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Authorities in Newark are conducting an ongoing drug operation.

NEWARK -- A months-long drug investigation in Newark has added dozens of arrests to its ongoing tally, authorities said Monday

Taylor and Crutcher. (Courtesy Newark Police)

The investigation has already seen hundreds of people apprehended and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs confiscated from city streets.

The department arrested 43 people and seized six handguns, 1,300 decks of heroin, 223 vials of cocaine, 90 bags of marijuana, 97 pills, and $5,122.05 in cash during the past week, Newark police said.

The drugs seized have a street value of about $17,100, police said.

According to Newark police, arrests from this round of drug sweeps include:

• Kenneth Taylor, 24, who was arrested after police, responding to neighborhood complaints of drug dealing at his apartment, searched it, and allegedly found a loaded 9mm handgun, cocaine, and marijuana.
• Derrick Crutcher, 36, of Jersey City, who police said they saw dealing heroin and cocaine from a parked car near 4th Avenue and North 11th Street. Authorities said they also found a loaded 9mm handgun in the car.
• Of the other people arrested during last week's sweep, 27 were on narcotics charges, and 14 for drug possession and related charges, outstanding warrants, and contempt of court, police said.

Authorities also confiscated four other guns thanks to anonymous tips. Two loaded rifles were inside a building on Irvine Turner Boulevard, and a loaded shotgun and .45 caliber handgun were inside a vacant home on North 11th Street, police said.

Newark authorities began the drug investigation earlier this year after a barrage of resident complaints about drug sales in their neighborhoods, police have said.

"The ongoing operation is aimed at removing guns and drugs from our streets while enhancing the quality of life for residents," police said in the release.

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

Tickets to see the 2016 presidential candidate are extremely limited.

MONTCLAIR -- The former first lady and losing candidate in last year's presidential election is coming to New Jersey -- but getting a ticket to see her is proving to be tough.

Hillary Clinton is heading out on a nine-stop book tour this fall to promote her new tell-all, "What Happened," -- a book promoters say spills the story of her campaign's controversial fall to President Donald Trump's in 2016. One of her in-person stops on the tour will be at the Watchung Booksellers, an independent shop in downtown Montclair.

The store called the visit "most exciting news" in an email promoting the event to its regular customers Monday.

Judging from ticket sales, Clinton's loss last year has not hurt her popularity in the Garden State. New Jersey's 14 electoral votes in the 2016 election went to Clinton.

The Montclair event is Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. According to the Booksellers' site, the limited $30 tickets for the event were already sold out Monday afternoon. 

According to the book's website, the former Secretary of State will also host book signings in California, New Hampshire, New York, and Connecticut. She'll simultaneously be on a "Hillary Clinton Live" tour, which stops in several more states and in Canda.

"She'll connect with audiences with a story that's personal, raw, detailed and surprisingly funny. She'll take you with her on her journey and talk about What Happened, what's next, and what's on your mind," the site reads of the tour.

"It's about Hillary's experience as a woman in politics - she lets loose on this topic, and others, in a way she never has before."

If you're hoping to catch HRC, don't despair. You still can, at some of her other area visits. A limited number of tickets for the Union Square Barnes and Noble signing in NYC go on sale Sept. 19.

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

Prosecutors said he and accomplices carjacked a 74-year-old man to make their escape.

Ivery Brinson. (Essex County Prosecutor's Office)

NEWARK -- A city man convicted of two separate homicides in a decade was sentenced Monday to life plus 30 years in prison for the 2013 slaying of an Irvington mini-mart owner, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.

Prosecutors said Ivery Brinson, 30, fatally shot Narendrak Patel, of Parsippany, during the robbery of the Irvington Mini-Market on Myrtle Avenue, and carjacking a 74-year-old man with his accomplices to make their getaway.

Under the sentenced imposed by Superior Court Judge John Zunic, Brinson must serve 85 percent of the life prison term and then 85 percent of the 30-year term before he's eligible for release, according to a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office.

A life sentence in New Jersey is equivalent to 75 years.

Assistant Prosecutor Purva Deshpande, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Anthony Scibetta, said the sentencing "ends the long nightmare for the Patel family."

A jury before Zunic in June found Brinson guilty of felony murder, aggravated manslaughter, robbery, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons offenses. 

