A former volunteer EMT who served a federal sentence on child pornography charges could face a possible 20 more years in prison

A 2004 photograph of Sam Cynamon leaving U.S. District Court in Newark after his first arrest for possession of child pornography. Cynamon, who was later sentenced to 27 months in prison for that case, was arrested on child pornography charges again Monday. (John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

NEWARK -- A man who was sentenced to a federal prison term more than 10 years ago for possession of child pornography was arrested again Monday when authorities raided his home and confiscated more images and video of children engaged in sex, authorities said.

Sam Cynamon, 66, is facing a possible 20 year prison sentence for possessing the pornography, acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick said in a statement Monday.

Authorities said that last Jan. 10, Cynamon used an Internet based peer-to-peer network to request a webcam video file of a prepubescent girl engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

On Monday, law enforcement agency seized multiple computers and electronic storage media belonging to Cynamon that was found in his residence, the authorities said.

They said the computers and electronic storage media contained the peer-to-peer network software and multiple images and videos of child pornography, including images of children being sexual abused.

Cynamon's lawyer, Alan Zegas, on Monday said his client currently is presumed to be innocent of the new charge and he "will be vigorously contesting the government's charges in open court."

In 2004, Cynamon, a pool equipment salesman who then lived in Millburn, was charged with possession of child pornography after federal agents seized his computer and found images of prepubescent children having sex.

At the time, Cynamon was an emergency medical technician, swimming instructor and Red Cross volunteer, according to news reports in The Star-Ledger. He was among 50 New Jersey suspects rounded up in child porn sweeps in 2003 and 2004. Agents found them by tracing credit cards to overseas pornography providers, according to the news reports.

Cynamon later pleaded guilty and in August 2005 was sentenced to 27 months in prison. At the sentencing, Zegas, presented U.S. District Judge Stanley Chesler with 70 letters from  supporters asking for leniency. A New York Fire Department battalion chief told the judge how Cynamon had rushed to the Twin Towers on Sept. 11.

Federal authorities on Monday said that because of his prior conviction, Cynamon now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if he is convicted, and faces a possible a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The child and two adult victims were hospitalized in stable condition

NEWARK-- Police have released a still image of a car believed to be involved in a shooting Saturday that wounded three people, including a 6-year-old boy.

The shooting occurred shortly before 6 p.m. at Central Avenue and 1st Street. Mayor Ras Baraka and Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose have announced an award of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with  information about the vehicle and those inside on Saturday are being asked to call the department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877- NWK-TIPS (1-877- 695-8477) or 1-877- NWK-GUNS (1-877- 695-4867).  All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

Police are looking for the Acura on the left, which is connected to a shooting Saturday in Newark. Pictured right is a car that resembles the one police are searching for. (Newark police)  

Anonymous tips may also be made using the Police Division's website at: www.newarkpdonline.org or through the department's Smartphone App available at iTunes and Google Play. Search Newark Police Division to download the App.

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

The car had been left running with the child inside

NEWARK-- A car left running in the Ironbound Monday was stolen with a 2-year-old inside, but was found nearby minutes later with the child unharmed, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said Monday.

The driver, a 24-year-old Union woman, left the car running at 146 Ferry Street around 2:27 p.m. as she dropped off groceries for a relative. When she returned to the vehicle, it and her daughter, who was asleep, were gone.

The car was quickly found by police on Adams Street about 400 feet away. The child was taken to University Hospital for observation. The victim's cell phone was taken.

Police in Newark are looking for this man in connection with a carjacking Monday. A 2-year-old sill inside the car was later found unharmed. (Newark police)  

The suspected carjacker was last seen headed north on Adams, away from Ferry. He is white, about 20 years old, about 6 feet tall and 180 lbs. He was wearing a red and white hat, a red, white and blue soccer jersey with the word "Racco" in white letters on the front and back, black and white Adidas track pants and blue and white Nike sneakers.

Ambrose cautioned the public to exercise more care when handling their vehicles.

"This carjacking was preventable...This was a careless and reckless act which needlessly endangered her child. We have been cautioning the public about leaving their cars running and unattended. Approximately 32 percent of the cars stolen in Newark so far this year were left running."

"This problem is not unique to Newark," Ambrose added. "It is problematic throughout the state. Everyone has to be thankful that this didn't end with tragic results."

