PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that twelve Chester County Prison inmates and their accomplices were charged federally with fraudulently applying for and obtaining emergency unemployment benefits related to COVID-19.  The defendants are charged with submitting false applications claiming that the prison inmates lost jobs as a result of the pandemic and are available to work full-time.  All the defendants were arrested and taken into custody this morning or were already in custody.

In addition, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced last week that his office brought state charges against six state prison inmates in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who fraudulently applied for and obtained the same type of emergency unemployment benefits.

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law. The CARES Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance  (PUA) program, which provides unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits, including individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligibility to receive weekly PUA benefits is predicated on an applicant’s unemployment for reasons related to the pandemic, and it requires that the applicant was able to work each day and, if offered a job, would have been able to accept it. Once an applicant is approved to receive benefits, the applicant is required to submit weekly certifications indicating that he or she: was ready, willing and able to work each day; was seeking full time employment; did not refuse any job offers or referrals; and had reported any employment during the week and the gross pay or other payments received. In all of the cases, the inmates falsely reported themselves eligible to receive PUA benefits when in fact they did not meet the eligibility requirements — namely, they were not able to report to a job each day because of their incarceration.

These cases are being prosecuted and investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General with assistance from the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and agencies of the Coronavirus Working Group led by the United States Attorney’s Office, including the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations,  the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General.

“These fraudsters – many of whom were already incarcerated for breaking the law – treated a national public health crisis as an opportunity to cash in,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “This callous attitude rips off honest taxpayers who fund relief programs and also makes it much more difficult to provide funds to those who deserve and need them. My Office will do everything in its power to ensure that coronavirus fraud scams are stopped and punished.”

“After announcing our first round of arrests in these COVID unemployment scams, I promised that there were more to come,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “Last week, my office charged 20 more individuals with illegally taking benefits away from hard-working Pennsylvanians who are struggling during this crisis, including six inmates from SCI Phoenix in Montgomery County. These arrests are not the end of our investigation, and I’ll continue working with my colleagues at the federal level to track down those heading these schemes, along with those who are willfully participating and breaking the law.”

“It is despicable that incarcerated people lined their pockets by taking advantage of the COVID-19 financial lifeline given to millions of honest, hardworking Pennsylvanians. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for your continuing efforts in fighting for justice,” said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan.

“Millions of Americans struggling financially due to job loss from COVID-19 depend on every single dollar of assistance available to them,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “When fraudulent applications wrongly drain those funds, it’s a blow to the folks who truly need help and a blatant theft of taxpayer dollars. Meantime, a word of advice to anyone thinking that scamming the government means easy money — the federal charges announced today can mean hard time, if convicted.”

“During tough economic times like this, it is despicable that people would seek to fraudulently obtain emergency unemployment benefits that were specifically meant for those who lost their jobs and are unable be gainfully employed amid this pandemic,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso. “We will continue to be relentless in our mission to dismantle these types of illicit scams and bring the criminals who run them to justice.”

“Today’s charges demonstrate the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to combating fraud against the Unemployment Insurance program, which has become increasingly prevalent amid the pandemic. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and state workforce agency partners to pursue individuals who seek to undermine the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance program,” said Derek Pickle, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

Descriptions of the cases are below:

Vincent Hazzard, 49, of Coatesville, PA, was charged by Indictment with mail fraud, fraud in connection with emergency benefits, theft of money of the United States, and aiding and abetting. According to the Indictment, in July 2020, the defendant caused multiple individuals to assist him in filing a fraudulent application for PUA funds. The application falsely stated that Hazzard was available for immediate employment, and that he was currently unemployed due to the pandemic, when in fact he was not available for employment due to the fact that he was incarcerated at the Chester County Prison, was not scheduled for release until late September 2020, and was not unemployed due to the pandemic.  Hazzard had $1,590 credited to him by means of a prepaid bank card in late July 2020, and he caused others to spend or withdraw almost all of the funds by the end of August in order to avoid having funds left in his account in the event his fraud was discovered. If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine.