Authorities said Patel tried to defend himself with a wooden stick before Brinson fired three shots, fatally striking the store owner once.

"Mr. Patel was a hardworking man who was trying to make a difference in Irvington," Deshpande said in a statement.

Two of Brinson's brothers -- Shakil Brinson and Deion Brinson -- and a cousin, Carnell Colbert, have pleaded guilty in the case and are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 26, authorities said.

Eight years ago, Brinson pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter in the killing of another man in Newark. Robert Ballew, 41, of Moonachie, was shot several times on Fairmount Avenue in the early morning hours of Sept. 12, 2005.

Judge Michael Petrolle sentenced Brinson to eight years in state prison in that case, according to court records. It is not clear when he was released from custody.

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

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A group of Essex County Democrats said they are backing Assemblyman Craig Coughlin over Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto in a key leadership race.

TRENTON -- State Assemblyman Craig Coughlin on Monday may have landed a fatal blow against Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto in his bid to become the new leader of the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. 

Essex County Chairman LeRoy Jones announced Monday that most of the Democratic Assembly members representing the county are backing Coughlin as speaker when the chamber votes on its leadership in January. 

The endorsements of those six lawmakers preliminarily give Coughlin (D-Middlesex) more than enough votes to supplant Prieto (D-Hudson) as speaker -- the third most powerful position in New Jersey government, after governor and state Senate president. 

But Prieto, who is seeking a third term as speaker, refused to concede defeat Monday. And it's still possible that a number of upsets in November's elections and/or a number of defections from Coughlin's camp could allow Prieto to keep his position, although Monday's news makes that much more unlikely.

Battle for N.J. Assembly speaker seat heats up

Either Prieto or Coughlin need votes from at least 27 of the 52 members of the Assembly's Democratic majority to win the speakership. 

Coughlin announced in May that he had the support of 26 members, as well as two Democratic candidates who are expected to win in November, when all of the Assembly's 80 seats are on the ballot. But that advantage was seen as being thin. 

Monday's announcement, however, gives Coughlin a much clearer path to ousting Prieto. Jones, the county party chair, said six Essex County Democrats -- Mila Jasey, John McKeon, Ralph Caputo, Cleopatra Tucker, Eliana Pintor-Marin, and Tom Giblin -- joined the list of those backing Coughlin.

Only two Essex County Democrats did not join the list: Sheila Oliver, who is running for lieutenant governor, and Blonnie Watson, who is not running to keep her seat. Jones said Oliver is staying out of the issue because of the governor's race.

Shanique Speight, who is running for Watson's seat and is expected to win, is backing Coughlin.

State Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto is pictured in 2015.Jersey Journal file photo 

Jones said in a statement Monday that Coughlin will "provide strong leadership" to the Assembly and will "work in partnership" with Phil Murphy, the former U.S. ambassador to Germany who is the Democratic favorite to succeed Gov. Chris Christie in November's race, and Oliver. 

"Together, along with our Essex Delegation in the Assembly, we will be able to address the challenges of fiscal responsibility, quality education, strengthening our middle class, job creation and improving the overall quality of life for all our residents that our state faces in the immediate future," Jones added. 

But Prieto released his own statement Monday vowing to keep fighting for his job and insisting that he still has enough support from Essex County's Democrats, despite what Jones announced.

"I am certain that I have the support of a majority of the members of the Essex County Assembly delegation, today's announcement notwithstanding," Prieto said. "As chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization, I always take great caution in making political statements to ensure that my constituency is uniformly behind our position. That is not the case in Essex County as it relates to the upcoming vote for speaker."

Coughlin also has the support of an influential bloc of south Jersey Democrats who are aligned with Democratic powerbroker George Norcross III. 

Norcross supported Prieto when he ousted Oliver as speaker in 2013, but Prieto has often clashed with south Jersey lawmakers over the last few years. 

Assembly members vote on its leadership informally shortly after November's elections. There is an official vote in January. 

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

Prosecutors said the drugs were found in five duffle bags inside the tractor-trailer.

NEWARK -- Federal prosecutors on Monday announced the arrest of two California men they said were caught with more than 300 pounds of cocaine and heroin in a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Investigators stopped a tractor-trailer driven by Abraham Castro, 33, of San Diego, after they saw it commit traffic violations while traveling northbound through Essex County, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

They said Hector Leonel Lucas-Ramos, 42, of National City, ran to the back cabin area of the truck, and tried to zip a large bag before he raised his hands, the complaint says. A search of the vehicle turned up just over 310 pounds of packaged cocaine and heroin in five duffle bags inside the truck's cabin, the complaint states. 

