by Charles Webster, MCPO

FREEHOLD – Nine members of a Freehold Borough cocaine distribution ring were arrested yesterday, after a nine-month investigation.  The group was moving approximately one-third of a kilogram of cocaine a week, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

The investigation dubbed, “Operation Snowball,” and jointly led by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Narcotics Office and Criminal Enterprise Unit and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Monmouth High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area working group, culminated with the arrest of Hugo Hernandez, as the leader of a narcotics trafficking enterprise, who was based primarily in the downtown Freehold Borough area.

Four search warrants in Freehold Borough, and one search warrant in New Brunswick, were simultaneously executed on Thursday leading to the arrests of nine members of the drug distribution ring. The investigation revealed that Hugo Hernandez supplied numerous lower level dealers, including his brother, Carlos Hernandez-Campos, and Lucino Roldan-Coria a/k/a Rufino Roldan.  Also identified in the operation were lower level dealers Antonio Romano-Jiminez, Miguel Garcia, and Roberto Tlapa De La Era, who delivered cocaine at the direction of Hugo Hernandez to locations in downtown Freehold Borough.

As a result of the investigation over 721 grams of cocaine and $14,943 were seized.

The arrests were made with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force; DEA Monmouth High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area working group; DEA Special Response Team; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office; Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office; Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office; and the Asbury Park, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Tinton Falls, Freehold Borough, Manalapan Township, Franklin Township, New Brunswick, Highlands, Middletown Township, Holmdel Township, Keansburg, and Hazlet Township police departments.

Hugo Hernandez, 48, of Freehold Borough, is charged with one count each of first degree Leader of a Narcotics Trafficking Network; second degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine; first degree Distribution of Cocaine;  eight counts of second degree Distribution of Cocaine; eight counts of second degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; one count of third degree Distribution of Cocaine; one count of third degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; nine counts of third degree Possession of Cocaine; and one count of first degree Distribution of Cocaine.

Lucino Roldan-Coria, 58, of Freehold Borough, a/k/a Rufino Roldan, is charged with one count each of second degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine; three counts of second degree Distribution of Cocaine; three counts of second degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; two counts of third degree Distribution of Cocaine: two counts of third degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; five counts of third degree Possession of Cocaine; and one count of first degree Distribution of Cocaine.

Carlos Hernandez-Campos, 35, of New Brunswick, is charged with one count each of second degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine; two counts of second degree Distribution of Cocaine; two counts of second degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; two counts of third degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 1,000 feet of School Property; two counts of third degree Distribution of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of School Property;  two counts of third degree Possession of Cocaine; and one count of first degree Distribution of Cocaine.

Antonio Romano-Jiminez, 29, of Freehold borough, a/k/a Merito Romero-Jimenez, is charged with one count each of second degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine; and first degree Distribution of Cocaine.

Miguel Garcia-Tapia, 30, of Freehold Borough, is charged with one count each of second degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine; third degree Distribution of Cocaine; third degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; third degree Possession of Cocaine; and first degree Distribution of Cocaine.

Procopio Morales-Hernandez, 49, of Freehold Borough, is charged with one count each of second degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; and third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine.

Gregorio Morales-Morales, 35, of Manalapan, is charged with one count of third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine.

John A. Depaola, 53,  of Jackson, is charged with one count of third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine.

Roberto Tlapa De La Era, 35, of Freehold Borough, is charged with one count of third degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine.

If convicted of the charge of Leader of a Narcotics Trafficking Network, Hugo Hernandez faces an ordinary term of life imprisonment without being eligible for parole for 25 years.

If convicted of the first degree offenses, each defendant faces a sentence of up to 20 years in a New Jersey state prison.

If convicted of the second degree offenses, each defendant faces a sentence of five to ten years in prison on each count.

If convicted of the third degree offenses, each defendant faces a sentence of three to five years in prison.

The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Paul Alexander and Amanda Dalton.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.

JACKSON-A federal appointee of the Trump administration to be the new state executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency is now the target of investigations by the Department of Justice and New Jersey Office of the Attorney General into possible civil rights violations, according to the township attorney here.

According to a story in USA Today, “The township has been involved in a fair amount of litigation, there’s investigations by the Department of Justice and the Attorney General’s office all pertaining to these land issues in town,”  township attorney Jean Cipriani said.

