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Toms River Police Officers Ken Thomas and Matt Crosta just had the pleasure of attending a ceremony at TD Bank on Bridge Ave in Point Pleasant. This follows up a week long fundraising event by several TD Bank branches, including all of the branches located in Toms River. The PBA was presented with a check in the amount of $7,750 for the Brett Hansen Fund. All TD Bank employees and administrators sent their best wishes to Brett and to our entire agency. It was a very humbling experience for our officers to witness firsthand the community support we continue to receive. A special thank you goes to Officer Kyle Martucci for working closely with TD Bank, not only on this fundraiser, but with all aspects of the Brett Hansen Fund.

MANCHESTER – The New Jersey State Police, with assistance from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Manchester Police Department have arrested Artemio Gayton, 43, of Manchester Township, N.J. after detectives seized more than $1 Million worth of heroin from his residence.

During a week-long investigation, State Police detectives from the Trafficking South Unit discovered that Gayton was distributing heroin in Manchester Township. On Wednesday, March 1, detectives, along with members of the New Jersey State Police Crime Suppression Central Unit, located and arrested Gayton during a car stop. Further investigation led detectives to Gayton’s residence where they seized 10 kilograms of heroin.

PATERSON-Former Jackson Township Business Administrator Jose “Joey” Torres said today that he is innocent of charges against him levied by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

“I am extremely disappointed and surprised that the Attorney General has elected to pursue this case and file these charges against me,” Torres said. “I have never wavered from the fact that I am innocent.”

Torres is being charged for allegedly directing public workers to perform work at a beer distribution facility being opened by his family. The work, including renovation, painting, carpentry, and electrical work, was allegedly performed while the three supervisors and other DPW employees were working for and being paid by the City of Paterson.  City workers were paid overtime for the work, the state says was not only ordered by Torres, but in which he oversaw.

“This is a case of old-school public corruption and abuse of power,” said Attorney General Porrino “Mayor Torres is alleged to have misappropriated public resources and workers to advance a family business, and his co-defendants allegedly joined in his blatantly crooked scheme. We have zero tolerance for this type of abuse of public office in New Jersey.”

Torres today said he was shocked because his lawyer had been engaged in dialogue with the Attorney General’s Office as recently as February 14th.

“We were cooperating,” he said. “We were notified at the last possible moment that the state would be unsealing an indictment.”

“Thankfully, we live in a country where everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Torres added. “an indictment is not a proof of any wrongdoing.”

Torres said when the full story is told, he will be vindicated.   Torres said he will not step aside from his duty as mayor and will continue working for the city.

“I do not intend to let these baseless charges deter me from those more important tasks,” Torres said.

 

Press release issued by NJ Attorney General’s Office
Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino today announced that a state grand jury has indicted Paterson Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres and three supervisors in the Paterson Department of Public Works (“DPW”) for allegedly conspiring to have city employees perform work at a private warehouse leased by the mayor’s daughter and nephew while the employees were being paid by the city.

The Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau obtained a six-count indictment yesterday, March 6, which was unsealed today, charging the following defendants with conspiracy (2nd degree), official misconduct (2nd degree), pattern of official misconduct (2nd degree), theft by unlawful taking or disposition (3rd degree), tampering with public records or information (3rd degree), and falsifying or tampering with records (4th degree):

Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres, 58, of Paterson, N.J.;
Joseph Mania, 51, of Randolph, N.J., Supervisor, Paterson DPW Facilities Division;
Imad Mowaswes, 52, of Clifton, N.J., Supervisor, Paterson DPW Traffic Division; and
Timothy Hanlon, 30, of Woodland Park, N.J., Assistant Supervisor, Paterson DPW Facilities Division.
The mayor and the three supervisors were indicted in an ongoing investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau and the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption Bureau into alleged abuses involving the Paterson DPW and improper use of city employees and overtime pay. The defendants are being processed on the charges at the Totowa State Police Station.

The indictment alleges that, at Mayor Torres’ behest and under his supervision, Mania, Mowaswes and Hanlon performed work and/or assigned subordinate employees to perform work at a private warehouse leased by “Quality Beer,” a limited liability company formed by Torres’ daughter and his nephew. The work, including renovation, painting, carpentry, and electrical work, was allegedly performed while the three supervisors and other DPW employees were working for and being paid by the City of Paterson.

“This is a case of old-school public corruption and abuse of power,” said Attorney General Porrino “Mayor Torres is alleged to have misappropriated public resources and workers to advance a family business, and his co-defendants allegedly joined in his blatantly crooked scheme. We have zero tolerance for this type of abuse of public office in New Jersey.”

“Mayor Torres played the generous father and uncle, but he left the bill for his largess with city taxpayers, who paid for the overtime shifts that city employees worked at this private warehouse,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We allege that these defendants corruptly exploited public workers and funds for their own benefit.”

“Jose Torres generously helped his family finance their endeavor to start a local business, but chose to leave the bill with the taxpayers who trusted him to run the city,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “I commend the great work of the troopers of the State Police Official Corruption Bureau and our partners for exposing this alleged betrayal of public office.”

On multiple dates between July 2014 and April 2015, Mania, Mowaswes, Hanlon and other DPW employees allegedly performed work at the private warehouse facility at 82 East 15th Street in Paterson while “on the clock” with the DPW. Mayor Torres allegedly directed that the work be performed and supervised the work. The daughter and nephew intended to use the warehouse as a wholesale liquor distribution facility, but they ultimately terminated the lease after failing to obtain the necessary permits and license from the state.