Anyone with information about the suspect or his whereabouts is being asked to call police at the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers' tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867). Tips remain anonymous and may result in a reward.

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

Mike Goldstein of Montclair has offered his opinions on the sports station for 25 years Watch video

The WFAN caller who blasted Chris Christie while the governor was co-hosting the afternoon show on the all-sports radio station Monday afternoon is no stranger to long-time listeners. 

Mike Goldstein, who calls in as "Mike from Montclair" is a long-time resident of the Essex County town, a life-long Democrat and a real estate broker, according to NorthJersey.com.

Mike in Montclair calls @GovChristie a fat-ass and a bully. Christie calls Mike in Montclair a bum and a communist. And... we're off! #WFAN pic.twitter.com/HUcLMRZPVz

-- Sports Funhouse (@SportsFunhouse) July 10, 2017

Goldstein labeled Christie a "fat ass" for sitting on the beach in closed Island Beach State Park before the governor returned fire and described Goldstein as a "communist" and a "bum" as they tangled over last week's government shutdown.

Christie is in the midst of a two-day tryout at the New York City station to replace Mike Francesa, who plans to retire in December after 30 years as the co-host and later the host of WFAN's afternoon show.

In an interview with NorthJersey.com later Monday, Goldstein, 58, said Christie will need "thicker skin" if he plans to be a full-time radio host. 

Goldstein, who has called Francesa's show once or twice a week for 25 years, is a big Yankees and Giants fan who worked in sports licensing before changing careers. The father of three daughters told NorthJersey.com he enjoys challenging Francesa when he calls.

Essex County Board of Freeholders vice president Brendan Gill, a frequent listener to Francesa's show told NorthJersey.com "Mike from Montclair" is a well-regarded caller.

"His opinion is respected," Gill said of Goldstein. "And I respect his opinion about the governor.

Goldstein didn't offer an opinion when asked if Christie was capable of replacing Francesa, saying he needs to hear more of the governor.

Christie has previously co-hosted WFAN's morning show with Craig Carton on occasion when Carton's partner Boomer Esiason was off for the day.

The governor's co-host Monday and again this afternoon is Evan Roberts. Roberts normally is the co-host of the 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. show on WFAN with Mahwah resident Joe Benigno.

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

A New Jersey college ranks as the best value in the nation on Money magazine's 2017 ranking.

Kids Count used 12 measures of child well-being to asses how well children were doing.

The program to save the state's farmland from development continues to make progress.

State prosecutors will use a risk assessment tool to gauge a person's risk of committing future violence.

TRENTON -- Weeks after authorities say a Roselle man killed his ex-girlfriend and then himself, law enforcement has instituted a new measure that advocates say could help to prevent similar cases of repeat domestic violence.

In a memo sent to county prosecutors and police Wednesday, the state Attorney General's office said after an arrest, authorities should use a risk assessment tool made up of 13 yes-or-no questions to gauge the potential for future attacks. 

The change comes on the heels of Dominick Richards, 49, being accused of shooting 22-year-old Anishalee Cortes to death on his driveway June 13 before he turned the gun on himself.

After Cortes' killing, domestic violence advocates renewed their call for a tool that judges could consider alongside the currently used Public Safety Assessment when they decide whether to detain an alleged domestic violence offender before trial. 

"It's critical to have a different assessment in domestic violence cases because people behave differently in their intimate relationships than they do in the community at large," said Jane Shivas, the executive director of the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence. 

An Essex County judge in April ruled to release Richards from jail after he was accused of assaulting Cortes at gunpoint in her Newark apartment. Prosecutors had moved to detain Richards, calling him a danger to Cortes, while a defense attorney cast doubt on the prosecution's version of events. 

Cortes' uncle, Carlos Lugo, said Thursday he was glad law enforcement was taking an additional step to combat domestic violence. 

"Maybe if they had that set up already, we could have prevented this from happening (to Cortes)," said Lugo, of Kearny. "I hope it works and it does prevent anybody else from this."

A Jan. 25 directive from the Attorney General's office had instructed its Division of Criminal Justice to designate a risk assessment tool within 60 days. Division director Elie Honig declined to comment on the reason for the delay. 

