State authorities have charged nine current and former U.S. Postal Service workers with each stealing $2,000 to $9,000 through fraudulent unemployment insurance claims.

TRENTON -- State authorities have charged nine current and former U.S. Postal Service workers with each stealing $2,000 to $9,000 through fraudulent unemployment insurance claims.

Three of the nine employees, including Ivory Downey, 41, of East Orange; Diana Rivera, 34, of Paterson; and Aaron J. Buie, 71, of Piscataway, were charged Monday with third-degree theft by deception. Six others, Mikikia C. Johnson, 40, of Jersey City; Gloria Long, 64, of Jersey City; Siobhan Austin, 40, of Irvington; Tea Graham-Gates, 45, of Jersey City; Eboni M. Bush, 35, of Plainfield; and Atalaya C. Haskins, 26, of Newark, were indicted earlier in October and November.

The charge carries a three to five year prison sentence and up to $15,000 in fines.

According to the Attorney General's Office, the nine workers "purposely misrepresented their unemployment status, or their hours worked and income earned" to the state labor department. 

Between 2010 and 2015, they collected a combined $49,564 in unemployment benefits, authorities said.

ALSO: N.J. laws allowing cops to seize assets among 'worst in country,' report finds

It was not immediately known whether the defendants have attorneys.

"Unemployment insurance provides a financial safety net for New Jersey workers when they fall on hard times," Acting Attorney General John Hoffman said in a statement, "and we won't tolerate selfish criminals who lie about their employment status and steal from this critical fund."

Downey is accused of underreporting her income or days worked for 27 weeks to collect $8,721 while she worked at a postal distribution center in Kearny. Kearny center employees Haskins and Graham-Gates each collected $2,058 and $3,388, respectively, according to the Attorney General's Office.

During several stretches, Long underreported her income or reported she hadn't worked and received no income while she worked 1,000 hours for the postal service, authorities said. 

Rivera, a former carrier assistant at the Elmwood Park Post Office, allegedly filed fraudulent unemployment insurance claims over 10 weeks in spring 2012, collecting $6,792.

As a carrier technician in Paramus, Austin earned $34,000 but reported earning less than $3,000, authorities said. She received $6,629 in unemployment benefits. Buie, a letter carrier for the Muhlenberg Station Post Office in Plainfield, and Bush, a carrier in New Brunswick, each received more than $2,000. 

Austin and Haskins are suspended from their jobs, while the rest no longer work for the postal service, according to the Attorney General's Office. 

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Authorities are investigating whether the victim in an alleged sexual assault inside a Newark firehouse was provided alcohol by Newark Fire Department officers prior to the alleged incident, NJ Advance Media has learned.

NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating whether the victim in an alleged sexual assault inside a Newark firehouse was provided alcohol by Newark Fire Department officers prior to the alleged incident, NJ Advance Media has learned.

Additional details of the probe indicate the alleged female victim may have been transported to the firehouse in an official city fire department vehicle before being allegedly assaulted by at least one city firefighter, a source said.

The source spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. Another person familiar with the investigation confirmed the details.

A fire department spokesman last week confirmed the existence of an Essex County Prosecutor's Office investigation into the allegations, but declined to comment.

Reached Tuesday, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly declined to comment on the particulars of the allegations, but confirmed that an investigation into the incident by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office is ongoing.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/11/2_newark_firefighters_face_internal_charges_after.html#incart_river_home

According to a source familiar with the investigation, the woman left a Nov. 11 concert in downtown Newark when she met at least one uniformed Newark firefighter. The woman informed the officer that her cellular phone had lost power, and that she had lost touch with friends who had also attended the concert, the sources said.

The woman was offered assistance, and was later allegedly transported to the Engine 5 fire station in an official Newark Fire Department vehicle, one source said.

Located in the heart of the bustling Ironbound district, the Congress Street fire station is nestled between a block of single-family homes and the restaurants and bars that line Ferry Street. 

How long she remained at the station is currently unclear, but after arriving, the alleged victim phoned a friend to meet her there, the sources said. At some point, firefighters still at the station allegedly served the woman alcohol and invited her up to the station's sleeping quarters, a source said.

The source said there is currently no indication that the woman was physically forced into the sleeping quarters. Once there, the woman was allegedly assaulted by at least one firefighter, sources said.

The woman left the firehouse with a friend and was later transported to a hospital, where she reported the alleged incident to authorities, sources said.

Two Newark firefighters now face possible departmental charges in connection with the alleged incident, NJ Advance Media has learned.

According to multiple sources in the department, the firefighters could face discipline for allegedly violating department protocol in allowing a civilian into the firehouse.

Both officers remain on active duty while investigators with the department's Arson Division, the division charged with conducting internal investigations, probes the potential violations.

Both the internal probe and the investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office into the incident could result in additional disciplinary or criminal charges.

Staff Reporter Dan Ivers contributed to this report.