Investigators said Castro admitted he knew they were transporting drugs, while Lucas-Ramos told them the pair had made a previous trip to pick up a large quantity of cash.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said both men made initial appearances Monday afternoon in Newark before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson, who ordered them detained pending further proceedings.

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

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A Newark community group says dangling, non-working wires on utility poles in the city have become an eyesore in the neighborhood.

The white van sped along Clinton Place in Newark at a nice clip.

As it crossed Shephard Avenue last week, Douglas Freeman knew there was going to be a problem when he saw dead wires dangling in midair, disconnected from the overhead telephone and cable lines

"It's about to hit that wire,'' Freeman said.

The van blew past us and snagged the low hanging wires while we were standing by a utility pole across the street. Several more wires snapped loose, bouncing wildly until they landed in the street near us.  One of them was draped across the rearview mirror of my car.

"See, what did I tell you,'' Freeman said. "This is a problem. We have to get these wires removed.''

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns 

Not only is it a safety issue, it's unsightly in a neighborhood that Freeman tries to improve through his position as chairman of the South Ward Community Group.

A Newark police officer gathers wires that were knocked down by a van driving on Clinton Place in Newark's South Ward. The South Ward Community Group wants dangling, non-working wires removed because they are an eyesore in the neighborhood.Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger 

Loose wires are common in his ward, particularly on streets with multi-family homes. It varies from block to block. There could be one, two, sometimes three non-working wires hanging within reach of a passerby. Sometimes they are haphazardly wrapped around the utility pole by telephone or cable workers or they have been clipped short enough so that no one can reach them.

During the past year, Freeman, who is also the district Republican committee chair has been calling attention to the issue. He posts pictures and live video on Facebook, urging residents to call utility, cable and telephone companies.

He has met with Verizon, which has been working with him to remove inoperable wires that wind up flailing in the wind for any number of reasons. It can be caused by simple   wear and tear that makes them come loose. There could be a fire or a car that has crashed into a utility pole. They can be cut accidentally by a contractor doing renovation on a home and not reported to the telephone or cable company.

Mark Bocchieri, Verizon's director of external affairs, said his company addressed hundreds of issues with its old wires, telephone equipment and utility poles when it met last year with Freeman.

"We're happy to continue to do so,'' he said. "If a resident sees a wire down in front of their house they should call Verizon and we'll come out and take care of it.''

On Clinton Place last week, a Newark police officer stopped and called into dispatch after he gathered up the wires from the street and tied them around the utility pole. The next day, Verizon had removed the old wires and secured a fiber optics box that had been hanging loose from the utility pole.

South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James said he had Public Service Electric & Gas get involved last year to make sure none of the dangling wires belonged to them since they carry voltage. However, Freeman said that in some cases the guide wire that supports the pole is not secure, and that the wire from the transformer is not connected to the ground wire, making the pole unsafe.

Karen Johnson, a spokesperson for PSE&G, said representatives from the company will be reaching out to Freeman to address residents' concerns.

"If anybody sees any down wires, always call,'' Johnson said. "We'll send somebody out immediately.''

Freeman's group has yet to meet with Cablevision, which said it has reached out to his group. He believes all three companies need to come together to deal with another ongoing issue that many of us have probably seen in our neighborhoods.

The industry term is called "double wood,'' but to our eyes it's the site of two utility poles next to each other with electrical equipment still attached. Most times, Johnson said, this happens when PSE&G installs new poles to upgrade the electrical system in the area. It can also occur if an existing pole is damaged from a traffic accident and a new pole is erected.

In either case, PSE&G, Verizon, Cablevision and other telecommunication companies are supposed to transfer electrical equipment from the old pole to the new pole. When that is done, the old pole should be removed by the company that owns the pole. Freeman, however,  said it's taking too long for that to happen, making his community look unsightly with wires still attached to the old pole.

Janet Meahan, spokesperson for Altice USA, a communication and video service provider which owns Cablevision, said the company works closely with the utilities and pole owners to ensure that "we are all actively maintaining and transferring wires and equipment in the right order and on a timely basis."