Barry Calogero, a Republican councilman from Jackson Township has been appointed by the Trump Administration to head the USDA’s farm services agency in Hamilton Township.  Calogero will oversee an office of 48.  Calogero has no professional experience in the farm services industry, but according to a press release issued by the USDA, Calogero brings with him 30 years of financial experience working for firms like CovergEx, HSBC Securities and GAF Credit Union.

Earlier this year, Calogero unsuccessfully tried to lobby for a public job within the local Ocean County government, an action uncovered by political watchdog reporter Gavin Rozzi.

Rozzi speculated that Calogero was next in line for a highly coveted patronage job within the county, but that effort was thwarted after Rozzi found emails from Jackson Township Attorney George Gilmore to Ocean County Clerk Carl Block’s office pushing Calogero’s resume to the head of the county’s administrative staff.

Later, Block told the Shore News Network that Calogero would not be getting a county job.    Block confirmed he was in receipt of Calogero’s email from the county chairman, but said he did not make any recommendations or pushes for Calogero to get hired.

“I know, the resume came from the county chairman, but all I did was forward it to the employee relations department,” Block said at the time. “He did not get a job.”

Block also said he did not know who Calogero was or that he was a member of Jackson’s governing body at the time of the exchange, saying he learned about Calogero through the Rozzi article after the OPRA request was published.

At the December 13th township council meeting Cipriani acknowledged that the Township of Jackson, where Calogero serves as a councilman is now under both state and federal scrutiny over the township’s actions against the local Orthodox Jewish Community.

Calogero has been instrumental, along with New Jersey State PBA lobbyist Robert Nixon in drafting multiple township ordinances directed at the growing Orthodox Jewish population in the town.    This past summer, Calogero was adamant in his resolve to curb behavior in the township perceived as being orchestrated and organized by the Jewish community.

Calogero voted against the Orthodox community on many occasions, including ordinances curbing real estate soliciting, bans on eruvs and a religious school dormitory ban.  Documents uncovered through OPRA requests also indicated the township was considering laws to prohibit religious assembly in homes owned by Orthodox Jews.

The actions caught the attention of New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino.  Porrino filed charges against the town of Mahwah this fall and issued a stern warning that Jackson could be next.   Porrino compared the actions of Mahwah and Jackson to “1950s-era white flight suburbanites who sought to keep African-Americans from moving into their neighborhoods.”

“Our message to local officials in other towns who may be plotting to engage in similar attempts to illegally exclude, is the same: We will hold you accountable as well,” Porrino said.   Leland Moore, a spokesperson for the Attorney General said the warning applied to Jackson and other communities that have engaged in drafting ordinances targeting religious Jews unfairly.

Calogero is also personally cited in a lawsuit brought against the township by Agudath Israel of America, an Orthodox Jewish rights organization.   Agudath Israel’s suit claims township officials violated the rights of Orthodox Jews here by enacting legislation that sought to prevent them from building religious facilities.  According to the lawsuit,  “Barry Calogero admitted that a majority of the complaints brought by residents involved the Orthodox Jewish community.”

Those complaints were discovered through OPRA requests made by members of the Orthodox Jewish community and posted to a website they created called Jackson Leaks.

In light of state and federal investigations, on Wednesday, December 13th the township announced it will reverse its ban on eruvs and begin discussions to remedy a previous zoning board decision to prevent the construction of an all-girls Jewish high school in the township.   Township officials also said discussions will be held to scale back the anti-dormitory law passed by Calogero and the township.

Calogero has declined all comment on this matter in the past and did not respond to a request for comment on the state and federal investigations today.

Matthew Reilly, a media spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said he could not provide any details of the investigation into Calogero and Jackson Township.

“It is our policy to neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation,” Reilly said.

“As a general rule, we don’t comment with respect to who, or what, we might be investigating, or with regard to pending or possible litigation,” said Leland Moore of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.  “I would simply point you to the AG’s comments as quoted in the Mahwah press release from [AG Porrino], particularly the one near the end, that addresses this concern in a broader-than-Mahwah sense.”

Moore so far has not been able to be reached for comment on the latest revelation by township attorney Cipriani.