Judy Postmus, the director of the Center on Violence Against Women and Children at Rutgers University, said the use of a domestic violence risk assessment likely would have raised alarm bells for a judge considering whether to detain Richards. 

"That the previous assault was using a weapon by itself should have put it at high risk enough that a judge should think twice about releasing," Postmus said. "It's a matter of giving the judge all the information that's available." 

The tool chosen by the Attorney General's office, called the Ontario Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Tool, was developed by law enforcement and government officials in Ontario, Canada. 

Its 13 questions cover the accused perpetrator's history of violence and anti-social behavior, details of the most recent assault and the victim's personal circumstances, like how many children she has. 

The responses create a total score, from zero to seven, that ranks the perpetrator on a scale of risk for committing future domestic violence. A higher score means a person is more likely to commit more assaults, commit them sooner and cause more harm than someone with a lower score, according to the Ontario-based Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care. 

The Division of Criminal Justice will work with Waypoint Centre to coordinate licensing and statewide training, Honig wrote in the memo sent to law enforcement and shared with NJ Advance Media. 

Shivas said Thursday the implementation of the new tool was a step in the right direction, but she added that it should be used in conjunction with referrals to domestic violence experts for safety planning and other tools that specifically measure the chance of a person trying to kill his partner. 

"These efforts will enhance our collective ability to reduce domestic violence homicides in New Jersey," Shivas said.

New Jersey experienced 49 such domestic violence homicides in 2015, the most recent year for which State Police data is available. Women were the victims in 35 of those cases. 

Victims often do not report domestic violence, so a perpetrator could have no criminal history, said Mary Houtsma, the executive director of the Essex County Family Justice Center. A small number of people commit the most severe and repeat violence, she said. 

Postmus said police officers who plan to use a risk assessment tool should be taught about the nuances of domestic violence cases. No tool can prevent every homicide, she said.

"Someone could score low-risk and still commit violence," Postmus said. "Ideally, it'd be finding out those that are at high risk and could sway a judge into making different decisions."

In June of 2016, the state Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee on Domestic Violence suggested forming a statewide system to assess risk in domestic violence cases and a guide to help judges make decisions in that type of situation. 

"The Judiciary continues to consult with officials from the Attorney General's Office to provide any needed assistance as they implement a domestic violence assessment tool for law enforcement and prosecutors to utilize," Judge Glenn A. Grant, acting director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, said in a statement.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino said criminal justice reform continues to be a work in progress.

"Hopefully, with the adoption of this new risk assessment tool to be utilized by law enforcement in domestic violence cases, the courts will accept the use of this tool in evaluating whether a defendant should be detained," Laurino said in a statement.

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

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Our 5-week series to select imagined Mt. Rushmore tributes to 20 schools' top athletes has begun

Take a trip back in time to check out the best-ever athletes at 20 select N.J. high schools. And, yes - it's time to vote, too.

Over the next five weeks, we will be presenting for your consideration snapshots of the top athletes and coaches ever to grace the playing fields at 20 schools you helped select, and at the end of these presentations, you will have the chance to vote for four to be placed atop an imagined Mount Rushmore at these schools.

The polls will stay open for a week, so spread the word and gather the troops to help celebrate N.J.'s HS sports history.

The first four schools' polls are open through Tuesday, July 11:
• Linden
• Montclair
• Union City
• Woodbury

Here's the schedule for the rest:

July 12-18:
• Millburn
• Pope John
• Toms River North
• Wayne Hills 

MORE: All about the 2017 Mount Rushmore project

July 19-25:
• Delbarton
• Manasquan
• Roxbury
• Shawnee

July 26-Aug. 1:
• Kingsway
• Montgomery
• Old Bridge
• Rancocas Valley

Aug 2-8:
• Nottingham
• Ridgewood
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood
• South Plainfield

Police released photos of the suspects Tuesday.

NEWARK -- Police on Tuesday released photos of three suspects wanted in a shooting outside a nightclub that left three people wounded in Newark's East Ward.

The three suspects were escorted out by security at The Blvd, a Mulberry Street club, for "disruptive behavior" before they returned and opened fire at several people in front of the business around 1:20 a.m. Sunday, according to city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Two women and a man were shot, and treated at University Hospital, police said. One of the women was listed in critical condition over the weekend.

The shooters arrived and fled in a dark-colored vehicle, according to police. That vehicle was last seen traveling south on Mulberry Street.