Bocchieri said Verizon does the same thing once it receives notification from PSE&G that the utility has moved its equipment from the old pole.

"We're following up behind them as best as we can to remove them (wires and poles),'' Bocchieri said. "Depending on our work load and conditions, we can get out there in a relatively short time, sometimes it takes a little bit longer.''

Johnson said PSE&G does not have a system in place to monitor if Verizon, Cablevision or other companies have moved their equipment to new poles.

A Newark police officer gathers wraps wires around a utility pole after they were knocked down by a van driving on Clinton Place in Newark's South Ward. The South Ward Community Group wants dangling, non-working wires removed because they are an eyesore in the neighborhood. Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger 

"It is their responsibility based on their schedule to come in and remove the pole,'' she said.

Whenever it happens, the poles and stray wires are not hard to find if you're paying attention. It's easy for Freeman, having been a telephone technician and union representative for 10 years with Verizon.

"Look at that one there,'' he said. "We want neat wires.''

MORE CARTER: Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund ends summer changing lives

 Ronice Bruce, executive director of the South Ward Special Improvement District, said the wires and poles are a problem when she's showing property to a potential business thinking about relocating to the ward.

"If I want to entice somebody, 'they say what's up with that wire,'' Bruce said. They change their mind.''

Freeman would like the city to hire a utility inspector, but Councilman James said that's unlikely because Newark doesn't have enough code enforcement officers to deal with housing violations.

The best thing for right now, he said, is for residents to keep calling PSE&G, Verizon and Cablevision.

And Freeman, who is still trying to get all three together at the table together, said he will keep posting pictures and video on social media until the problem is solved.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or 

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

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Shooting stemmed from a dispute, official says.

NEWARK -- A Newark man was charged with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of two brothers in the city's Ironbound section, officials said Tuesday.

Zabdiel R. Vargas-Soto (Photo: ECPO) 

Zabdiel R. Vargas-Soto, 22, was arrested late Monday by detectives with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, acting county Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

Vargas-Soto is accused of shooting brothers Jose Castillo-Granados, 25, and Francisco Castillo-Granados, 22, near Adams and Walnut streets around 5 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. He apparently knew the victims.

The killings stemmed from a dispute, Ambrose said Sunday.

"This is just one more incident where a dispute turns violent because of the easy access to firearms," the public safety director said.

Prosecutors said they plan to ask a judge to order Vargas-Soto detained at a hearing Wednesday. He was being held at the Essex County jail.

A brother and cousin of the victims, who were from Honduras and lived in Newark, visited a memorial to the men near Walnut Street. The family members said the slain men had five other siblings.

The killings marked the 43rd and 44th murders in Newark this year compared to at least 60 slayings in the same period in 2016.

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

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Two teams that are a combined 24-170 in the last 10 years will take the field in one of the must-see games of opening weekend.

Ask any high school football player what his goal is for the season, and the answer is usually the same…

Win a state championship.

Of the 341 teams that start the season, only 23 will actually accomplish the feat. In a lot of ways, the bell curve is as perfect on the gridiron as it is in the classroom. Some teams will thrive, others will fail and most will finish somewhere in between.

That’s why Schools Stadium in Newark will be a special place this year for opening day. It may not be championship weekend, but players from East Side and Cliffside Park will take the field for their most meaningful game in years.

For both teams, Thursday’s 6 p.m. kickoff is an opportunity to start with a win and rewrite the narrative for two of the state’s least successful programs. It's been five seasons since East Side won its last game, and Cliffside Park is 4-44 in the same timeframe. In the last decade, the two teams are a combined 24-170. 

Still, there are reasons to be excited for both programs. 

“Our kids know the deal,” East Side coach Brian Meeney said. “They know that East Side has lost 52 games in a row. They know they’re playing a team that has struggled a little bit, too, but they also know for us to change, we have to keep emphasizing the football aspect of the game and the football part of the operation.”

The football aspect of the game is what keeps Meeney in the business.

East Side is his fourth stop as a head coach and his third rebuilding project. Meeney’s first job was at Memorial, where he said he “didn’t set the world on fire” but helped the Hudson County school finish with a .500 record. He then took Bergen Tech from a winless record to the playoffs in five seasons. In 2016, Meeney left Bergen Tech and landed at Hopatcong, where the Chiefs finished 5-5 in his only season.

