Former New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli attended the Afrobeat Fest in Newark, receiving a warm reception as he joined in the celebration of African culture and community on Saturday.…
JACKSON, N.J. — A Jackson teen who has dedicated nearly a decade to public safety education and K-9 advocacy will receive the Girl Scouts of the USA’s highest honor this…
Isaiah Stokes Receives 25-Year Sentence for 2021 Murder
**Queens, NY** – On Wednesday, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the sentencing of Isaiah Stokes, who received 25 years to life imprisonment following his conviction for the murder of Tyrone Jones. The murder occurred on February 7, 2021, when Jones, seated in his parked Jeep Cherokee in St. Albans, was fatally shot. This act of violence was allegedly in retaliation for a dispute that transpired during Jones’ birthday celebration in October 2020.
According to District Attorney Katz, the defendant sought revenge after being ejected from the party. Stokes placed a GPS device on Jones’ vehicle weeks prior to the shooting, tracking his movements. On February 7, Stokes located Jones, discharged his firearm into the vehicle 11 times, and struck the victim in the head and chest, leading to Jones’ immediate death.
A jury found the 45-year-old Stokes guilty of second-degree murder and weapon possession charges on March 7, following a trial that began on February 13. Justice Kenneth Holder delivered the sentence on Wednesday.
The investigation revealed that Stokes’ motive stemmed from a confrontation at Jones’ birthday
Morristown Man Receives Eight-Year Sentence for Burglary
**MORRISTOWN, NJ** – Tezmar Caldwell, 40, of Morristown, has been sentenced for crimes committed during a burglary on February 11 in Morristown. The sentencing was announced by Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Morristown Police Chief Darnell Richardson.
On March 14, Caldwell was sentenced by the Honorable Stephen J. Taylor to eight years in New Jersey State Prison for second-degree burglary. This sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires Caldwell to serve 85 percent of his sentence before parole eligibility. Additionally, he received a concurrent five-year sentence for a third-degree terroristic threats charge and six months for a disorderly persons simple assault charge. Upon release, Caldwell will be under parole supervision for three years.
Caldwell was found guilty by a jury on January 13 of burglary and terroristic threat charges. He was also found guilty by the court for simple assault but was acquitted of robbery and theft charges. He has been in custody at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending this sentencing.
The incident involved Caldwell entering a vehicle
Newburgh Resident Receives 19-Year Prison Sentence for Violent Crimes
**Newburgh, NY** – Jesus Bravo, 26, a resident of Newburgh, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for violent offenses. On Monday, Bravo appeared in Orange County Court before Judge Craig Stephen Brown, where he was sentenced following his prior guilty plea. His charges included Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, and two counts of Assault in the Second Degree, relating to episodes in 2023.
The investigation into these crimes was conducted by the Non-Fatal Shooting Taskforce, involving the City of Newburgh Police Department, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center. This task force targets gang-related violence and is backed by New York State’s GIVE initiative. The initiative seeks to address gun crimes even in cases with uncooperative victims and witnesses.
Documents revealed that on September 21, 2023, Bravo and his co-defendant, Wilmer Reyes-Bran, confronted a victim about gang affiliation in Newburgh. The confrontation escalated with Reyes-Bran stabbing the victim and Bravo attacking him physically. Further incidents included a December 11, 202
Bronx Man Receives 20-Year Sentence for Fatal Stabbing at Gowanus Club
**Brooklyn, NY** – A Bronx resident has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of one bouncer and injuring another outside a club in Gowanus. The announcement was made by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, following the defendant’s guilty plea to manslaughter in October.
The defendant, identified as 22-year-old Jose Velasco from the Morrisania area of the Bronx, received his sentence under Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. Alongside the prison term, Velasco faces five years of post-release supervision for the crime that took place on February 26, 2022, at approximately 10:35 p.m.
According to the case details, Velasco was removed from a party at 168 7th Street in Gowanus for aggressive behavior. He then engaged in a confrontation with three bouncers, leading to an altercation in which Velasco stabbed a 21-year-old bouncer in the back and 25-year-old Marvin Pretto in the chest, who later died at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Mancino with oversight from Assistant District
Queens Man Receives Seven-Year Sentence for Brooklyn Robberies
**Brooklyn, NY** – A Queens man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for committing three violent robberies in Brooklyn. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that the defendant, Dupreme Williams, aged 43 from Far Rockaway, pleaded guilty to robbery last month.
Williams was handed the seven-year prison sentence by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully, along with five years of post-release supervision. The plea followed his admission to second-degree robbery charges on October 29.
The incidents, as detailed in the investigation, commenced on February 13, 2014. At approximately 8:15 a.m., Williams attacked a 50-year-old woman at Flatbush Avenue Extension and Fleet Street, taking her AirPods after assaulting her. Subsequently, at around 9:45 a.m., he assaulted a 73-year-old man on a southbound F train at the York Street subway, taking the victim’s cell phone.
On March 8, at approximately 1:55 p.m., Williams further assaulted a man outside 2135 Pitkin Avenue. His arrest followed on March 28, with prosecution led by Senior Assistant District Attorney Natalie Riether
Highland Park Man Receives Five-Year Sentence for Road Rage Incident
**Somerville, N.J.** – Gerald S. Chapman, 41, from Highland Park, N.J., was convicted on September 27 by a Somerset County jury for several offenses, including possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and endangering the welfare of a child. Following the trial, Judge Peter J. Tober sentenced Chapman on November 15 to five years in New Jersey State Prison and imposed a parole disqualifier of 42 months.