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

 

Recent tips provided to city police led to the arrest of three men on drug and weapons-related charges, police say.

(file photo)

NEWARK -- Recent tips provided to city police led to the arrest of three men on drug and weapons-related charges, said Newark Police Department spokesman Sgt. Ronald Glover said in a released statement.

"I applaud the units involved in these arrests for a job well done and applaud the citizens for making use of the department's 24-hour anonymous tip line," said Newark Police Director Eugene Venable. "The citizens are providing detailed information and as result our units are making these arrests."

Newark officers arrested Lamar K. Bond, 28, of Newark, on Nov. 13 after the department received an anonymous tip of a man walking in the 100 block of North Munn Avenue armed with a handgun, the statement said.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers found Bond in possession of a fully-loaded 38-caliber gun, officials said. In addition to the firearm, officials also discovered 48 envelopes of heroin, 21 small ziplock bags of marijuana and dozens of pills in his possession in Bond's pockets, the statement said.

Following his arrest, Bond was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and multiple drug-related violations, the statement said.

Brevon Brown, 20, was arrested Monday at approximately 9 p.m near the intersection of Hopewell Place and Vermont Avenue the statement said. Acting on a resident complaints of open-air drug sales, police conducting patrols in the area observed Brown attempting to conceal a firearm in his waistband, according to the statement.

After attempting to discard the gun, Brown led officers on a short foot pursuit before being taken into custody, the statement said. Brown now stands charged with unlawful possession of a loaded 25-caliber handgun and resisting arrest.

A third man, George Crespo, 33, of Newark, was arrested just a few hours later by city police, Essex County Sheriff's officers and other members of the department's Firearm Interdiction Team, the statement said.

Members of the team were dispatched to Garside Street and 2nd Avenue at approximately 11 p.m. after receiving tips of a male armed with a gun, Glover said.

After arriving, officers found Crespo in possession of a Colt Air pellet handgun, the statement said. He was later arrested and charged with multiple weapons-related offenses.

Crespo was hit with an additional charge of criminal mischief after he allegedly attempted to break a police car window after being taken into custody, authorities said.

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

 

Ali Muhammad Brown was found guilty Tuesday, authorities said.

NEWARK -- Ali Muhammad Brown, who is facing murder and terrorism charges in the shooting death of Livingston teen Brendan Tevlin, was convicted Tuesday in connection with an unrelated armed robbery, officials announced.

Brown, 30, was found guilty of robbery and various weapons charges for his role in a July 10, 2014 robbery in West Orange, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced Tuesday. The state plans to seek the maximum penalty of 20 years when Brown is sentenced on Jan. 20, Murray said.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper, who tried the case, Brown emerged from a makeshift campsite he built in the woods in West Orange with a 9mm handgun at about 6 a.m. that July day.

Brown robbed a victim in a Mount Pleasant Ave. apartment building parking lot, Murray said. He threatened the victim with the gun, forced him into the trunk of a car, and made off with a driver's license, credit cards, an iPhone, a tablet, and other personal items, officials said.

Authorities said Brown used the credit cards to make several purchases before police found him in the campsite on July 18.

"The defendant's criminality in this case was a clear and present danger to the community," Semper said in a statement.

Semper also commended the Prosecutor's Office and Sgt. Dennis McCole and Officer Raymond Rosania of the West Orange Police Department for their work on the case.

Brown is also awaiting a trial date in connection with the June 25, 2014 Tevlin murder. According to authorities, the teenage college student was shot multiple times while at a stop light on the way home from a friend's house. Brown, who told authorities Tevlin's murder was an act of vengeance for lives lost in the Middle East, was indicted in July.

It marks the first time a terrorism charge has been levied in a murder case in New Jersey.

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

Building condemned for code violations was allegedly home to "a 24-hour illegal drug bazaar," where heroin was sold during all hours of the day and night by dealers who paid residents to leave their doors unlocked to provide them with quick escape routes if the police raided the building.

NEWARK--Tenants complained the tenement building on Johnson Avenue in Newark, condemned last week by the city for major code violations, was crawling with rats and bedbugs.

Federal prosecutors said it was also home to what they called "a 24-hour illegal drug bazaar," where millions of dollars worth of heroin was sold during all hours of the day and night by dealers who paid residents to leave their doors unlocked to provide them with quick escape routes if the police raided the building.

Authorities on Thursday charged 15 people in the sophisticated operation, which U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman called one of the largest and most successful heroin distribution organizations in Newark, operating just down the block from the athletic fields of Malcolm X. Shabazz High School and the playground and basketball courts of Terrell James Park.

"Law abiding citizens shouldn't have to worry about drug dealing where children are trying to learn and play," Fishman said.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/11/newark_condemns_4_rodent_bedbug_invested_slums.html

Among those charged was Almalik Anderson, 36, described as the ringleader of the operation, who allegedly monitored the operation from a townhouse across the street, authorities said.