Now it’s on to East Side, where he expects his players to enter every game with a winning mindset despite the fact they've never been on the winning side in their high school careers. 

“Our long-term goals are to be short-term oriented,” Meeney said. “Everything is about opportunities. This is a good one, but whether it’s Cliffside or whether it’s a team that’s won a state championship, we’re still going in with the same exact approach.”

Cliffside Park is also focused on preparing for the future.

After serving as an assistant for 12 seasons, Tom Mandile will make his head coaching debut Thursday night. Mandile thinks this year’s senior class has put in the “full body of work” to help change the culture at Cliffside Park.

“My message to the seniors is that your legacy will be how the program is going to develop year after year,” Mandile said. “I want the underclassmen to follow these seniors and learn what it takes to be successful. You have to show up early, you have to show up for the workouts in the mornings and you have to lead by example. You may not be a vocal leader, but it’s your actions that speak louder than words.”

While past results say that Thursday’s game will be one to skip on the schedule, it’s also a reminder that there are football players working day and night whether the end goal is a state championship, ending a 52-game losing streak or setting the foundation for years to come.

“At the end of the day, I’m just proud that they’re showing up every day, working hard, buying in and when the lights go on, this is what we do this for,” Meeney said. “That’s why we play. We’re fortunate to have some coverage now, but that’s not what motivates us. What motivates us is the little things.”

Pat Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

Authorities are looking for two Newark men they believe shot and killed a man in the city two weeks ago

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Authorities are looking for two Newark men they believe shot and killed a man in New Brunswick two weeks ago, as well as a woman who was allegedly with the pair during the fatal shooting.  

Michael Martin, aka "Maniac", 26, and Rayshawn Riddick, 31, both face murder, conspiracy, and weapons charges in the shooting of Hakim Williams on Aug. 18, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a release. 

Williams, 31, of New Brunswick, was found shot multiple times in his car in the 100 block of Fulton Street. 

Dianna Williams, 26, of New Brunswick, is wanted for questioning in connection to the shooting, Carey said. 

The prosecutor's office is working with the New Brunswick police and FBI to track down the two suspects, according to the release. 

Any with information about the ongoing investigation is asked to call (732) 745-5217 or (732)745- 4471.

Tips can be sent in to authorities anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County at 1-800-939-9600 or submitted online at www.middlesextips.com. Tips may also be sent by text messaging 274637. Crime Stoppers provides a reward for any information that leads to an arrest.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Police say stolen money was recovered.

BLOOMFIELD -- Police arrested a bank robbery suspect minutes after he stole cash from a PNC branch in Bloomfield Tuesday, officials confirmed.

The robbery occurred around 11:25 a.m. at a bank on Broad Street, near Bloomfield Avenue, according to authorities.

There were no weapons used in the robbery, said Bloomfield police spokesman Ralph Marotti. Township police spotted the suspect shortly after the robbery.

Police also recovered the stolen money, the spokesman said. The suspect's name was not immediately released.

Authorities planned to provide more details later on Tuesday. Agents from the FBI's Newark division also responded to the robbery. 

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

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Two more trucks took off from Fairfield Tuesday morning.

FAIRFIELD -- New Jersey's Red Cross is sending more Harvey disaster relief support to Texas, in the form of a pair of emergency response crews that took off from Essex County Tuesday morning.

The two trucks, containing supplies like cots, blankets, meals, and four Red Cross disaster workers, left the organization's headquarters in Fairfield for areas of Texas devastated by Hurricane Harvey, which has caused widespread flooding and displaced millions of people since late last week.

Hurricane Harvey: How you can help the victims

According to the Red Cross, it has sent 200 response vehicles, hundreds of workers, and 80 tractor-trailer loads of supplies from across the country to the affected area.

"This is a heartbreaking and challenging situation for those in the storm's path and the American Red Cross is working around the clock to provide safe shelter and comfort for the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by this disaster," the organization said in a statement about the deployment.

The crews Tuesday are in addition to Red Cross volunteers sent to Texas from New Jersey over the weekend.