Jacob Fulton, 32, and Emily Baier, 26, both of Coatesville, PA, were charged by Indictment with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud and fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits, and aiding and abetting. According to the Indictment, between July 12 and August 26, 2020, Fulton and Baier conspired to file claims for PUA benefits on behalf of inmates of Chester County Prison and agreed to keep a portion of the PUA benefits for themselves.  Fulton allegedly told Baier that with this scheme, they “can be f******* rich.”  The Indictment also alleges that on or about May 11, 2020, Fulton and Baier filed PUA claims for themselves, fraudulently claiming that they are entitled to PUA benefits. If convicted of all charges, Fulton faces a maximum sentence of 90 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $2,250,000, and Baier faces a maximum sentence of 120 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $2,500,000.

Christopher Hersh, 36, of Avondale, PA, was charged by Indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. According to the Indictment, in July 2020, the defendant caused one of his close relatives to assist him in filing a fraudulent application for PUA funds. The application falsely stated that Hersh was available for immediate employment, that he was currently unemployed due to the pandemic, and that his last day of work had been in November 2019 because he was laid off due to a business closure caused by the pandemic, when in fact he was not available for employment due to the fact that he was incarcerated at the Chester County Prison, had been incarcerated since December 2016, and was not unemployed due to the pandemic. If convicted of all charges, Hersh faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.

Kenneth Huggins, 24, of Coatesville, PA, and Patrice Hawthorne, 46, of Middletown, DE, were charged by Criminal Complaint with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. According to the Complaint, Huggins, an inmate at Chester County Prison, and his mother, Hawthorne, conspired over a series of recorded prison telephone calls to submit a fraudulent application for PUA benefit payments on Huggins’s behalf. The application falsely stated that Huggins was available for immediate employment and that he was currently unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when in fact he had been incarcerated since January 2020 at Chester County Prison and was not unemployed due to the pandemic. Huggins ultimately received more than $12,000 in unemployment benefits on a prepaid bank card; Hawthorne took custody of that card and withdrew funds for her own benefit. If convicted of all charges, both Huggins and Hawthorne face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Biancha Kranzley, 31, of Coatesville, PA was charged by Complaint with fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. According to the Complaint, in July 2020, the defendant submitted a fraudulent application for benefits on behalf of an individual who, at the time, was incarcerated at the Chester County Prison. The application falsely stated that the applicant was unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was otherwise available to work, if offered a job. In fact, the applicant had been incarcerated since early 2019. The defendant received a prepaid debit card loaded with more than $13,000 in PUA benefits. She has used or withdrawn more than half of those funds. If convicted of all charges, Kranzley faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

Jennifer D’Hulster, 37, of Coatesville, Zachary Gathercole, 30, of Sadsburyville, Ashley Harrington, 30, of West Chester, and Anthony Schweitzer, 20, of Coatesville, were charged by Indictment with conspiracy, fraud in connection with emergency benefits and aiding and abetting, and mail fraud. According to the Indictment, in June 2020, D’Hulster fraudulently applied for benefits for Schweitzer, who has been an inmate at Chester County Prison since June 2020, and, in July 2020 applied for benefits for a different inmate who has been incarcerated at State Correctional Institute Phoenixville (SCIP) since March 2020, neither of whom lost a job because of COVID-19. D’Hulster successfully enabled the SCIP inmate to receive unemployment benefits totaling approximately $11,410 credited to the inmate by means of a prepaid bank card. In May 2020, Harrington fraudulently applied for benefits for Gathercole, who has been an inmate at Chester County Prison since August 2019, did not lose a job because of COVID-19, and has not been able to work. Harrington successfully enabled Gathercole to receive unemployment benefits totaling approximately $14,140. Additionally, D’Hulster and Gathercole collected personal identification information for other individuals, including inmates at Chester County Prison, to use to submit additional fraudulent applications for PUA benefits. If convicted of all charges, the defendants face the following maximum sentences: D’Hulster faces 90 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine; Gathercole faces 140 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1.5 million fine; Harrington faces 70 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine; and Schweitzer faces 50 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.