Nine people were arrested and six remain at large.

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal district court in Newark, the group operated out of an apartment building at 25 Johnson Ave. taking advantage of the building's location on a dead-end street that made it difficult for for law enforcement to conduct surveillance despite the constant streams of buyers entering the building. Lookouts were paid by the gang to alert the ring to any police activity coming down the street.

Some residents, prosecutors alleged, were paid $25 a day to keep their apartments unlocked as a secret escape route if the police showed up. According to the complaint, Newark police in January spotted a drug deal going on in front of the building and chased the suspect. They said he dropped 40 packets of heroin and ran into an unlocked apartment on the fourth floor, before slamming the door shut. By the time the police broke down the door, the suspect had fled out the window of the apartment and down a fire escape, leaving behind a loaded .9mm handgun that an older woman living in the apartment tried to hide, prosecutors said.

In April, the FBI installed two hidden cameras in lighting and exit fixtures in a hallway of the building, capturing dozens of drug transactions. After six days, the transmission failed and agents found wires were sticking out of the fixtures where the cameras had been ripped out.

The heroin--sold in glassine packets under brand names like "Morning Rush," "The Virus," and "RIP"--generated thousands in profits, which was funneled into legitimate business ventures, said authorities, including a Newark clothing store and the purchase of vehicles at auction for cash. The group sold one to two kilograms of heroin per week. Prosecutors said the drugs being sold was of a high quality and attracted a lot of customers.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/09/24_charged_in_charged_following_nj_heroin_ring_bus.html

The dealers worked in carefully planned "shifts" to handle the constant flow of buyers. In one tapped cell phone conversation recorded earlier this month, Anderson's deputy--Quawee "Hatman" Jones--complained to one of his managers about some of the lower-level dealers selling drugs outside by the mailbox, which he referred to as "the porch," rather than inside the building's hallway.

"I'm tired of dealing with these little punk [expletive] that ain't about the action," he complained. "My [expletive] is off the porch. [Expletive] shouldn't even be on the porch, like for what?"

Jones warned that selling on the street outside would bring in the police, and they would all end up in jail.

In another recording, Anderson himself made the point clear, telling one buyer: "Yo, you gotta walk in the building, don't stop and talk. Police be watching."

In recent weeks, with the building ordered shut down by the city because of alleged housing code violations, prosecutors said the gang had been searching for a new place operate.

The FBI estimated that based upon the drugs quantities sold, the ring generated between $4 million and $7 million a year.

At an initial appearance Thursday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark, Jones and Anderson were both ordered held without bail.

Anderson, charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, faces a minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison if convicted. The others, charged with conspiracy to distributed heroin, face minimum sentences of 10 years and up to life in prison.

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

 

The old Science High School building is scheduled to become a high-rise apartment complex.

Newark WF 40 Rector Street 4&6 story vacant Old Ballentine Brewery. Smokey fire now KD. Squatter rescue problem. UC pic.twitter.com/EKfcOLSOSg

-- NorthJersey FireNews (@NJFires) November 19, 2015

NEWARK -- On its long road to becoming a high-rise apartment complex backed by an NBA legend, an old, abandoned school building on Rector Street added a fire to its complicated history Wednesday night.

Newark firefighters responded to a blaze that broke out inside the old Science High School building on Rector Street Wednesday night, city officials confirmed. A Newark Fire Department spokesman acknowledged, but did not immediately respond to, a request for comment Thursday.

The old Science High School building. (File photo)
 

Once a malt factory, the old Science High building was the subject of a high-profile ribbon cutting in 2013 when NBA legend and Newark native Shaquille O'Neal announced he was backing a high-rise apartment complex at the site. After two years of stalls, city officials said recently that construction will soon begin on the building, which has a design calling for a floor of retail shops, and 26-stories of rental units.

"The damage (from the fire) was minimal," Newark Director of Economic and Housing Development Baye Adofo-Wilson said in a phone interview Thursday. "We are still on target."

ALSO: Body of missing N.J. woman found in vacant Newark school

Officials believe someone may have broken into the building and lit a fire to stay warm, Adofo-Wilson said.

The facade and entryway of the building were set to be preserved in the design of the new construction. Adofo-Wilson said the fire should not prevent that from happening.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at the property on Dec. 18, he said.

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

 

Ibn Coates, 28, is expected to receive a seven-year prison sentence under a plea agreement

Ibn CoatesEssex County Correctional Facility 

NEWARK -- About a year after being shot while struggling with Newark police officers, a city man has pleaded guilty to a weapons offense related to the incident.

Ibn Coates, 28, pleaded guilty on Nov. 9 to unlawful possession of a handgun in connection with the police-involved shooting.

Coates also pleaded guilty to a perjury charge for providing false information to police about an unrelated incident.

Under a plea agreement for both cases, prosecutors are recommending a seven-year prison sentence for Coates, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 14 before Superior Court Judge Michael Petrolle.