A request for comment made to the U.S.D.A. was also not responded to.

The Jackson Township Council will vote on a resolution Wednesday night that gives permission to anyone seeking to place a Jewish religious demarcation, known as an eruv, on utility poles in the township. The resolution comes months after a nonprofit group, Agudath Israel of America, filed a federal lawsuit against Jackson after the township adopted ordinances…

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Submitted by Manchester PD

On Monday, December 11, 2017, at approximately 11:48 am, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of mile marker 41 along Route 70 in the Whiting section of the Township to investigate the report of a serious motor vehicle accident involving two vehicles.

Upon arrival, officers observed a red, Toyota Echo on the westbound shoulder of the roadway with heavy front end damage. The vehicle was still occupied and had multiple air bag deployments. The other involved vehicle, a silver Toyota Sienna minivan, was located just into the wood line on the westbound side of the roadway. It had extensive damage to the front and driver’s side.

The initial investigation revealed that the Toyota Echo was traveling east on Route 70 when it crossed the center line and entered the westbound lane of travel. It then continued onto the westbound shoulder and eventually the westbound berm where it collided head-on with the Toyota Sienna which had been traveling west but had attempted to swerve in order to avoid the impact.

The driver of the Toyota Echo, identified as 81-year-old, Gerda Kretschmer of Whiting, sustained serious internal injuries during the collision and needed to be extricated from the vehicle by members of the Whiting Volunteer Fire Company. Kretschmer was transported via ambulance to Community Medical Center in Toms River where she succumbed to her injuries. The driver of the Toyota Sienna, 49-year-old, James A. Canfield of Brick, sustained injuries to his chest and shoulder and was also transported to Community Medical Center for treatment and evaluation of his injuries. The roadway was partially closed for several hours while emergency workers tended to the injured, conducted their investigation and cleared the scene.

Assisting at the scene were members of the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, EMTs from Quality Medical Transport, and paramedics from MONOC.  Also assisting were detectives from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Unit. This crash is being investigated by Patrolman Ian Bole of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.

FREEHOLD – A 51-year-old Lakewood Township man died as a result of being struck by a motor vehicle along Route 9 in Howell Sunday evening, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

The pedestrian, Isidro Martinez-Mendez, was crossing Route 9 northbound, a quarter-mile south of Alexander Avenue, at approximately 7:43 p.m. on Sunday evening when he was struck by a 2016 Honda Accord driven by Christina Martinez, 22, of Jackson. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:56 p.m.

The driver Martinez had one occupant in the car, age 10, both were uninjured.

The crash remains under investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART), and Howell Police Department.

Anyone who witnessed the accident or has information to assist the investigative team is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Eric Kerecman at 800-533-7443 or Howell Police Department Officer Matthew Cherney at 732-938-4575.

A New York man who admitted to robbing a Lodi bank in 2015 was sentenced Friday to 10 years in state prison. Michael Cassano, 41, pleaded guilty in August to first-degree armed robbery for robbing the Hudson City Savings bank with a BB gun on Feb. 23, 2015. Authorities say he stole $4,000 in cash after…

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by Tod Malland, MPD

On Wednesday morning, December 6, 2017, at approximately 4:50 AM, officers from the Manchester Township Police Department, along with several local fire companies, responded to the report of a structure fire in the Surf & Stream Campground located on Route 571 in the eastern section of the Township.

Upon arrival, officers quickly located the fire inside of a mobile home trailer on lot 15. The mobile home was fully engulfed in flames when officers arrived and the homeowner was already out of the residence. The homeowner reported that she believed that her cocker spaniel was still inside the residence, however, due to the magnitude of the fire, first responders were unable to enter the dwelling. The fire was ultimately extinguished by members of the Manchester, Ridgeway and Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Departments, after which the remains of the victim’s dog were located. The fire completely destroyed the mobile home making it uninhabitable and caused heat damage to units on two adjoining lots. As a result, the homeowner was relocated to a friend’s residence within the complex.

Although the fire is not considered suspicious in nature, the exact cause and origin is being investigated. In spite of that, the initial indication points to the fire starting in the area of the attached porch. This incident is being investigated by Detective Adam Emmons of the Manchester Township Police Department’s Investigations Bureau with the assistance of the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office. Also assisting are Detectives from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Unit.