Arthur Johnson, 44, of Coatesville, PA was charged by Complaint with fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. According to the Complaint, in July 2020, the defendant submitted a fraudulent application for benefits on behalf of an individual who, at the time, was incarcerated at the Chester County Prison. The application falsely stated that the applicant was unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was otherwise available to work, if offered a job. In fact, the applicant had been incarcerated since October 2019. The defendant received a prepaid debit card loaded with approximately $13,500 in PUA benefits. All of the funds have been withdrawn. If convicted of all charges, Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

In addition to the above, six inmates at State Correctional Institution Phoenix (SCIP), located within the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, were arrested on state charges as part of an ongoing investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office: Jermaine Plumer received $18,264 worth of PUA paid out after he provided personal identifying information to non-incarcerated individuals; Rafael Rodriguez received $22,109 worth of PUA paid out after he provided personal identifying information to non-incarcerated individuals; Dwayne Washington received $3,510 worth of PUA paid out after he provided personal identifying information to a non-incarcerated individual; Leroy Barnes was never paid, but he did provide his personal identifying information to a non-incarcerated individual to have them complete a PUA application on his behalf; Andrew Simms was never paid, but he did provide his personal identifying information to a non-incarcerated individual to have them complete a PUA application on his behalf; and Dexter Pitts a/k/a Kevin Perry received $3,150 worth of PUA paid out after he provided his personal identifying information to a non-incarcerated individual.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams, Attorney General Shapiro and District Attorney Ryan thanked law enforcement officials at the Chester County Prison and officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the Pennsylvania Department of Treasury and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections for their important assistance in these cases.  The federal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Judy Smith, Jeanette Kang, Anthony Wzorek, Jessica Rice, Anita Eve, Chris Mannion, and Melanie Wilmoth.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

LAKEWOOD, NJ – Over the past 7 days, there have been 1,435 cases of COVID-19 in Ocean County.  Of those new cases, 1,009 were in Lakewood, 138 were in Jackson Township and 106 were in Toms River.  The figures, published by the Ocean County Health Department highlight a weeklong effort by the State of New Jersey to begin tracking down and containing the spread of the virus in Lakewood.  On Friday, Governor Phil Murphy held a roundtable discussion with Ocean County and Lakewood community leaders to work on a plan to combat the sharp increase in positive testing in the past ten days.

Orthodox Jewish leaders raised concerns about how the information from the Governor’s office is being filtered to the media and said measures should be taken to ensure that the information about Lakewood’s increased testing and increased positivity doesn’t breed anti-Semitism.  Rabbi Avi Schnall of Agudath Israel of America said community leaders are making their best effort to inform residents to wear face masks and practice social distancing, adding that many synagogues throughout the community have erected large outdoor tents to keep worship services outdoors when possible.

“Wherever you go in Lakewood, you’ll see tents popping up all over the place,” Schnall said. “We don’t take this for granted.”

Lakewood Mayor Lichenstein said his community is ready to increase testing and that the rabbis have put word out that their members should continue testing.

“We need to move a little faster getting them the tests,” Lichtenstein said.

Governor Murphy said that 2,000,000 rapid COVID-19 tests were coming from the federal government and Murphy said it was a good suggestion to send those to hotspots like Lakewood.

Duvi Honig, head of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce worried about the increase in testing next week will no doubt lead to an increase in new positive cases and hoped that when those new numbers are released by the state, the Governor’s office keeps in mind the risk of anti-Semitism as a result.

“I would like to just address, long these lines how Lakwewood is being singled out…with the challenges we had earlier this year unfortunately with the Jersey City attack,” Honig said. “We’re concerned and I feel also hesitation in the test places where we want to increase the testing, how it’s given over to the media and reflects on Lakewood.”

Honig fears that when Lakewood rolls out increased testing the positive numbers will be higher.

“But we’re doing increased testing to stay safe not to show the media or be misrepresented that our numbers are much higher,” Konig said. “What causes hate and can increase the challenge of anti-semitism…please treat us fairly.”

“There’s no room for blaming a spec on this community or that community,” Murphy said.

Murphy said the state needs to defend every single community and there would be no tolerance for”finger-pointing stuff”.

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ – Shortly after police charged and arrested Jamal Holmes for assaulting a man during a Black Lives Matter march along the Seaside Heights Boardwalk, a video surfaced on social media that showed Holmes may not have been the aggressor.  On Friday, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said there was not enough evidence to charge Holmes, but added that police were in their right to detain Holmes after the incident.  The simple assault charge by the Seaside Heights Police Department against Holmes has been dropped.

You can view that video here.