Coates also had been charged with theft, making terroristic threats, resisting arrest and other weapons offenses in connection with the shooting incident, but those charges will be dismissed as part of the plea deal.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2014/11/man_critical_after_being_shot_by_veteran_newark_cop_authorities_say.html

Authorities said the shooting occurred around 10 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2014 after Newark officers, working as part of a firearms interdiction team, attempted to stop and interview Coates near South 9th Street and South Orange Avenue.

After Coates immediately jumped into a taxi, the officers activated their sirens and lights to pull the cab over, authorities said.

When police pulled the cab over, Coates got out of the vehicle and ran, authorities said. Coates was then shot once by a veteran police officer in the area of 163 South 6th Street during a struggle with officers, authorities said. A weapon was recovered at the scene, authorities said.

Coates was treated at University Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. He was transferred on Dec. 20 to the Essex County Correctional Facility, where he has remained in custody in lieu of $200,000 bail.

In an interview the day after the incident, Coates's sister, Khamiysha, said her brother has four children, and one more on the way.

"I'm devastated, because that's my baby brother. I just feel so helpless," said the sister, who moved to South Carolina several years ago. "I wanted to take my kids out of Newark because of things like this...I didn't want them growing up like that."

The perjury charge arises from an incident on March 1, 2014, when Coates came to Beth Israel Hospital with a gun shot wound, and later gave false statements to law enforcement, according to Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Ahmad Rasool, who handled both cases.

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

 

Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins is calling for the formation of a task force to review any taxable portions of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center's campus

NEWARK - Morristown's high-profile tax settlement with Morristown Medical Center parent Atlantic Health has sparked a war of words over whether Newark should examine the non-profit status of hospitals operating within its borders.

Earlier this week, Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins repeated an earlier call to convene a special Municipal Council task force to review the tax-exempt status of Barnabas Health, which runs Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in the city's South Ward, in light of the Morristown decision.

"With our residents facing a 9 percent tax hike this year and the city struggling with a structural deficit, it would be irresponsible for the City Council not to explore ways to raise additional tax revenue," she said.

The call comes over the objections of Mayor Ras Baraka, who had previously issued a statement calling Chaneyfield's suggestion "premature and unnecessary."

MORE: Morristown settlement could lead to N.J. hospitals shelling out millions

He contended that his administration is set to meet with Beth Israel representatives to present ideas on how to generate tax revenue, and that the recent purchase of St. Michael's Medical Center by for-profit Prime Healthcare Services is likely to prove a major boon to the city's tax rolls.

"My administration appreciates the councilwoman's passion and zeal on this issue. As we move forward, we welcome her recommendations to protect our residents and ensure that our city receives its fair share of taxes," he said at the time.

Chaneyfield, however, said she was prepared to press on with the proposed task force, and urged her colleagues on the executive board to follow suit.

Should they heed her advice, the task force would examine how much of the Beth Israel campus could be considered a taxable, for-profit operation.

Last week's ruling in the Morristown case ordered Morristown Medical Center's parent company, Atlantic Health System, owed the town for 24 percent of its property. The outfit was ordered to pay the $15.5 million in back taxes over 10 years, and is expected to pay approximately $1 million per year moving forward.

In a statement, Barnabas CEO Barry Ostrowsky said he believed all tax-exempt medical facilities that use local services should make a fair share of contributions to their communities.

"It must be kept in mind, however, that our facilities are all major economic engines in these communities through employment, significant vendor support, and substantial community benefit," he said.

The call is not the first time the outspoken Chaneyfield has led a charge against the West Orange based healthcare company. She was an outspoken opponent of its attempted acquisition of Saint Michael's, both before and after the hospital entered bankruptcy protection earlier this year.

She has also periodically found herself at odds with Baraka and his administration over issues including the council's lack of invitation to closed-door meetings and announcements during President Barack Obama's visit to the city earlier this month.

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

 

"Jersey Boys" producers have donated $15,000 to the Greater Newark Holiday Fund in honor of the musical's 10th anniversary.

NEWARK -- Producers of the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons-based musical "Jersey Boys" just donated $15,000 to a N.J. charitable organization to help needy residents this holiday season.

"Like Frankie says in Act Two of 'Jersey Boys,' 'you don't forget where you come from,'" said Edward Strong, a partner in Dodger Theatricals, lead producers of "Jersey Boys."

The original members of the Four Seasons were famously from New Jersey, and Valli was born in Newark.

The producers of the Tony-winning musical donated the money to the Greater Newark Holiday Fund on Nov. 6, in commemoration of the show's 10th anniversary. 

RELATED: Jersey Boys: 2 Tony Award nominees share their stories

They designated 300 orchestra seats to the Nov. 6 performance in New York City at a special $50 ticket rate with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Greater Newark Holiday Fund, according to a press release.

