and I meant that," James said, who agreed with defense attorney Steven Altman's description of Smith that night as "respectful," "nice" and "polite."

Smith was later suspended from the police department following her arrest in the case. She previously turned down a plea deal that would likely have her sentenced to probation on a charge of fourth-degree criminal mischief, and would have required her to give up her police job.

At times, James elicited laughs from the jury, saying he wanted his son and Smith to talk things over inside the house but refrained when his wife opposed bringing Smith inside.

He said he listened to his wife, adding, "We've been married 54 years."   

James said he offered to drive Smith home but she declined. 

Earlier on Wednesday, John Sharpe James wrapped up his testimony, describing where Smith's Honda Accord allegedly tapped his Nissan Xterra twice in the rear and once on the side, causing about $1,500 in repairs.

Prosecutors played the 911 call where James tells the dispatcher to send a car because he's been involved in a "road rage" incident.

James said an argument with Smith on Jan. 2 led to his decision to end the relationship. He insisted he wanted no contact, no communication and "did not want anything further to do with" Smith. 

During cross examination, Altman showed James the police report that listed a different location for where Smith allegedly bumped his car. James said he named the wrong streets at the time. 

"The route is still roughly the same," James said. He said the whole ordeal took about five minutes before he ended at his father's house three blocks away from his Pomona Avenue condo. 

"That was the safest place I could get to at that point," he said. 

The trial will resume on Thursday. 

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance fielded questions for 70 minutes Wednesday at Mount Olive High School Watch video

MOUNT OLIVE -- U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance faced a fiery town hall audience of more than 300 Wednesday, fending off pointed questions about the fate of healthcare, Planned Parenthood and his potential for reelection.

It was Lance's 43rd town hall since taking office in 2009, and his first since his vote helped to defeat a Republican bill, backed by President Trump, that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act.

Lance, (R-7th Dist.) stood for 70 minutes on the auditorium stage at Mount Olive High School and fielded questions that were mostly critical of Republican policies and proposals.

A small group of protesters gathered outside, in a fenced-off location labeled the "First Amendment Area," but those inside the room were also free to speak their minds -- and many did.

Elizabeth Lewandowski, who was among about a dozen questioners selected in a drawing, pressed Lance on a reworked plan backed by some Republicans that would effectively repeal the Affordable Care Act provision enabling those with pre-existing conditions to obtain health insurance.

"That's a huge problem," she said. "What is the point of getting insurance if it didn't cover these conditions?"

Lance reiterated his support for maintaining the provision allowing those who have had serious illnesses or conditions to get insurance.

"I want to make sure that no one is denied coverage in this society based upon a pre-existing condition," Lance told reporters afterward.

Lance, 64, drew cheers upon stating that Trump should release his tax returns, but was jeered upon following up that he did not support legislation that would force Trump to do so.

He drew boos upon saying that Planned Parenthood, the target of a Republican-led effort to cut funding, should divide itself into two organizations in order to continue receiving federal aid.

"What I have suggested to Planned Parenthood is that it have two completely separate organizations," Lance said. "One organization that deals with the services regarding women's health and another organization that performs the abortion procedure."

Someone in the audience shouted, "Let us choose our own doctors."

"Men use Planned Parenthood, too," another said.

Lance offered a restrained response when someone said he would lose reelection next year.

"I think 2017 should be a year of governance, and not politics," Lance said.

Lance's town hall meeting offered a marked contrast to how a Republican lawmaker from a neighboring district has been handling requests for a public meeting.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) has opted instead for "telephone town halls" with constituents.

Lance, in explaining his approach, said, "I try to lead by example, and my example has always been to hold town halls."

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Flight attendants kept giving the man drinks even after the mother of three complained, she says

A 47-year-old New Jersey woman says United Airlines flight attendants did nothing to stop a visibly drunk man from sexual harassing her and kept feeding him more booze on a flight last month, according to a report.

Jennifer Rafieyan says the man was already intoxicated when he boarded the flight from Newark to Phoenix and needed help from two flight attendants just to make it to his seat next to her, according to an account of the incident she provided to HuffingtonPost.com.