On August 18^th, 2020, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office was reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding an allegation of simple assault against Jamaal Holmes relative to an incident that occurred on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights on August 15, 2020.  Prosecutor Billhimer encouraged anyone with information about the incident to contact OCPO detectives.

Detectives from the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office subsequently launched an extensive investigation into the incident that occurred on the Seaside Heights boardwalk on August 15, 2020.  Several additional independent witnesses came forward or their names were provided by others as being present on the boardwalk that day.  OCPO SIU Detectives attempted to contact fourteen individuals and interviewed ten witnesses that were willing to cooperate.  OCPO SIU Detectives also reviewed all available surveillance footage from the boardwalk and video footage that Jamaal Holmes posted to his Facebook page.

Upon completion of this investigation, Prosecutor Billhimer reviewed all relevant evidence and ultimately determined that the Seaside Heights Police Department had probable cause to detain and arrest Jamaal Holmes for the Simple Assault of Robert Lay based upon the initial witness interviews conducted on August 15, 2020.  Additionally, Prosecutor Billhimer concluded that none of the arresting officers acted criminally.  Lastly, Prosecutor Billhimer came to the conclusion that sufficient credible evidence exists to create a reasonable doubt as to the State’s ability to prove the charge of Simple Assault beyond a reasonable doubt.  As such, the Simple Assault charge against Jamaal Holmes will be administratively dismissed, in the interest of justice, today October 2, 2020.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been admitted to the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 days after preparing President Donald J. Trump for his first debate against Joe Biden in the 2020 election campaign cycle.  Christie contracted the virus along with Trump’s wife Melania, top advisor Faith Hicks, campaign manager Bill Stepien, and Kellyanne Conway.

“I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19,” Christie wrote. “I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two. I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition.”

Christie today checked in at Morristown Medical Center.

“In consultation with my doctors, I checked myself into Morristown Medical Center this afternoon,” the former governor said.  “While I am feeling good and only have mild symptoms, due to my history of asthma we decided this is an important precautionary measure.

In May, Christie made a controversial comment about the COVID-19 virus that today, critics are reminding him of.

“Of course, everybody wants to save every life they can, but the question is, towards what end, ultimately?” he said in May during the height of the pandemic.  “Are there ways that we can… thread the middle here to allow that there are going to be deaths, and there are going to be deaths no matter what?”

TRENTON, N.J. – Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan today announced arrests of seven men and the seizure of illegal drugs worth $580,500 in the takedown of a major fentanyl and heroin mill in Paterson, N.J., which distributed its narcotics in wax folds stamped with the same brand names that have been linked to 19 fatal and 30 nonfatal overdoses across New Jersey.

On September 29, while investigating alleged drug activity in Paterson, detectives from the New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit, as a part of the New Jersey State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force, determined that an opioid mill was being operated out of a residence on West Railway Avenue.Detectives observed Javier Castro exit the residence carrying a plastic bag and depart in a Dodge Charger.He then traveled to Courtland Street where he met Kasine Forsey, who entered the Dodge and later exited with the bag, departing in a Honda Accord. Forsey was stopped in the Honda shortly after by the Paterson Police Department and was found to be in possession of 115 bricks (5,750 individual doses) of packaged opioids, which were inside the plastic bag.

During the operation, detectives observed several alleged drug transactions at or near the residence and initiated several motor vehicle stops, which resulted in the seizure of various amounts of drugs, paraphernalia, and cash before obtaining search warrants for the residence and the Dodge Charger. Troopers with the Trafficking North Unit along with members of the State Police T.E.A.M.S, K9, Gangs and Organized Crime North, and Hazmat Units executed the search warrants, which resulted in the seizure of additional narcotics and packaging materials.

Detectives recovered 38 different stamps used to brand packaged narcotics. Drug traffickers market their “brand” of drug by ink-stamping the outside of a wax fold with a unique image, word or phrase such as “Happy Hour,” “Supreme,” and “Beetlejuice,” which are examples of the stamps recovered.