"'Jersey Boys' wanted to mark our tenth year on Broadway by sharing some of our good fortune with the community of Newark, who gave us, and the world, the original Four Seasons and their music," Strong said.

The Fund, which was founded by Newark businessmen in 1937, started as a holiday gift drive and now provides financial gifts to various social service agencies across northern N.J., including those in Essex, Union, Passaic, Hudson, Morris and Bergen Counties.

Its 11 partner agencies, including Children's Aid and Family Services in Paramus and the Urban League of Essex County, serve people in need of all ages, providing counseling, female empowerment, child care, and job training, among other services. 

"The holiday time is an especially hard time for many people, and we're so grateful that 'Jersey Boys' reached out to people in their hometown, and helped out by giving funds that could be used for helping people in all kinds of need and crisis," said the fund's Administrative Director Fern Dickey.

"Jersey Boys," which opened Nov. 6, 2005, won the Tony Award for "Best Musical" in 2006. It is currently playing in New York, Las Vegas, London, and other cities across North America and the United Kingdom on national tours. 

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

Dashawn Gibson, 25, of Newark, pleaded guilty in connection with the March 20, 2014 killing of Altariq Davis, 28, also of Newark

Dashawn GibsonEssex County Correctional Facility 

NEWARK -- A Newark man has pleaded guilty to a reckless manslaughter charge for fatally shooting another man on a city street last year, several weeks before he allegedly crashed into a police vehicle during a chase.

Dashawn Gibson, 25, entered the plea on Friday in connection with the March 20, 2014 killing of Altariq Davis, 28, of Newark. The shooting occurred about 8:30 p.m. on the 200 block of South 6th Street.

Under a plea agreement, prosecutors are recommending that Gibson receive a seven-year prison sentence, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Gibson would have to serve nearly six years before becoming eligible for parole.

His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 8 before Superior Court Judge Martin Cronin.

Charges are still pending against Gibson's co-defendant, Hakeem Maloney, 35, of New Brunswick.

MORE: Man arrested after ramming Newark police car was sought for questioning in fatal shooting

Gibson was arrested on May 9, 2014 after leading Newark police on a chase in a stolen car and crashing into a police cruiser, authorities said.

City police spotted Gibson operating a Chevrolet Impala and another motorist driving a Subaru on Pulaski Street at about 4:45 p.m, authorities said. Gibson and the other motorist were both driving erratically, authorities said.

Officers attempted to pull over both drivers, but Gibson led police on a chase, got stuck in traffic and rammed the Impala into a police cruiser, authorities said. Gibson was ordered out of the inoperable vehicle and taken into custody after struggling with officers, authorities said.

Police said the Impala was reported stolen in Newark on May 5. The driver of the Subaru was not caught, police said.

Gibson was indicted in August 2014 on various charges, including murder, felony murder, robbery, kidnapping, eluding, resisting arrest, assault by auto and weapons offenses.

Under the plea deal, the murder charge was downgraded to reckless manslaughter and the remaining charges will be dismissed.

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

 

Captain James Sarnicki said an officer saw Wilson Rolando Villa-Tenemaza filling a container in his van behind Bella Gina's Italian Deli and Catering early Tuesday morning.

LINDEN -- A Newark man was arrested early Tuesday morning when an officer caught him trying to steal cooking oil from a restaurant, police said. 

Newark resident Wilson Rolando Villa-Tenemaza is charged with attempting to steal used cooking oil from a Linden deli, police said.

Capt. James Sarnicki said the officer saw Wilson Rolando Villa-Tenemaza, 33, sitting in a white van behind Bella Gina's Italian Deli and Catering around 1 a.m.

When he approached the vehicle, the officer then noticed a half-full tank of liquid in the back, Sarnicki said. He said another man at the back of the deli saw the officer and ran.

Sarnicki said the officer found a pair of orange work gloves, a hose, and a pump connected to a used cooking oil container in the back of the van.

MORE: Linden cop, resident killed in wrong-way crash remembered at fundraiser

Villa-Tenemaza was charged with attempted theft and is being held pending the setting of bail, according to Sarnicki. He said Villa-Tenemaza has a court date set for next week. 

The Ford van was seized as evidence, and officers were unable to find an accomplice when they searched the surrounding area, Sarnicki said. 

Other North Jersey residents have previously been arrested for stealing cooking oil, according to police.

In January 2014, three Newark men were arrested in Linden when they were caught with 100 gallons of oil from Dragonfly Restaurant, police said.

The following October, Bridgewater police charged two Paterson men with stealing 200 gallons from Buffalo Wild Wings on Route 22, according to an affidavit filed in Somerset County Superior Court.

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

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

 

 

On Sunday, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly shared a photo of Southern India, which some have theorized was his subtle way of showing the world that aliens exist.

The truth is out there. 

And New Jersey's own space traveler knows it and want us to know too. 

According to some UFO hunters, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly tried to subtly show the world Sunday that aliens do in fact exist and one of their ships is hovering just outside our atmosphere.