Safe travels to Chris, Lynn, Bruce & Anthony who are driving two emergency vehicles to #Texas to help care for those affected by #Harvey pic.twitter.com/OBMrNJuxqb

-- Red Cross New Jersey (@NJRedCross) August 29, 2017

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

Armed man shot near train station, according to authorities. Watch video

ORANGE -- Officials on Tuesday identified the man who was fatally shot by a detective near the Orange train station after authorities say he had a gun, robbed a bank and refused orders from police.

Scott Mayfield, 24, of East Orange, was shot by an Essex County Sheriff's detective after the bank robbery around 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the PNC branch on Main Street, according to officials. The detectives were investigating drug complaints in the area when they heard a police radio broadcast about the robbery and encountered the suspect, later identified as Mayfield.

"They came upon the suspect, identified themselves as police officers, ordered the suspect, who was armed with an apparent handgun, to stop," Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly told reporters in a briefing at the shooting scene. "The suspect refused commands of the officers."

Police would not say what kind of handgun Mayfield had at the time of the shooting.

A detective fired his weapon during the encounter, Fennelly said. Investigators recovered the weapon and a bag of stolen money.

The shooting unfolded near an apartment building and commuter rail stop off Orange's Main Street business district. Detectives with the sheriff's department rushed to assist local police when the robbery occurred.

"They happened to be on the scene at the right time in the right place," said Sheriff Armando Fontoura. "This is what we do as police officers. Sometimes we are called to do things that we are not fond of, but we do what we need to do."

Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter on Tuesday did not release additional details on the robbery, citing the ongoing investigation. The prosecutor's office was awaiting ballistic test results on the weapon, she said.

Under state Attorney General's Office guidelines, county prosecutor's offices must investigate incidents where a police officer fires a weapon.

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

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A look at where New Jersey alums are stating the 2017 season.

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Newark's office market is now desirable enough that developers can be confident that once a project is in place, companies will come calling.

By Jerry Gottesman

For more than a century, the Newark Warehouse Company building, located at the corner of Route 21 and Edison Place, was home to companies such as Iron Mountain and the Central Paper Company.  Built in 1907, the building was initially used by the Central Railroad of New Jersey to accommodate its local freight business as a train terminal facility.  More recently, the six-story structure has cut an imposing and often telling picture of its home city's fortunes. As the city's economy faltered, the building was left vacant. Even as other development began to rise around it, its blighted walls remained an enduring symbol of the challenges still ahead.

However, everything changed in May when nearly 200 people gathered on the second floor of the long-dormant warehouse. With sledgehammers in hand, Mayor Ras Baraka joined Edison Properties and other local stakeholders to officially kick off the redevelopment what is now known as Ironside Newark - a state-of-the-art office and retail building that will front on the newly developed Mulberry Commons Park.

Edison Properties 

Such events are an increasingly common sight in the state's largest city - where more than $2 billion in real estate investment is leading to a steady stream of groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings and grand openings. In our estimation, however, Ironside Newark represents the biggest bet on Brick City's comeback to date - and there are plenty of reasons we believe now is the time.

The $80-million project is the city's first speculative office project in decades. Put simply, Newark's office market is now desirable enough that developers can be confident that once a project is in place, companies will come calling.

Between five floors of expansive, loft-style office space and 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, Ironside Newark is expected to bring in excess of 1,000 new jobs to the market.  For decades, courting and keeping businesses in Newark was an uphill battle due to the city's perceived shortcomings. Today, we count ourselves amongst a growing group making huge investments based on a firm belief in Newark's future.

In today's market, attracting young and creative professionals requires much more than an office ping-pong table and espresso machine. Modern workers and their employers require a complex network of amenities, access to public transportation and a thriving cultural scene - all of which Newark possesses in droves.

To begin, the city sits at the center of the largest public transit hub in the Northeast. A huge number of millennials have abandoned their cars and the city provides easy access to trains, buses, a light rail and a nearby international airport that can take them around the world without ever getting behind a wheel.

Downtown, Newark's entertainment, dining and nightlife scene is burgeoning. While corporations like Starbucks and Whole Foods are considered quintessential harbingers of well-heeled urban neighborhoods, the city has also attracted a craft beer/arcade bar and restaurants backed by TV celebrity chefs. Once completed, Mulberry Commons will add much-needed green space, providing a crucial link to attractions such as the Prudential Center, Newark Penn Station and the historic, culinary-rich Ironbound section. Newark is well on its way to becoming a 24-hour destination, boosting its appeal for companies courting millennials and other workers alike. 