As a result of the operation, the New Jersey State Police and law enforcement partners seized:

• 3 kilograms of raw heroin and fentanyl mix – $180,000
• 128,500 individual doses (2,570 bricks) of packaged opioids – $308,400
• 5,693 fentanyl-based pills – $56,930
• 207 grams of cocaine – $10,350
• 3 pounds of marijuana – $12,000
• hundreds of marijuana-based products such as cigarettes, edibles, THC vape cartridges, and THC cannabinoid boxes – $12,820
• narcotics packaging and branding materials
• .45 caliber handgun and high capacity magazine (reported stolen out of Georgia)
• $29,000 cash
• 3 vehicles

Javier Castro, 28, Leonel Creque, 31, Julio Vargas 37, Pedro Cortez, 48, all of Paterson, N.J., and Adrian Rodriguez, 26, of Woodland Park, N.J. and Walter Gutierrez, 28, of Clifton, N.J. were charged with maintaining a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) production facility, possession of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of fentanyl pills, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl pills, possession of CDS in a school zone, possession of a firearm while committing a CDS offense, receiving stolen property, and possession of CDS paraphernalia.

Kasine Forsey, 26, of Paterson, N.J. was charged with possession of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of CDS in a school zone, and conspiracy to distribute heroin.

The arrests were made in an ongoing investigation by the New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit, conducted with the New Jersey State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force (OETF), the New Jersey State Police T.E.A.M.S, K9, Gangs and Organized Crime North, and Hazmat Units, and the Division of Criminal Justice.

“The mission of the Opioid Enforcement Task Force is to save lives, because as we see time and time again in these operations, the brand stamps on the packaged heroin and fentanyl we seize are associated with numerous fatal and nonfatal overdoses,” said Attorney General Grewal.“By implementing a strategy that focuses on major suppliers of these deadly opioids, the task force maximizes its impact in protecting our communities and those struggling with addiction, and ensures that those who profit by selling these agents of misery and death are brought to justice.”

“The stamps seized in this investigation have been linked to 19 fatal overdoses and 30 nonfatal overdoses.By dismantling this mill, we cost this trafficking ring nearly $600,000 in profits, but more importantly, we prevented known deadly brands of drugs from being sold throughout our communities, undoubtedly saving countless lives,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “The Opioid Enforcement Task Force is designed to shut down the drug supply chain at its chokepoints, but our strategy will remain twofold. While we aggressively target narcotic manufacturers and dealers, we will continue to develop educational and community outreach strategies with our partners to combat the opioid epidemic that continues to ravage our communities.”

“Paterson is a major opioid distribution center for the region, and the evidence seized indicates that we shut down a large supply operation,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We will continue to work with the New Jersey State Police to investigate those responsible for this deadly commerce and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.”

This investigation is part of a broader strategy being implemented by the New Jersey State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force and the Division of Criminal Justice, which reflects a shift in how the state is investigating and prosecuting opioid cases.Investigations and intelligence show that, in some cases, a large number of overdose deaths can be traced back to a single source, often a supplier who indiscriminately mixes fentanyl with heroin.By focusing on identifying and shutting down these sources, the state is leveraging its resources to have a maximum impact in choking off the supply line of deadly opioids and reducing overdoses and fatalities.

Since 2018, the Attorney General’s Office and the New Jersey State Police have collaborated on groundbreaking initiatives focused on combating the opioid crisis. One of the major methods in tackling the opioid crisis has been to identify and disrupt chokepoints in the drug supply by neutralizing heroin mills across the state.

To date, the OETF has conducted 122 enforcement operations and seized more than 800,656 individual doses of packaged opioids valued at $4,003,280, more than 75 kilograms of raw heroin valued at $4,500,000, more than 23 kilograms of fentanyl valued at $1,150,900, more than 50,000 fentanyl based pills valued at $500,000, more than 33 kilograms of cocaine valued at $1,188,000, more than $2,166,135 in U.S. currency, and 81 firearms. The OETF has also disrupted or dismantled 32 fully operational opioid packaging facilities, a fully operational fentanyl pill pressing operation, and arrested 252 suspects during this time.

Attorney General Grewal and Colonel Callahan thanked all of the agencies participating in the Opioid Enforcement Task Force and all of the other agencies that assisted with this investigation.

Participating Agencies from this investigation:  NJSP OETF members along with the Division of Criminal Justice, OETF members from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Paterson PD, Cliffside Park PD, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Irvington PD, Newark PD, and Homeland Security Investigations.