Christie blasts 'awful' United Airlines

Rafieyan said the 64-year-old man rubbed her legs, grabbed her knee, kissed her hands and put his head on her shoulder, the report said. The man then grabbed a pen and notepad out of her hand and wrote "PASIONAT NITE XX," she told HuffingtonPost.com.

Rafieyan, a married mother of three who was traveling with her 12-year-old daughter, said that when she reported the man's behavior to flight attendants they said they were sorry, but that nothing could be done. She was also told the man harassed a flight attendant, the report said.

Despite her complaints, Rafieyan said the man was allowed to continue ordering drinks. He downed three more whiskeys and a small bottle of wine, the report said.

While he didn't touch Rafieyan again, the man got belligerent during the rest of the flight, she said. He accused multiple people of stealing his passport and refused to sit down until a flight attendant said the plane would be diverted and forced to make an emergency landing.

United's greatest blunders

When Rafieyan, a resident of Warren in Somerset County, wrote to United on March 29 to tell them what happened on the flight they responded with an apology by email and sent her four $100 travel vouchers.

The Federal Aviation Administration doesn't allow airlines to board passengers who are visibly intoxicated. United has a similar policy that it can deny entry to a flight to someone who is drunk.

Last week, a man was forcibly removed from a United flight after he refused to exit. The airline said it needed seat on the plane to transport employees from Chicago to Louisville. 

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

Firsts, records and oddities from the Garden State.

A century ago, Bob Ripley was a sports cartoonist with the New York Globe. In those days, photographs were expensive and didn't translate well to the print processes of the time. Cartoonists filled the void by sketching athletes and situations to illustrate articles or general topics to fill out the pages.

courtesy of ripleys.com 

On Dec. 19, 1918, Ripley sat down at his drawing board and began to sketch some athletic endeavors that he'd kept in a notebook of clippings. Most were unusual achievements and records; he titled the cartoon "Champs and Chumps" and sent it along to his editor.

Various sources credit the unnamed editor with coming up with the title that would go down in history, but ripleys.com says that Ripley himself offered the alternative title ...

... "Believe it or Not."

Ripley traveled the world finding his odd and amusing facts and starred in both a radio program and a series of short films. He died in 1949 while in a studio rehearsing for his television show, but, the brand has carried on decades after his death. "Ripley's Believe it or Not" ran on television from 1982 to 1986 and again from 2000 to 2003.

And, the cartoon is still printed; in fact, it's currently drawn by New Jersey native and Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts graduate John Graziano.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

Meanwhile, Guinness World Records celebrated its 60^th anniversary in 2015. The "ultimate authority in record breaking achievements" started when the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, Sir Hugh Beaver, attended a shooting party in County Wexford, Ireland. He argued with his hosts about the fastest game bird in Europe.

Unable to find the answer in any book, Beaver had the idea for a promotion for the brewery based on the idea of settling pub arguments. The rest, as they say, is history.

Here's a gallery of items from New Jersey history that might have caught Mr. Ripley's eye or may very well have found a place in Guinness World Records. Be sure you have captions enabled for all the information about each photo.

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

U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen has repeatedly dodged requests for an in-person town hall for weeks, but will meet in district at a chamber of commerce event next month.

MORRISTOWN -- Despite months of protests seeking town hall meetings with the congressman, U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen still won't commit to a town hall meeting in his district.

A screenshot of U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's planned breakfast for members of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce on May 12.
 

But apparently he doesn't have the same problem meeting with local business leaders who are willing to shell out at least $55 to the local chamber of commerce. 

The Morris County Chamber of Commerce announced online the congressman would be willing to meet on May 12 at the Wyndham Hamilton Park hotel in Florham Park for "an informative and interactive dialogue" over breakfast.

MCCC members must pay $55, while non-members will be charged $75.

Meanwhile, constituents such as members of NJ 11th for Change and BlueWaveNJ were only able to meet with the congressman by driving down to his Washington D.C. office.

The groups have criticized Frelinghuysen (R-11 Dist.) over his support of the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, his recent votes in line with President Donald Trump's agenda and his refusal to attend a town hall meeting in his district.