Edison Properties 

As a recent article on this website revealed, Newark's image problems over the years can largely be traced to a single factor: crime. Deservedly or not, the city has developed a reputation in recent decades as a place to avoid. What has yet to take hold in the public consciousness, however, is that the rate of violence in the city has been falling dramatically. In 2016, it recorded its largest drop in overall crime in more than half a century - including stark declines in nearly every category of incidents. No one will deny there is progress still to be made, but the impact of safer streets on Newark's reputation - and in turn, its economic fortunes - cannot be understated.

From the newly constructed Prudential and Panasonic towers, to the rising One Theater Square, the fruits of Newark's growth are already plain to see. The Central Ward alone is expected to add 6,421 apartments between 2017 and 2020, at a cost of roughly $2.4 billion, according to the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation. Audiobook giant Audible is expanding its considerable presence downtown, and incentivizing its employees to move into recently constructed apartments on Broad Street. Meanwhile, young entrepreneurs are arriving in droves thanks to newly launched tech incubators.  The City was recently ranked 13^th for tech talent among the top 50 U.S. markets and those most familiar with Newark expect that ranking to continue to improve.

Perhaps most importantly, our confidence in Newark's future is cemented by the presence of a talented leader. Mayor Ras J. Baraka has been instrumental in developing Ironside Newark and Mulberry Commons, bringing together a diverse group of parties to form a cohesive vision for the site. Under the mayor's watch, that same vision is unfolding from downtown to his native South Ward. While Newark is now on one of the seemingly endless lists of rising metropolises, he and other officials have been tireless in working to ensure its renaissance unfolds far more equitably than it has in other cities.

Across the country, a wave of urbanization is reversing the course of history, sending young people and others back to America's core metropolises to seek higher wages and a more walkable, cosmopolitan lifestyle. The resulting shifts are restoring cities across America, and Newark is uniquely positioned to benefit from the rising tide.

In 1956, Edison Properties collected its first dollar at a single parking lot on Edison Place - the very same street where Ironside Newark is now being developed. In the years since, we've remained dedicated to Newark as the city's prospects have wavered. We have always regarded it as a great American metropolis, and we're ready to put our money where our heart is. 

Jerry Gottesman is the Chairman of Edison Properties, a Newark-based real estate holding and development company. Founded in 1956, Edison Properties owns over 3 million square feet of property in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as several million square feet in Newark, Baltimore and other major cities.

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The Livingston woman allegedly stole money from her employer, Apple, Inc., for years, authorities said

TRENTON -- Toni Ann Branca was living a luxurious lifestyle - shopping at Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Victoria's Secret - and fraudulently stuck her employer with the bill, authorities said Wednesday. 

Branca, 41, of Livingston, has been indicted in New Jersey on charges she got the money to fund her expensive tastes by illegally siphoning $243,000 from Apple by double-billing on her company-issued credit card.

Branca, who worked as an administrative assistant for Apple, faces a second-degree theft by deception charge for embezzling the cash between 2013 and 2016, Attorney General Christopher Porrino said. 

Branca worked mostly from home and arranged training sessions, travel, and parking for other Apple employees in the area, authorities said. 

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She paid for expenses with a company-issued American Express card, but then submitted dozens of duplicate requests for reimbursements, authorities said. She then used the excess funds on the card to shop for clothes, electronics, and furniture, authorities said.

Of the $243,000 she is accused of stealing, authorities say she spent $110,000 at retail stores.

"White collar crime doesn't just harm businesses. Ultimately, it has a detrimental impact on employees, consumers and commerce in general, and we all end up paying for it," Porrino said in the statement.

"By aggressively prosecuting offenders like this defendant, we send a strong message to others who might consider stealing from their employers."

Apple got wise to the alleged scheme after seeing numerous Victoria's Secret charges on Branca's credit card, Porrino said.

If convicted, Branca faces five to 10 years in prison and a $150,000 fine.

"The lawyers and detectives in our financial crimes bureau are experts at tracking the money and building strong cases against those who engage in schemes of the type Branca allegedly devised," said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. 

"White collar criminals often believe they have found the perfect scam, but we ensure that they pay for their crimes."

The identity of Branca's attorney was not immediately clear.

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