This case is being prosecuted by the Division of Criminal Justice.

Charges are merely accusations and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

BEDMINSTER, NJ – On Thursday, hours before learning he had contracted COVID-19, President Donald Trump told a group of wealthy campaign donors that the federal government will soon be releasing a “bombshell” document release that he claims proves the Obama administration and the Obama Department illegally meddled in the 2016 Presidential election.   Trump told supporters those documents will show that the Obama administration used the Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies to illegally conspire to block the President from becoming elected and continued to work to undermine the President during his first term in office.

“A bomb shell document release is coming about documents from the government about improper use of law enforcement and power of the presidency under President Obama to conspire to block President Trump from getting elected and to undermine his campaign,” one attendee at the meeting said today. “A major release of documents is coming very soon.”

Tickets to the 45-minute personal sit down with the President started at $250,000 per head.   Trump did not mention President Obama by name to the group.

Shortly after the meeting, Trump announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

BEDMINSTER, NJ – Hours before alerting the world that he had tested positive for COVID-19, President Donald J. Trump met with some of his biggest financial donors, including Dr. Richard Roberts, of Lakewood outside at his Bedminister Golf Course.  Dr. Roberts was one of approximately two dozen top-level Republican donors to pay the minimum $250,000 entry fee to attend the event, though Roberts said he made a larger contribution to financially support the President’s bid for re-election.  Roberts said he will also be making a sizable donation to the National Republican Congressional Committee to support Republican candidates seeking to flip the U.S. House of Representatives this fall.

Roberts today said security was very tight and a lengthy COVID-19 testing protocol was used to gain access to the 45-minute private meeting with the President.

After speaking to the delegation about the importance of religious freedoms in America, Trump told Roberts he was pleased to see that Attorney General William Barr and the Department of Justice were following through on a lawsuit against Jackson Township public officials.   Trump said he was aware of the ongoing litigation against Mayor Michael Reina and other township officials and that he was against any type of religious discrimination in America.

Other topics discussed by Trump at the Bedminister meeting included trade with China, the COVID-19 virus, and the economy.

Trump said that political operatives were working to slow down his vaccine approvals, but said America can expect as many as four or five vaccine approvals in the next two months, even with all of the interference being ran against him by Democrats and opponents.

Hours after the meeting Trump announced he and his wife Melania tested positive for COVID-19.  Roberts said he will be monitoring his health over the next few days and has no symptoms, but will quarantine himself as a precaution. Roberts tested negative hours before meeting with the President.

In Jackson Township, the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Jackson Township officials and last week, we learned that an FBI investigation is ongoing, possibly tied to the DOJ civil litigation. Field agents at the regional New Jersey FBI office have been interviewing individuals regarding the topic.

Photo: The entrance to Trump’s Bedminister Golf Club meeting of political donors.

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ – Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Edward Chandler, 54, of Manalapan, has been charged with Aggravated Manslaughter in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4a in connection with the death of Robert Clarke, 78, of Whiting, which occurred outside the Lakeside Diner in Lacey Township during the evening hours of September 30, 2020. It was reported earlier today that Chandler was charged with Aggravated Assault in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b; the results of the victim’s post-mortem examination have brought about the filing of this additional charge.

On September 30, 2020, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Lacey Township Police received a 911 call in reference to a male who was reported to be unresponsive at the Lakeside Diner on Lacey Road. Responding Officers found Robert Clarke, 78, of Whiting, unconscious and bleeding from an apparent head wound. Clark was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center. Clarke succumbed at approximately 1:30 a.m. and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lacey Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed that an argument had taken place inside the diner between members of a motorcycle club. The owner of the diner asked everyone involved in the altercation to leave the premises. A second argument involving the same parties arose in the parking lot of the diner. During this argument, Chandler struck Clarke with a closed fist, causing the victim to fall to the ground resulting in severe head trauma. Chandler was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail where he is currently lodged pending a detention hearing.

“A post-mortem examination of Mr. Clarke was conducted this afternoon by the Ocean County Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner determined the cause of the victim’s death to be closed head injury secondary to a fall, and the manner of death to be homicide. Based upon the Medical Examiner’s findings and information developed in furtherance of the continuing investigation, Chandler has been identified as the individual responsible for Mr. Clarke’s death, and has now been charged accordingly,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.