In February, NJ 11th for Change members hand delivered more than 2,300 petitions to the congressman's office.

They've also repeatedly brought Frelinghuysen and his office staff baked goods during their weekly protests.

Frelinhuysen has been dodging their requests for an in-person town hall for months. Instead he's held town halls over the phone, and, most recently, agreed to meet with about three dozen constituents so long as they traveled 200 miles on a Wednesday.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Dist.) has weathered two contentious in-person town hall meetings, and held a third on Wednesday.

The group, however, did praise Frelinghuysen last month when he rejected the Republican-backed Affordable Health Care Act.

Frelinghuysen released the following statement Thursday morning: 

"I represent over 700,000 people across the 54 communities in four counties of the 11^th district. To keep current on their views, beliefs and concerns and solutions, I listen to constituents at community events, civic get-togethers, social gatherings, business meetings, veterans engagements, a wide array of breakfasts, lunches and dinners and formal and informal meetings in my offices.  I will continue to do so."

The platinum sponsor for the May 12 MCCC event is United Airlines, which is having its own public perception problems. 

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Police said somebody threw a container of flammable liquid onto a stove at the restaurant.

NEWARK -- City police have charged a 39-year-old man with setting fire to Tasty's Fish & Seafood Grill on Tuesday night.

Jashon King. (Newark Department of Public Safety)

Jashon King, of Newark, faces three counts of aggravated arson and criminal mischief in the fire on North Sixth Street, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement.

Police responded around 9 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a fire at the restaurant.

Authorities said a container of flammable liquid had been lit on fire and tossed onto a stove, where it burst into flames. The extent of the damage to the restaurant was not immediately available.

King was arrested at the scene after detectives developed evidence linking him to the crime, according to police.

Authorities said the fire is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Newark Fire Division's Arson Unit and Newark police.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Police said they arrested Stephen Green, 38, on weapons possession charges stemming from a March 26 incident.

NEWARK -- A Newark man was arrested Thursday on weapons charges stemming from his alleged involvement in a March incident, police said. 

Stephen S. Green, 38, of Newark. (Courtesy of Newark Police)

Stephen S. Green, 38, is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Police said they responded to N. 6th Street around 3 a.m. on March 26 after shots were reportedly fired. No one was injured in the incident.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

Police said the 39-year-old victim told them the shooter had tried to rob him at gunpoint.

Daron Morgan. (Newark Department of Public Safety)

NEWARK -- City police have arrested a 19-year-old East Orange man in a robbery and shooting outside a Lafayette Street bar in March.

Daron Morgan is charged with aggravated assault, robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement.

Police said Morgan was arrested Thursday after detectives connected him to the March 30 shooting outside Alondra's Bar, where the 39-year-old victim said a man had tried to rob him at gunpoint.

The victim is reported to be in stable condition at University Hospital, according to police.

Morgan is lodged in the Essex County Correctional Facility, according to jail records.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Delbarton, Mountain Lakes, St. Augustine, Bergen Catholic and Ridgewood lead the list.

The man was previously arrested after investigators said he traded sneakers to other victims in exchange for watching them perform sex acts.

Curtis Thompson. (Lumberton Police Department)
 

NEWARK -- A 32-year-old Mercer County man who admitted paying minors to perform sex acts over streaming video was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Curtis E. Thompson, of the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence, pleaded guilty April 5 before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vasquez in Newark to a charge of producing child pornography.

Thompson admitted that between May 2015 and September 2015 in both Mercer and Essex counties, he used Facebook Messenger and FaceTime to encourage an underage girl to record or stream video of her and her friends engaged in sex acts in exchange for payment, according to prosecutors.

Man admits paying kids for sex videos

Thompson was first charged in the federal case in November 2015, when he was arrested by the FBI. He had previously been arrested that February by Lumberton police, who said he had given minors sneakers in exchange for watching them engage in sex acts.

Prosecutors said that in addition to the 240-month prison term, Vasquez sentenced Thompson to a lifetime of supervised release.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The 24-year-old woman who fell ill on a United flight said she is thankful for all the doctors and staff who helped her recover on Sunday afternoon.