The nightclub shooting came over a weekend marked by gun violence in the state's largest city.

Three shootings left eight people wounded in total, including a 6-year-old boy. Authorities have said the injuries were not considered life-threatening and not arrests have been made.

Anti-violence activists held a vigil Sunday at the scene of the shooting that injured the boy near Central Avenue and 3rd Street.

"We are looking for the public's help in bringing the individual(s) who committed this cowardice act to justice," Ambrose said in a statement issued in response to the child's shooting. "There is no reason for these individuals to be allowed to remain free, and we are offering up to a $10,000 reward through our Crime Stoppers program for information leading to an arrest."

Authorities urged anyone with information to call Newark's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). Tips could lead to a reward.

Authorities say 300 guns seized in the city this year.

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced 157 arrests in a weeklong sweep (File photo) 

NEWARK -- Police said they arrested 157 people, seized handguns, heroin, cocaine and other drugs during a week-long narcotics sweep in Newark that ended Sunday.

The effort would continue based on complaints from residents, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement. So far, police recovered eight guns, 475 decks of heroin, 264 vials of cocaine, 138 plastic bags of marijuana and 19 pills in the crackdown that began last week.

Authorities seized approximately $12,000 in funds from drug deals during the past week, according to Ambrose, who said the confiscated narcotics carried an estimated $7,000 street value.

Authorities seized weapons ranging from a BB gun to a semi-automatic rifle, Ambrose said. A vehicle collision on Thomas Street, near Mulberry Street, Monday led officers to recover a loaded handgun and an AirSoft rifle.

Another crash the same day at Astor Street and Pennsylvania Avenue also led police to find a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle from that scene, according to police. Both crashes remained under investigation and there were no arrests. Police did not immediately reveal further details on the incidents.

Among those charged with weapons-related offenses were:

• Frederick Street, 24, of Newark, was charged with weapons offenses and arrested near South 16th Street and 15th Avenue on July 4.
• A Crime Stoppers tip led police to arrest Yaya Hakilou, 27, of Irvington, on weapons charges Friday on Clinton Avenue near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to authorities.
• Police said they arrested a 16-year-old boy Sunday on weapons charges for having a BB gun near Dawson and Johnson streets.

Police said the other arrests in the sweep were for offenses including drug possession and distribution. 

"The exceptional work of the arresting detectives and officers are commendable as they continue to remove illegal guns and drugs from our streets," Ambrose said in a statement. "And I applaud the public for turning in found weapons and for using our Crime Stoppers Hotline and other reporting methods to alert us of crimes occurring in their neighborhoods. Your partnership with the Newark Police Division is an invaluable resource."

Newark police, working with the New Jersey State Police and Essex County authorities have seized more than 300 guns in the city this year, the public safety director added.

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

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Newark resident faces weapons charges.

NEWARK -- A motorist was arrested on gun charges after law enforcement officers spotted him driving carelessly and nearly hit a pedestrian in Newark's West Ward, officials said Tuesday.

Essex County Sheriff's detectives and Irvington police working on a joint patrol pulled over the driver, Dishawn Floyd, 50, of Newark, Monday night, said Sheriff Armando Fontoura. Floyd was driving on 14th Avenue and almost hit a person crossing the street on Littleton Avenue.

Floyd tossed a black bag in the backseat of his Jeep, the sheriff said in a news release. A .45 caliber Black Hawk revolver, which was reported stolen in February 2016 from Charlotte, North Carolina, fell out of the bag, officials said. 

Authorities charged Floyd with various traffic violations and weapons offenses, including being a convicted felon with a gun. Details on his prior conviction were not immediately available.

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

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Cops release video from robbery.

BELLEVILLE -- Police on Tuesday released security camera footage that shows the gunpoint robbery of a Belleville eatery and asked anyone with information to call investigators.

The video captured two suspects at the China Taste Chinese takeout restaurant on Washington Avenue, near Mill Street Sunday night, authorities said. One suspect appeared to pull a handgun after both enter the store together.

Police said the robbers stole an unspecified amount of cash and fled in a small silver car with a sunroof. One suspect was described as wearing a Modelo shirt with a tattoo on his forearm.

In a statement on Facebook, police asked anyone with information to call township detectives at 973-450-3361.

