The judge said he is hopeful the parties will reach a plea agreement in time for the next court date on Sept. 29
(Brendan Kuty |NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) MORRISTOWN --Plea agreements may be coming soon in the cases against two men accused of impersonating police officers and robbing several people in Dover in May 2013.
Vincenzo Viola, 39, of Orange, and Robert Capriglione, 37, of Clifton, targeted immigrants as their victims, according to Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp.
On May 20, 2013, two people sitting in a car reported being robbed by two men who identified themselves as Randolph police officers, Knapp said at the time of their arrests. About 20 minutes later, police received another report of a robbery by two men impersonating police officers.
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On May 22, the pair, dressed as police officers, allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint in his apartment, Knapp said.
Viola and Capriglione were arrested on May 26, 2013 in a vacant home in Mendham Township by a police officer who believed it was being burglarized.
The pair were allegedly using the home on Roxiticus Road as a base for their operation. Police found two police jackets and other police items that matched the descriptions of the attire worn by the pair, Knapp said.
The two defendants, who have been held in lieu of bail since their arrests, appeared separately during the morning and afternoon on Tuesday for trial conferences before Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor in Morristown.
Taylor scheduled another trial conference for both men for Sept. 29 and he encouraged all parties to negotiate plea agreements by that date.
Taylor said it is "anticipated that Mr. Viola may resolve his case by way of a plea on Sept. 29." For Capriglione, he said later, "The court is hopeful that the matter can be resolved on that date."
If negotiations fail to reach an agreement, Taylor said, a trial would start on Nov. 2.
Defense attorneys for both Capriglione and Viola indicated the present plea offers, which were made by Brian DiGiacomo, a former assistant prosecutor who had been handling the case, need to be shortened significantly.
Following private discussions Tuesday morning with Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn, who is now handling the case, Viola's attorney, Edward Bilinkas, said the parties remain far apart on a possible agreement.
The prosecutor's office has been seeking a plea deal that would require an 18-year prison sentence for Viola, Bilinkas said, calling that an excessive punishment.
"We brought new evidence to the attention of the prosecutor's office and we're hoping they will reconsider their position," Bilinkas said.
Capriglione's attorney, public defender Elizabeth Martin, said the prosecutor's office has been seeking a 15-year sentence for her client, and that, too, would need to be significantly shortened to be acceptable. She and her client appeared before the judge during the afternoon.
Viola and Capriglione were both indicted by a Morris County grand jury on four counts of robbery, three counts of impersonating a police officer, six counts of theft by extortion, three counts of criminal coercion, three counts of burglary and one count each of criminal restraint and conspiracy to commit robbery. Capriglione was also indicted on one count of drug possession after allegedly being found with Buprenorphine in the home in Mendham Township.
Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