The 24-year-old woman who fell ill on a United Airlines flight said she is thankful for all the doctors and staff who came to her aid Sunday afternoon.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said she is doing better and is now back home in Massachusetts after the frightening ordeal on a flight from Los Angeles to Newark Liberty International Airport.

She said she began feeling nauseous on the flight and got up to use the restroom, and then woke up to at least four doctors and nurses surrounding her on the plane after collapsing. 

"After that and the period I woke up to seeing so many people around me I don't know what happened," she said in an email, adding that she suffered from some kind of abdomen ailment. "I was later told that I lost consciousness, fell to the ground. I don't recall any of that." 

The 24-year-old said as she began to regain consciousness, a man identified himself as Dr. Barry set up an IV for her while she was still on the plane. 

Dr. Barry DiBernardo, a plastic surgeon in Montclair who works out of Clara Maass, said when the flight crew asked if there were any physicians on board, he could hear the urgency in their voices. He got up and went to the back of the plane and saw the woman lying on the ground.

"I had no idea what was going on yet," DiBernardo recalled as he began setting up an IV and oxygen for the woman.

DiBernardo, who said he travels often to lecture, said he encounters medical emergencies frequently but the woman's condition was in the top three most dire situations he's stepped up to help in. He brought the woman into the kitchen area of the plane to work to stabilize her with help from Dr. Amer Syed, a Jersey City-based physician.

At least one other doctor, Nicole Saphier from the Memorial Sloan Kettering in Middletown, helped out. She described the rescue efforts as a true team effort.

DiBernardo said he felt the emergency equipment on board was adequate and that the plane was about an hour away from landing. Had it been farther from Newark, the crew may have had to make an emergency landing, he added.  

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the airline said each plane has a medical kit on board that "exceeds federal requirements." 

"Our team in the air works with Medlink on the ground to provide medical assistance to customers when medical emergencies arise," the statement reads. 

The sick woman said she is very grateful for all the doctors, nurses, flight attendants, and pilots on board who made sure she safely made it to the hospital. 

"As a nurse it's good to know that there are Doctors out there who still have good bedside manners and follow through with their patients," she said. 

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

Newark police will smelt 168 guns confiscated from the streets in the last three years.

NEWARK -- In its continuing push to get guns off the streets, Newark on Thursday announced it was destroying 168 weapons seized in the city.

"Over 160 weapons behind me that were taken off the streets of Newark will be smelted down and destroyed so they don't get into the hands of other people," Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said during a press conference.

Behind him dozens of guns rested along a wall and filled two large bins and a long table. There were AK-47s, pump shotguns and other weapons used in the military, including in the Vietnam War. 

"This is absurd, that this weaponry is making it into the state of New Jersey and ruining lives," Ambrose said as he held an AK-47. "It continues to plague a lot of communities."

The guns will be taken to Sayreville where they will be smelted.   

This year, Newark police have confiscated more than 100 guns, Ambrose said. Last year, 500 guns were seized and in the last three years, almost 1,600 guns have been collected.

Ambrose said even though New Jersey has strict gun laws, weapons pour over the state-border from the southern and western states, with looser laws.

Newark police work with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office to determine which guns can be destroyed. Weapons used in homicides cannot be destroyed, police said. Another 300 guns are waiting approval for destruction. 

"They ruin the lives and families of many," Ambrose said. "Our hats go off to many police officers who risk their lives."

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

Members of the SWAT team surrounded a South 7th Street residence Thursday morning after an armed man barricaded himself inside, police said.

NEWARK -- Police are searching for a 24-year-old man who they say took off after barricading himself inside a Newark home, prompting members of the SWAT team to surround the South 7th Street residence on Wednesday. 

Newark police say Timothy Lester, of Newark, ran inside a three-family home after firing on a 31-year-old man on the 100 block of South 7th Street. The man was not injured in the shooting, police said. 

Timothy Lester, 24, of Newark. (Courtesy of Newark Police)Karen Yi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Lester could not be found when the SWAT team entered the building, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said. 