Prosecutor Billhimer commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lacey Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office for their collective assistance in connection with this investigation, which has resulted in Chandler being apprehended and appropriately charged.

Governor Phil Murphy today launched a new COVID-19 tracking app that will let you know if somebody around you has or has had COVID-19.  It works like this. You download the app, “COVID Alert NJ” from the Google or Apple app stores, then you check-in and let the app know how you’re feeling…and whether you’re straight or gay…and what gender you identify yourself as.  It’s that simple.

So far, 27,827 New Jerseyeans have downloaded and installed the app with 10,734 check-ins.  So far, 98% of those who checked in said they were feeling just fine as of 5 p.m.

“We have a very exciting announcement that has taken a lot of work and it’s really creative and smart and I think it can make a big difference. This is a technology-based contact tracing app. Testing is only as good as your contact tracing,” said Governor Cuomo. “Testing is to identify a person, so you can isolate and quarantine that person and then find the connections from that person, and that’s contact tracing. We have about 15,000 people statewide who do contact tracing, they call them disease detectives. But we’ve been looking for a technology-based solution. And today, we are announcing an app that you can download for free from the app store called COVID Alert NY.”

To start your daily COVID-19 check-in you have to provide the app with your county, age, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.   Your ethnicity can either be “Hispanic-Latino” or … well not Hispanic or Latino.

When it comes to gender identity, there are a lot more choices than race, such as none, prefer to self-describe, a female, male, transgender, transgender woman, transgender man, or non-binary third gender.  We went with “self-describe”, but it didn’t give an opportunity to self-describe.

We tested the app with some sample data on our health, good temperature, runny nose, headache, aches and cramps, fatigue.  All common symptoms of the seasonal allergies I’ve been battling for the past 40 years or so.

Once entering the data, the app said I am suffering from mild COVID-19…not seasonal allergies and I should go get tested right away.   If I didn’t want to get tested, I should call a doctor right away.   The app tells me six of my symptoms are COVID-19 related, so going forward, we’ll see what happens.  See if a contact tracer calls, if other phones go off when I’m in their vicinity and more. Again, all of the data entered was truthful and just everyday symptoms of being somebody with really bad seasonal allergies on any given day.

Murphy tells us it’s our shared sense of personal responsibility to use the app and feed it personal data all day, but we can expect a COVID-19 tracer to call us based on our answers…on the phone…which is easily tracked to a person with many online reverse phone number lookups.

Stay tuned for more information and an update to see how it works once the state thinks you have COVID-19

PARAMUS, NJ – Romeo Sanchez, 47, was hired to replace a window at the home of a family in Paramus, but instead, installed a hidden camera inside the wall of the family’s bathroom.  Police said Sanchez never finished the job, but was found with video footage from within the family’s bathroom.   During the investigation police also found Sanchez had installed a camera inside a wall at a home in Wayne, New Jersey.   Police said Sanchez admitted to placing the cameras and said he was going to remove them when he returned to finish the jobs. He was arrested on September 17th and released.

http://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2020/09/26/creepy-hvac-contractor-who-recorded-girls-locker-room-now-facing-even-more-charges/

http://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2020/09/12/man-recently-sentenced-to-jail-claims-lakewood-school-district-gave-him-permission-to-film-and-photograph-children/

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ – On Thursday, October 1, 2020, at 6:22 a.m., officers responded to Western Boulevard for the report of a struck pedestrian.  Upon arrival, it was determined that a 50 year-old Lanoka Harbor man was hit by a passing vehicle.  The driver of the vehicle, also 50 years of age and from Lanoka Harbor, was traveling within the north lane when the collision occurred.  The victim was airlifted to a trauma center for head and lower extremity injuries.

FREEHOLD – A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 19 years in state prison today after his conviction in February on charges he robbed employees at an Ocean Township AT&T store in 2016, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Anthony Clark, 42, of Philadelphia was sentenced to a combined 19 years in a New Jersey state prison Wednesday afternoon by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O’Connor. The sentence is subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA), requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. The sentence follows his February conviction after a five-week trial on charges of first degree Armed Robbery, third degree Criminal Restraint, second degree Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose, second degree Theft of Movable Property, and third degree Receiving Stolen Property.