Kelly, who has tweeted out photos quite often from the International Space Station during his year-long mission, shared an image of Southern India and casually wished the world goodnight just before 7 p.m. Eastern Time. 

Day 233. Once upon a #star over Southern India. #GoodNight from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/ipT4AsDDir

-- Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) November 15, 2015

However, the editor of a UFO sighting website and many others across the country picked up on Kelly's true meaning behind his photo message.

"It looks like Scott was trying to hint at the existence of aliens," Scott Waring wrote on his blog, a theory that may have stemmed from fellow alien fanatic sonofmabarker's YouTube video. 

Waring claims Kelly was trying to share this truth with the world.

"When an astronaut tweets a photo of a UFO, you can bet people notice it," he wrote. "This one ... has a cigar shaped glowing UFO with a metallic body in it. The UFO is about 25 meters long and 150-200 meters away."

Many saw the same thing.

@StationCDRKelly @Space_Station Is that an UFO on the top of frame?

-- Kevin (@BostAngeles) November 18, 2015

@StationCDRKelly @NASA @Space_Station what's going on in the upper right corner of this photo?????

-- Ja-Mon (@ja_mon2012) November 16, 2015

People continued to question what appeared in Kelly's tweet throughout the week with many explaining the shape as actually part of the space station.

Still, some didn't buy it and believe Kelly, who has spent more time in space than any other American, may have some insider information on the subject.

The white bright part at the upper right corner of the image is ISS HDEV exterior equipment @PC0101 @StationCDRKelly pic.twitter.com/qXoyHsYQXa

-- Olivia D'Souza (@Olivia_Dsouza) November 18, 2015

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

A New Jersey accountant and his wife have been sentenced for their roles in filing hundreds of trumped up tax returns to get their clients larger refunds and pocketing some of the profits, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman at a press conference Patti Sapone| NJ Advance Media 

UNION -- A New Jersey accountant and his wife have been sentenced for their roles in filing hundreds of trumped up tax returns to get their clients larger refunds and pocketing some of the profits, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. 

U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson sentenced Courtney Johnson, 45,  in Trenton federal court Thursday to four years in prison for his role as a certified public account in the multi-year tax scheme, Fishman said in a release.

Johnson was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay $10,280 in restitution, Fishman said. He will also serve one year of probation after his release.   

His wife Carol, also 45, who ran the business with him, was sentenced on Nov. 5 to three years probation and ordered to pay $93,385 in restitution.

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/11/westfield_pay_115_mill_to_settle_lawsuit_over_arre.html#incart_river_index

The Union Township couple prepared the fraudulent returns out of their tax preparation business in South Orange and Jersey City between 2005 and 2007, where authorities said they defrauded the Internal Revenue Service of almost $400,000.

According to the release, Johnson used fictitious businesses, inflated charitable donations and fabricated itemized deductions to increase his clients tax returns. 

Johnson was convicted on six counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal income tax returns in June. Carol Johnson previously pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, Fishman said. 

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

 

Chris Christie, porn stars and local gun shops all made this week's quiz

NJ.com's weekly news quiz is designed so you can show off just how well you know New Jersey news. Answer the questions below and then share your score in comments to see how you stack up with other NJ.com users. Do you have a perfect score in store this week? Let's find out.

 

John Shabe can be reached at jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.

Officials confirmed the Thursday evening killing.

NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating a Thursday evening incident in the city's Ironbound section that left one man dead, authorities confirmed.

Investigators arriving to the scene in the 300 block of Elm Street Thursday evening discovered a male victim suffering from an apparent body trauma, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives Anthony Ambrose.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was later pronounced dead, Ambrose said. The exact cause of the victim's death is under investigation, pending an autopsy, Ambrose said.

Investigators from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office could be seen late Thursday canvassing in the rain at the scene of the killing, a residential stretch of Elm Street lined by single-family homes. An investigation by the department's Homicide Task Force is in the initial stages, officials said.

No other details were immediately available.

This marks the second homicide in as many days in the city. Wednesday, an East Orange man was found shot to death inside his car in the city's Central Ward.

The killing brings the city's 2015 homicide total to 85, according to a count by NJ Advance Media.

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

In the boxing gym or in the courtroom, Derrick Graham is a compass, guiding young people toward better decisions.

Several months ago, Derrick Graham was standing in the stairwell of Newark's municipal court, telling a young man why Judge Victoria Pratt was coming down on him.

Jahvuntte Gordon, 18, of Newark had upset Pratt because he missed a job interview, and Graham was explaining to him that he had to be more responsible.

"This is an experience, so you won't have to come down here again,'' said Graham.

And before Gordon could agree, Graham drove home his point: "Handle your business.''

Last week, Graham was at it again. A court attendant, he was doing what Pratt says is necessary to save young people from the criminal justice system.