It is further alleged that Mania, in his capacity as a DPW supervisor, caused false time-keeping records to be submitted to the city, including overtime verification forms and bi-weekly timesheets. These records allegedly falsely stated that Mania and other DPW employees were working overtime details on legitimate city projects, when, in fact, Mania knew that he and the other employees spent at least part of these overtime shifts working at the private warehouse. By submitting and signing off on these timekeeping records and authorizing the overtime details, Mania caused the City of Paterson to make overtime payments to himself and other employees for hours spent performing private work for the mayor and his relatives, with no connection to any legitimate city business. Mania’s co-defendants, including the mayor, also are charged with falsifying these records as accomplices and co-conspirators.

Deputy Bureau Chief Jeffrey Manis and Deputy Attorneys General Cynthia Vazquez and Peter Baker presented the case to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. They are conducting the ongoing investigation with detectives in the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption North Squad. Attorney General Porrino commended all of the members of the State Police Official Corruption North Squad for their work on the investigation.

Attorney General Porrino and Division Director Elie Honig urged anyone with information pertaining to this ongoing investigation to contact the Division of Criminal Justice at its toll-free Corruption Tipline 1-866-TIPS-4CJ to report the information confidentially. The public can also log on to the Division webpage at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing confidentially.

Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000. The official misconduct and pattern of official misconduct charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison without eligibility for parole. Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000, with a mandatory minimum period of parole ineligibility of two years on the tampering with public records charge. Fourth-degree crimes carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Peter E. Warshaw in Mercer County, who assigned the case to Bergen County, where the defendants will be ordered to appear in court at a later date for arraignment on the charges.

An ongoing FBI probe into the activities of former Jackson Township Business Administrator Jose “Joey” Torres is reportedly expanding, according to a report in today’s Star Ledger. Torres served as township administrator before bumping up his pension and retiring in Jackson Township.

Torres was approved by the township council despite claims and concerns from residents that he was both unqualified and for his political connections. Jackson Township’s Republican majority council of Ken Bressi, Scott Martin and Anne Updegrave approved Torres’ eventual appointment. Since leaving Jackson after his retirement, Torres once again was elected to be mayor of Paterson, but has been the source of numerous accusations of wrongdoing, ethics accusations and the center of an FBI investigation.

The following is a report from today’s Star Ledger newspaper.

PATERSON — Federal authorities issued a subpoena for Paterson’s records with an Ocean County lawyer as part of an ongoing investigation, the Paterson Press reported. Investigators issued the subpoena for documents concerning a $100,000, annual contract with the firm, Gilmore and Monahan of Toms River, according to the report. One of the firm’s partners and Ocean…

An Ocean County man walking along a Florida highway jumped off an overpass after twice trying to push a police officer into oncoming traffic on Saturday, authorities said. Brandon N. Lintner, 25, of Little Egg Harbor, got into what Pensacola police described in a news release as a “violent struggle” with an officer along Interstate 110…

It was a deadly weekend across New Jersey with at least eight people killed in fires or car crashes. Three of those killed were pedestrians, while a Union City father and a 30-year-old man were critically hurt following separate incidents which killed family members A former Elizabeth police officer died after his car crashed into a…

TOMS RIVER – Before a packed courtroom of family, friends and fellow firefighters, the man accused of slaying a retired FDNY lieutenant in 2015 pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and other charges. Conrad Sipa, 52, was indicted in February on charges of murder, hindering apprehension, tampering with evidence and multiple weapons offenses in connection with…

At 3:08am on March 5, 2017 the Jackson Police Department received a 911 call regarding a structural fire at 109 First Street. First Street is in the Southwind Mobile Home Development off East Veterans Highway. Upon officer’s arrival, the sole homeowner and his dog were already outside the residence. The homeowner indicated he emptied his ashtray into the garbage can prior to going to sleep. About an hour later, the homeowner stated he was awoken when his dog Marley jumped on his bed to get his attention. After waking, the homeowner noticed smoke in the air, an orange glow coming from the kitchen area of the mobile home and the smoke detectors alarming. The homeowner was able to exit the mobile home through a bedroom window with his dog without sustaining any injuries.

Jackson Fire Companies Station 55, 56 and 57 responded along with Jackson First Aid. The Ocean County Fire Marshall also responded and assisted with the investigation. Jackson Police Officer Javier DeLaTorre, Officer Kafton and Officer Daniels responded and assisted. A portion of the mobile home development and East Veterans Highway were closed to all traffic until approximately 6:30am.

Photo: GoogleMaps/StockPhoto

by Ralph Stocco, TRPD

TOMS RIVER-On March 3^rd at 7:13 pm police and medical units responded to the corner of Bay Avenue and Coolidge Avenue for a woman that was struck by a vehicle.  Upon arrival they observed an unconscious female in the roadway.  They immediately began life saving measures and transported her to Community Medical Center.

Initial reports are that Gina Russomanno, 57, who resides on Coolidge Avenue; was walking north on Coolidge approaching Bay Avenue.  She was crossing Bay Avenue when she was struck by a 2001 Toyota Tacoma driven by Nicolo Accreditato, 19, of Hunt Drive in Toms River.  Accreditato’s vehicle was traveling West on Bay Avenue prior to the crash.

Ms. Russomanno died a short time after arriving at the hospital as a result of multiple injuries.

Traffic Safety Officer Adam Koeppen is leading the investigation with the assistance of the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Vehicular Investigation Unit, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI Unit.