The incident began Wednesday around 10:30 a.m. when an officer heard gunshots and saw a man dash into a residential building. Ambrose said the officer called for backup but Lester was not found. 

Anyone with information can call the Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477).

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

The Ohio man was one of two men charged in a two-hour crime spree throughout Essex County in 1993

NEWARK -- An Ohio man previously convicted in a New Jersey federal court of armed carjacking was indicted Thursday on armed robbery and weapons charges for his alleged gunpoint heist of a cellphone store in Orange.

Frederick White. (Essex County Correctional Facility)
 

The indictment, filed in U.S. District Court in Newark, charges Frederick A. White, 43, of Westerville, Ohio, with robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and brandishing a weapon during a crime of violence, according to a statement from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick.

Authorities said that on June 11, 2016, White robbed the cellphone store at gunpoint while wearing a wig, taking cash from an employee before fleeing, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A criminal complaint filed by the FBI said police officers later found the wig and a .30-caliber Ruger revolver inside a Chevy Blazer White was seen entering near the scene, where he was arrested after a foot chase.

White previously was convicted in Newark federal court in 1993 of armed carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, prosecutors said.

He was one of two men charged in a two-hour crime spree throughout Essex County during which one person was shot and multiple people robbed, The Star-Ledger reported at the time.

Prosecutors said that because of his prior conviction for the offense, White faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of brandishing a firearm.

The robbery and felon in possession of a firearm charges carry maximum sentences of 20 years and 10 years, respectively.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The arrests were made ion connect with a special operation

EAST ORANGE -- The police department's Criminal Investigation Division arrested 13 people as part of an investigation into drug trafficking dubbed "Operation Quick Strike," the city said in a statement Thursday

Police also seized $318,000 worth of narcotics, $68,000 in cash and seven weapons. Authorities launched the operation in response to citizens' complaints.

The drugs recovered totaled 2.9 kilos of cocaine, 1.1 pounds of the club drug molly, seven grams of heroin and 641 grams of marijuana. 

Each of the suspects is a member of one of the following gang "sets," police said: G-Shine Bloods, Hoover Crips, Brim, Rollin 61 and 79Trey. All face weapon and drug charges.

Arrested were Amir Good, 26; Amira Good, 27; Alexander Wilson, 29; Elijah Morris,  26; Antawan Lang, 27; Akeeme Thompson, 25; and Solomon Cooper, 32. Also arrested were Union residents Steven Boyd, 46, and Domeka Towns, 41; Lance Critsmas, 26, of Newark; and Khairi Chavers, 19, and Valerie Crosson, 61, of Irvington.  

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

Authorities have reported at least seven suicides within the last decade at the Green Street cellblock

NEWARK -- Long dogged by overcrowding, suicides and complaints of unsafe conditions, the city's old lockup on Green Street finally shut down on Friday.

"The cell block at 31 Green Street should have been closed years ago," Newark's Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said. "The conditions there were both deplorable and unsafe."

Newark's aging city jail will be replaced by a new, state-of-the-art holding facility on Clinton Avenue. 

Called the Municipal Arrest Processing Section (MAPS), the new facility can hold 73 men and nine women and has been receiving detainees since February. The Green Street facility accommodated 50 men and eight women, and opened in the basement of the old police headquarters in 1936. 

"Serious problems with overcrowding and sanitation at the Green Street cell block have existed for decades," Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement. "I am pleased that Director Ambrose took the initiative to close Green Street and replace it with a humane, advanced, state-of-the-art facility. And by centralizing the processing of detainees in one place, this new facility will save money and add to police efficiency enabling more officers to patrol our streets."

A U.S. Department of Justice probe into the Newark police department found conditions at the Green Street facility constituted a significant suicide risk for detainees. Authorities have reported at least seven suicides within the last decade at the Green Street cellblock.

The Clinton Avenue space features an advanced security system, a laundry room, more detention space and cells doors without bars to deter suicide attempts. 

"Our new processing facility increases the safety of both police officers and detainees," Ambrose said. "It also offers a decent and respectable environment for those individuals required to temporarily spend time there."

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

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