This time, Graham was in the lobby of the court building, asking Samad Foster how things turned out on a drug possession charge.

"He tells me how to go about life,''  said Foster, 20, of Newark. "If he can help you, he'll help you.''

Sometimes, it's in municipal court, where Graham has worked 16 years. But the sage advice often continues after he leaves the job and walks through the doors of Newark's Boylan Street Recreation Center. His shirt and tie come off. He's taping his hands, warming up on a heavy bag, then the swivel bag, dancing about in beat-up white boxing shoes.

Inside the rec center, there's a boxing gym - a court of its own kind -  that Graham uses to tell the young fighters he trains to not make the same mistakes he made in life. This is the place that gave him purpose, a place where someone from the neighborhood would talk to him the way he talks to young people today.

"I tell them to use their common sense more than their desires, because their desires as a young man is to impress people who are not worth impressing,'' Graham said. "Without the proper guidance of a man in your life, it's easy to be trapped by the sinister powers that are out here.''

Graham, 46, has a pretty good idea of how young people who wind up in court think. He, too, was once a misguided 18-year-old growing up in Newark until the day he found himself handcuffed to a hospital bed in Bergen County.

He was a high school dropout, facing 10 years in prison on several charges, including possession of drugs and receipt of a stolen car, following a  State Police chase on the New Jersey Turnpike.

His mother, he says, cried in court after seeing him in an orange jumpsuit, shackled from his wrists to his ankles.

"It ripped into her,'' Graham said. "I promised her I would never go back to jail unless I was protecting somebody.''

He kept his word, taking all kinds of jobs after the judge gave him a break by sentencing him to four years' probation. Graham worked in a warehouse and was a  security officer twice. They were steady jobs until employers found out about his record.

In the midst of his craziness, an ex-boxer from the neighborhood pulled him aside to keep him out of trouble. Malik "Heavy Hooks" (how he is known in the city's West Ward) brought Graham to the same recreation center in which he now trains to stay in shape and coach fighters.

Malik said he taught Graham the basics of boxing. Others would show him the rest in a career that began with he and his brother, Eric,  winning  the New Jersey Golden Gloves titles in 1993.

Graham was 12-9-1 as a professional, but the record doesn't say that his opponents were world-class fighters who had more than 100 victories combined.  His reputation for being a hard-nosed, scrappy fighter garnered invitations to spar with boxing greats such as Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya.

Graham put the gloves down in 2000 - except for a brief comeback in 2006 - and wound up working in Newark's municipal court. It's the last place most people would think he'd be, considering how he started.

"Sometimes, when I'm sitting down, I think about where I could have been versus where I'm at,'' Graham said.

The boxer became a court recorder, court clerk and now, a court attendant, assisting the judge. Throughout the building, though, Graham is an ambassador of sorts who has a way of making a trip to municipal court less stressful.

"Derrick is our unofficial diplomat in the building,'' said court director James Simpson. "Derrick has the gift of meeting people where they're at and not be overbearing.''

It's the same at the gym, where kids and adults call him "Nas,'' an abbreviation for Nasir, his Muslim name, which means "helper toward greatness."  

In the gym or in he courtroom, he's a compass, guiding young people toward better decisions. He did so again on Wednesday, with Antonio Rodriguez of Newark, in Pratt's courtroom.  

It was the first time Rodriguez, 19, met him. He was impressed with what Graham had to say in a conversation that lasted maybe two minutes.

"He was encouraging me a lot,''said Rodriguez. "I just have to put my mind to it.''

With Graham on your side, anything is possible. Look  at how he turned out.

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

Tyrique Spruell, 24, of Newark, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with the Sept. 13, 2012 robbery when Jamil Bader Jr., 18, was killed

NEWARK -- A Newark man has admitted to acting as the getaway driver in 2012 while his alleged accomplice robbed a city grocery store and fatally shot a teenage boy who was trying to stop the robbery at his family's business.

Tyrique Spruell, 24, pleaded guilty on Nov. 9 to conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with the Sept. 13, 2012 robbery that left 18-year-old city resident Jamil Bader Jr. dead. The incident occurred at Jamil & Sons Family Grocery on Clinton Avenue, which was owned by Bader's family, authorities said.

Spruell was the getaway driver, and he never got out of the vehicle during the robbery, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors are recommending a seven-year prison sentence for Spruell, Carter said. Spruell would have to serve nearly six years before becoming eligible for parole.

Tyrique SpruellNew Jersey Department of Corrections 

Spruell also was charged with robbery, murder, felony murder and weapons offenses, but those charges will be dismissed as part of the plea agreement. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11 before Superior Court Judge Verna Leath.

Spruell was sentenced on July 9 to five years in state prison on aggravated assault and theft charges in an unrelated case.

The case is still pending against Spruell's co-defendant, Eugene Walker, 19, of Newark, who was the alleged shooter during the robbery. Walker was 16 years old at the time of the incident, and he was later waived up to adult court.