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

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The Mounties boast one of the top sports programs in all of New Jersey, producing graduates that have gone on to Olympic, Super Bowl and MLB glory.

He was one of three men indicted in an August 2015 killing during an alleged drug robbery

NEWARK -- A city man who admitted taking part in a fatal home invasion robbery almost two years ago was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison.

Jahad Lemons. (N.J. Department of Corrections)
 

U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo said if Jahad Lemons' attorney had not negotiated a plea deal with prosecutors, Lemon's prior convictions would have mandated a sentence of life in prison for the killing of Andre Singh, 32, of Newark.

"You have hope, and that's a huge gift you're getting today," Arleo told Lemons, 26, as he stood before her shackled and clad in a prison jumpsuit.

Lemons was one of three men indicted in December on murder, robbery and weapons charges in connection with the Aug. 18, 2015 home invasion during which Singh and another man were shot inside Singh's apartment on Sanford Avenue.

Authorities said Singh was shot in the head and died of his injuries, while the other man was shot in the hand and groin, but survived.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Kamar, representing the government along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Osmar Benvenuto, told the court the surviving victim was so seriously injured "he will never have children."

"It does not get more serious than this," he said.

Lemons pleaded guilty in February to charges of murder during a crime of violence, robbery, robbery conspiracy and using a firearm during a violent crime. One of his two co-defendants, Aaron Terrell, has yet to stand trial, while the other man, Papayaw Mack, remains at large, prosecutors have said.

Two other co-conspirators are referenced but not named in an April 2016 criminal complaint. One was charged as a juvenile by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, while the other was killed shortly after the fatal robbery in what the FBI believes was a "retaliatory shooting," according to the complaint.

The U.S. Attorney's Office has said Lemons was an associate of the Grape Street Crips, a violent street gang whose activities in Newark were the target of a lengthy investigation by the FBI. Terrell was one of 14 alleged "senior members" of the gang charged with racketeering and other offenses under an earlier indictment.

Lemons' attorney, Kathleen Theurer, denied that he was a member of the gang, and told the court Lemons had been selling drugs he purchased from Singh. Court filings described Singh as a "known heroin trafficker" who the robbers targeted for drugs and money.

Prosecutors said that after forcing Singh into his apartment, the five suspects robbed him and the apartment's two other occupants of cash and personal belongs, before he and the surviving victim were shot by Terrell and the now-deceased co-conspirator.

The complaint states the killers left Singh's apartment after the shootings without searching it further for drugs or money, although the building's surveillance camera system did capture Lemons leaving with a pair of the man's shoes.

Theurer said that while Lemons did take part in the robbery, "he didn't shoot the victim -- his co-conspirators did," adding that her client still took full responsibility for what happened.

Lemons told the court he had nothing he wanted to say before the sentence was imposed, although Arleo said he had submitted a letter to her as part of the defense's sentencing memoranda.

State correctional records show Lemons is currently incarcerated at Northern State Prison in Newark on a parole violation for an earlier robbery conviction. Arleo said Lemons' sentence for Singh's killing won't begin until after his prison term for the parole violation ends in January 2018.

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

Arrests came in response to complaints in city's West Ward.

(Newark Dept. of Public Safety) 

NEWARK -- Complaints about drug activity in Newark's West Ward led detectives to arrest two city men and seize two loaded handguns along with various drugs Monday, authorities said.

Lamont Lee and Milton Shackelford, both 18, were each charged with weapons and drug distribution-related offenses.

Lee was caught with a loaded .38 caliber revolver, six vials of cocaine and $170 in money police suspect was gained from selling drugs, authorities said.

Detectives seized a loaded 9mm handgun from Shackelford, along with 17 vials of cocaine, 13 decks of heroin, about five grams of marijuana and $59 of suspected drug money, according to police.

City police working as part of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Narcotics Task Force arrested the duo in response to complaints about drug activity near South 10th Street and 11th Avenue, authorities said.

In a statement, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose commended members of the narcotics task force for making the arrests.

"Removing those individuals who commit crimes in our neighborhoods is a priority to our residents and one that our police and law enforcement partners take very seriously," Ambrose added.

Police on Monday also announced 157 people were charged in a weeklong, citywide drug sweep in the city. 