At trial it was revealed Clark and four co-conspirators traveled from Philadelphia to Ocean Township on Sept. 6, 2016, in a stolen motor vehicle with plans to rob the AT&T store located on Route 35. Clark, posing as a customer, entered the store first and goaded a store employee into the far corner of the store under the guise of purchasing a cellphone. Shortly thereafter, three of his co-conspirators entered the store and forced the two store employees into a back inventory room at gunpoint. The store employees were forced to their knees and bound about their hands and feet with zip ties. While his co-conspirators proceeded to zip tie the staff members at gunpoint, Clark kept watch in the front of the store while communicating with another co-conspirator who was parked across the highway. Clark proceeded to fill numerous laundry bags with store merchandise, which were eventually loaded into the stolen motor vehicle. In total, Clark and his co-conspirators made off with over $130,000 worth of store merchandise.

MIDDLETOWN, NJ – Middletown Township Police were in the area around Shadow Lake today along the Navesink River and initial reports are that police responded to a report of a body in the lake.  Earlier this week, police searched the area for 62-year-old Mary Silengo, 62.  She was last seen on Tuesday, September 22nd in the area of Concord Court. She left her home without her cell phone or medications, which she needed to take regularly.   The Middletown Police Department has not yet issued an official release on the matter.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – A political strategy hatched by the Ocean County Republican Party to find a new home for embattled Jackson Township Mayor Michael Reina apparently has a very fatal flaw.  According to party insiders, this week in Ocean County, County GOP Chairman Frank B. Holman touted a plan that would have Senator Sam Thompson of New Jersey’s 12th legislative district step down and retire, being replaced by Assemblyman Ron Dancer.   Reina would then take Dancer’s seat in the New Jersey Assembly.

The move would solve many problems for Holman.  First, it would remove Reina from his seat as the Jackson Township mayor, where he fields complaints regularly from community leaders in Lakewood, Jackson and Toms River over Reina’s handling of the growing Orthodox community in those towns.

With Reina gone, Holman is hoping to repair his relationship with the Lakewood Republicans who want Reina out of Jackson.

There’s just one problem.  Today, Senator Thompson said he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

“I don’t know where they came up with that idea, but nobody told me about it,” Thompson said. “I’m not stepping down and not only am I running in 2021 and I’m going to win again in 2021 and I’m hoping to do it again in 2023.”

If that’s the plan, Reina will be waiting until at least 2027 for his shot in Trenton, but first Holman will have to win re-election as the county chairman in 2022.

Jackson Mayor Reina Lined Up as Next District 12 Assemblyman

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ – A  brawl that took place at the Lakeside Diner in Lacey Township during the weekly Wednesday night “biker night” event has now turned deadly after a victim who was rushed to Jersey Shore Medical Center has died, authorities said today.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Edward Chandler, 54, of Manalapan, was charged with Aggravated Assault in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1) relative to an incident which occurred outside the Lakeside Diner in Lacey Township during the evening hours of September 30, 2020.  At this time, no charges for murder or manslaughter have been filed against Chandler.

“On September 30, 2020, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Lacey Township Police received a 911 call in reference to a male who was reported to be unresponsive at the Lakeside Diner on Lacey Road.  Responding Officers found Robert Clarke, 78, of Whiting, unconscious and bleeding from an apparent head wound.  Clarke was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center.  Clarke succumbed at approximately 1:30 a.m. and was pronounced deceased at the hospital,”  Billhimer said.  “An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lacey Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed that an argument had taken place inside the diner between members of a motorcycle club.  The owner of the diner asked everyone involved in the altercation to leave the premises.  A second argument involving the same parties arose in the parking lot of the diner.  During this argument, Chandler struck Mr. Clarke with a closed fist, causing the victim to fall to the ground resulting in severe head trauma.  Chandler was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail where he is currently lodged pending a detention hearing.”

“This is an active and ongoing investigation.  We are continuing to interview potential witnesses, and are awaiting the results of Mr. Clarke’s post-mortem examination by the Ocean County Medical Examiner.  I fully expect that additional charges will be forthcoming,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.

Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lacey Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation.

File Photo: Not taken Thursday.  Photo of Lakeside Diner political rally earlier this year.