Walker also was charged with robbing a bodega on Aug. 14, 2012, authorities said. He was scheduled to go on trial in that case when he pleaded guilty on March 4, 2014 to robbery and related offenses.

Walker was then sentenced on May 8, 2014 to a 16-year prison term. He must serve nearly 14 years before becoming eligible for parole.

MORE: Teenager working at family's deli in Newark is killed during apparent robbery

The day after Bader's killing, residents of the neighborhood surrounding the grocery store said the Bader family would give customers a break on food and other items, particularly at the end of the month when money is tight.

Bader, who also had a young son, was described by family and friends as respectful and caring.

"We never did anything wrong to anybody," his father, Jamil Bader Sr., said at the time. "He was my son, my friend, my partner. ... He helped everybody in the community, whether they were in a good situation or a bad situation."

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

WEST CALDWELL — Sophia is a 13-year-old Yorkie in the care of Orphaned Pets. She was severely matted when she was surrendered to a shelter. The 7-pound Sophia is an affectionate dog who craves companionship; she is said to follow her fosterer "everywhere." She would do best in a home where someone is home most of the time or where...

Sophia 

WEST CALDWELL -- Sophia is a 13-year-old Yorkie in the care of Orphaned Pets.

She was severely matted when she was surrendered to a shelter.

The 7-pound Sophia is an affectionate dog who craves companionship; she is said to follow her fosterer "everywhere."
She would do best in a home where someone is home most of the time or where there is another dog to keep her company.

Sophia has been spayed, microchipped and is up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Sophia, email ltgirl2191@comcast.net. Information is also available by going to awos.petfinder.com/shelters/op.html. Orphaned Pets is an all-volunteer fostering group serving the Essex County area for the past 25 years.

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.

Chef Bryan Gregg has earned deserved praise for his Southern-influenced food.

ON DAY 6 of our best choices in American cuisine, we offer ...

ESCAPE

Jersey scallops are less of a secret than they once were, but their sweetness and texture still often surprise those who live outside the state.

Chef Bryan Gregg, of Escape Cathy Miller 

So the main ingredient was not a concern for chef Bryan Gregg, as he packed his icebox to be shipped to New Orleans this summer, in preparation for a national seafood challenge.

PLUS: More of 30 Best Meals in N.J. 2015

What did worry him? The hang time for the fragile ingredients: the yarrow tips, the wood sorrel, the oxalis blossoms. As soon as you clip them, they start to die. And you won't find them in Louisiana. (Gregg forages locally for many of his specialty ingredients.)

Gregg didn't win the grand prize (that went to a chef from Alaska), but he did win the seafood showdown, a surprise-ingredient competition featuring sweet potatoes. Gregg's dish for the main contest -- seared scallops (from Viking Village), with a creamless creamed corn and Jersey chanterelles -- is a clean, straightforward favorite at Escape and is on the menu every summer, as long as the corn holds.

Gregg has earned deserved praise for his Southern-influenced food (using Jersey seasonal ingredients) in the extremely competitive restaurant town of Montclair.

But Gregg also earns points for his frequent collaborative dinners to raise money for cancer research.

• Escape | 345 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair | (973) 744-0712 | escapemontclair.com

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Heather Brown's funeral was Wednesday.

IRVINGTON -- A woman who was seriously injured in a Nov. 7 crash on the Garden State Parkway has died, police confirmed.

Heather Brown, 35, of Shrewsbury, was transported to University Hospital in Newark after the 1:18 a.m. crash, police said. She was pronounced dead there on Nov. 12, State Police Lt. Brian Polite said Thursday.

According to an Asbury Park Press report, Brown was a trustee on the Tinton Falls Board of Education. The board held a moment of silence in her memory at its meeting Monday, the report said.

School officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

UPDATE: Police investigating alcohol's role in fatal Parkway crash

Brown was the passenger in a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu that crashed into a guardrail at milepost 143.6 early that Saturday morning, Polite said. The driver, Crystal Simmons, 43, of Orange, has been charged with assault by auto in connection with the crash, authorities said. Authorities are investigating whether or not alcohol played a role in the crash, officials said Friday.

The state police and Essex County Prosecutor's Office are continuing to investigate the crash, and "a determination will be made if additional charges will be levied against the driver," Polite said.

Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter said Thursday that additional charges had not been filed, but noted that the investigation is ongoing.

Brown's obituary says she graduated from Monmouth Regional High School in 1998, attended Kean University, and worked as an operations analyst at Commvault Systems in Tinton Falls. She was married, with a nine-year-old daughter, it says.

In an online fundraising site set up to help the family with funeral expenses, a friend called Brown full of life, and brave.

"Heather's life was so full," the page reads. "Her daughter made her life complete, along with friends and family who love her."

Note: This story previously stated that Simmons had been charged with a DWI. State police corrected an earlier report Friday, saying the matter is still under investigation.

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