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

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Here's why Mike Goldstein, a long-time caller to Mike Francesa's sports-talk radio show, got into a verbal boxing match as Gov. Chris Christie filled in as host Monday. Watch video

TRENTON -- Mike Goldstein says he didn't have an agenda when he made that now-famous call to WFAN on Monday afternoon as Gov. Chris Christie filled in for sports-talk host Mike Francesa.

But Goldstein -- well known to Francesa's listeners as the longtime caller "Mike from Montclair" -- said that changed when he was on hold and Christie took a call from another Montclair resident. 

"He tried to confront Christie on numerous issues," Goldstein said of the other caller in an interview Tuesday with NJ Advance Media.

"And Christie does what he normally does, which is to talk over the person, to insult the person, to make a mockery of his call," Goldstein added. "He beat the guy down, and the guy disappeared. Then I was up a couple minutes later."

"I decided I wasn't gonna let him do that to me," Goldstein said. "That I was going to play his own game. That I was going to beat him to the punch and come out swinging. I wasn't gonna have a civil conversation with him, because there is no having a civil conversation with him."

What transpired went viral Monday evening. Goldstein called out Christie for lounging at Island Beach State Park two Sundays ago after a state budget dispute led the governor to order a state government shutdown that closed state parks and beaches to the public -- including that one. 

'Fat ass' vs. 'communist' on Christie radio show

"Governor, next time you want to sit on a beach that is closed to the entire world except you, you put your fat ass in a car and go to one that's open to all your constituents, not just you and yours," Goldstein told Christie on air.

Christie seemed stunned at first, but eventually quipped: "I love getting calls from Communists in Montclair."

The Essex County township is a Democratic stronghold, and Christie is a Republican.

"You're a bully, governor!" Goldstein yelled. "And I don't like bullies!"

"I'm not the one who came on the air, swore on the air," Christie replied. "You're a bum."

Goldstein, a 58-year-old who works in real estate development, has been calling Francesa's show at least once a week for 25 years. 

But Monday was Christie's first day of a two-day stint that WFAN has referred to as an audition. The New Jersey governor is one of many candidates the station is considering to possibly succeed Francesa when the icon steps down at the end of the year. 

Goldstein told NJ Advance Media he was bothered that New Jersey taxpayers "are paying for him to audition for WFAN."

Goldstein didn't plan on calling in, though. He said usually talks only to Francesa. But after an hour, he felt he had to. 

"I sort of got nauseated, to be perfectly frank with you, listening to him speak," Goldstein said about Christie. "So then I said, 'I'm gonna call.'"

Goldstein said he tries to be "nonpolitical," though he admits to leaning Democratic. Asked if he's a Christie voter, he replied: "I would probably be kicked out of my house."

He said his daughter is a deputy press secretary to New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, a Democrat.

"I lean more Democratic, for sure, but that's not why I don't like Christie," Goldstein said. "I have no problem with him being a Republican. ... I think he's a bully, and he's been a bully ever since I listened to him speak. I think bullies are bad people. And if you ask me if he's a bad person, I think he's a bad person."

Still, Goldstein said Christie "responded well" to his comments on air.

"Talk radio -- that's what it's about," Goldstein said. "It's not interesting radio, it's not fun if somebody calls you up and says, 'I really like you, governor. I agree with what you said.' It's about the art of battle. I think it was like a boxing match. I punched first, and I think I turned him. And I think once he got his feet back under him, he came back hard."

What grade would he give Christie after Day 1 of his tryout?

"I would give him an incomplete job," Goldstein said. 

Goldstein, a softball coach at Montclair High School, said he didn't listen to the rest of the show after his call. He swam at the Montclair YMCA and then coach this team against Bloomfield High School.

Christie's second day of the tryout began Tuesday at 2 p.m. Will Goldstein be listening? He noted that he had interviews lined up with TMZ, the New York Daily News, and WPIX before having to be back to the softball field at 5:15 p.m.

"So I'll probably listen a little bit, but not too much," Goldstein said. 

One thing is certain, though. Asked if he'd call Christie again if the governor got Francesa's job, Goldstein had a one-word answer.

"No."

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

A motor vehicle stop by Jersey City police on Tonnelle Avenue led to recovery of a stolen handgun and the arrest of the 34-year-old East Orange man driving.

The victim, Kevin Barber, was killed in a Newark shooting that also wounded three other teenagers

NEWARK -- A Newark man was arrested in Georgia Tuesday on charges he shot four people earlier this year at a troubled public housing complex in the city's East Ward - killing one, a 16-year-old high school student.

Raheem Rudd, police photo 

Members of an FBI task force captured 24-year-old Raheem Rudd in Atlanta, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced.

Rudd is charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and weapons offenses in the Jan. 11 shooting at the John Hyatt Court Complex, a Newark Housing Authority-run complex on Hawkins Street.

Rudd is accused of killing Kevin Barber, 16, and shooting three other males from Newark, ages 15, 16 and 19, officials said.

Barber, who attended East Side High School, died at the scene of the 5 p.m. shooting. The other 16-year-old boy suffered serious injuries in the shooting. 

Officials said Rudd remained held at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta Tuesday ahead of extradition proceedings to return him to Essex County.

Prosecutors also charged Rudd with eluding law enforcement for allegedly fleeing the shooting and heroin distribution, but did not reveal details of those charges. Newark police chased a car that sped away from the housing project crime scene, multiple witnesses and police sources said at the time.

Security cut at housing complex before fatal shooting, sources say

The slain boy's grandfather, Herbert Waldron, told NJ Advance Media in an interview earlier this year that his family was previously targeted in a shooting last summer at another city housing complex.

A prosecutor's office spokeswoman declined to comment on a possible motive for the murder.

The deadly shooting was Newark's first reported murder of the year and led to calls for increased security at the NHA-run residences. Part-time armed special police officers, who have limited law enforcement powers and work security in varying shifts for the NHA, were pulled from the property about a week before the shooting in a cost-saving move, law enforcement sources told NJ Advance Media at the time.

Officials at the housing authority, which is autonomous from city hall, said they had limited federal funds for policing. Community activists and area residents told NJ Advance Media in January that security was minimal at the complex.

Ambrose, the city's public safety director, called for better coordination between NHA executives and his agency after the shooting. A majority of violent crime in Newark's East Ward, which is one of the city's lowest crime areas, is tied to the housing project, officials previously said.

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

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He also admitted plotting to traffic large amounts of heroin and crack cocaine

NEWARK -- When the Essex County Prosecutor's Office dropped gun charges against Ahmed Singleton in 2015, the city gang member was ecstatic.

Ahmed Singleton. (Essex County Correctional Facility)

""Who you know cause a ruckus on these (expletive) streets, come home, do whatever the (expletive) they want, and still be out here son?" he was heard telling a fellow gang member on a wiretapped phone call.

On Tuesday, prosecutors say, Singleton, 28, admitted in federal court to having intimidated a key witness in that case into refusing to testify by having fellow members of the Grape Street Crips sit in the gallery when the witness testified.

The intimidation plot was part of racketeering and drug conspiracy charges Singleton pleaded guilty to under an agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office, which has stipulated a sentence of 19 years in prison for his crimes.

Singleton, who went by the street names "Gangsta," "Gangsta-Moo" and "Mooshie," was one of three men charged by the Drug Enforcement Administration in May 2015, court records show.

Singleton, who also admitted plotting to deal more than 2 pounds of heroin and a significant quantity of crack cocaine, was first charged by the county prosecutor's office with aggravated assault and weapons offenses in connection with an April 2013 shooting.

By the time the case had reached trial in March 2015, Singleton and one of his co-conspirators were the target of a court-authorized wiretap, which captured him bragging about how his "goons" had entered the courtroom when the witness took the stand.

According government wiretap transcripts, the witness's attorney told Singleton's lawyer that his client would "do the right thing" and refuse to testify against him, in an attempt to avoid retaliation.

Gang associate gets 20 years for killing

Court filings state the wiretaps also captured Singleton discussing numerous drug transactions with customers and suppliers.

A federal grand jury in February 2016 indicted 14 "senior members" of the Grape Street Crips on charges ranging from racketeering to murder, following an investigation led by the FBI.

Prior to the federal investigations that disrupted the gang's operations, prosecutors say its members controlled the drug trade in numerous areas of the city, including the Pennington Court and Oscar Miles housing complexes and the Millard Terrell homes.

Singleton's sentencing has been scheduled for Oct.12, 2017.

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