The charges originate from a road rage incident that occurred on May 5, 2023, in Franklin Township. Chapman was accused of pulling alongside the victim’s car, John Doe, striking the car’s mirror, and subsequently firing a 9 mm handgun twice at Doe’s vehicle. The victim was outside his vehicle at the time to fix the damaged mirror.
During the shooting, Chapman’s daughters, ages one and a half and four, were reportedly in his car. After the incident, Chapman disposed of the firearm and removed evidence from his vehicle, as revealed during testimony.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant Prosecutors Michael McLaughlin and Lorina Murphy, acknowledged the investigative work by the Franklin Township Police
Recidivist Shoplifter Receives Maximum Prison Sentence
**Orange County, NY** – Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced on Thursday that Johnathan Arnold, 31, from Newburgh, has been sentenced to two to four years in prison. Arnold’s sentence follows his conviction for Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree by a jury trial, marking his fourth felony conviction.
Court documents and statements presented in court described events from November 12, 2023, at around 8:40 p.m. Arnold entered a Kohl’s store in Newburgh, selected men’s athletic items worth approximately $1,600, and concealed them in a bag. He exited without paying and fled in a vehicle, which police later located with both Arnold and the stolen items. Arnold changed clothes after the theft in an attempt to avoid detection.
District Attorney Hoovler expressed gratitude to the Town of Newburgh Police Department for their role in investigating and arresting Arnold. He also acknowledged the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance during the investigation.
Hoovler emphasized that repeat offenders contribute significantly to crime rates, advocating for incarceration as a suitable consequence. He stressed the impact of shoplifting on businesses and public safety, affirming the office
Lakewood Man Receives Ten-Year Prison Sentence for Drug Charges
**Toms River, NJ** – Timothy Myers, a 52-year-old resident of Lakewood, was sentenced on November 1 to ten years in New Jersey State Prison. The sentence was handed down by Judge Kenneth T. Palmer following Myers’ guilty plea to possessing more than half an ounce of cocaine with intent to distribute.
On July 4, 2023, officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit observed suspicious behavior involving Myers’ vehicle. The Ford Expedition made a sudden U-turn on John Street before stopping in a parking lot on Jay Street. A female passenger was seen entering and then returning from a nearby Mercedes Benz.
Detectives approached the car and Myers agreed to a search, which uncovered 23 grams of cocaine packaged for sale and two bricks of heroin. Myers was arrested without incident and later released due to New Jersey Bail Reform regulations.
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer commended Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Becker and the Lakewood Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit for their collaboration, leading to Myers’ guilty plea and subsequent sentencing.
Brooklyn Man Receives 10-Year Sentence for Subway Assault
**Brooklyn, NY** – A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attacking a stranger on a subway with a kitchen knife and then repeatedly kicking him. The assault followed a verbal exchange where the victim asked the attacker to lower his voice.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced the sentence handed down to 33-year-old Sadam Adames of Brownsville. Adames received his sentence from Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Heidi Cesare on Monday. He was convicted of first-degree attempted assault last month after a jury trial.
The incident occurred on September 13, 2022, at approximately 12:40 p.m. on a number 2 train traveling through Brooklyn. Adames, who was screaming profanities into his phone, was asked by a 49-year-old passenger to quiet down, leading to the violent altercation.
Adames attempted to stab the victim in the stomach but ended up stabbing him in the back during a struggle. The victim fell to the floor after being knocked onto the seats, where he was kicked in the face multiple times. Paramedics treated the victim at the scene before he was taken to Methodist Hospital for further care.
Brooklyn Man Receives 18-Year Sentence for Manslaughter
**Brooklyn, NY -** A Bedford-Stuyvesant resident has been sentenced to 18 years of incarceration for the fatal shooting of a 48-year-old man at a house party in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The announcement was made by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, who confirmed that both the defendant and a co-defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter charges for the incident.
District Attorney Gonzalez emphasized the seriousness of the crime, stating the actions showed a disregard for life prevalent in gun violence. He reiterated the commitment of his office to pursue justice for victims of such acts and working towards a safer Brooklyn.
The defendant, Ahmed Morrison, 22, was sentenced to 18 years in prison with an additional five years of post-release supervision by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully. He had entered a guilty plea on September 4. Co-defendant Unique Howell, 20, was sentenced to 17 years in prison with five years of post-release supervision following a guilty plea on February 23.
The incident occurred on February 6, 2020, when Morrison and Howell, armed with handguns, returned to a party at 32 Pulaski Street
Brooklyn Man Receives Prison Sentence for Knife Assault
**Brooklyn, NY** – A Bushwick man has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for slashing a stranger with a knife and attacking a bystander who tried to intervene, according to an announcement by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
The defendant, Michael Ruiz, 46, was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Laura Johnson on Friday. He received a three-and-a-half-year prison term with three years of post-release supervision. Ruiz was convicted on August 19 of second-degree assault and third-degree attempted assault following a jury trial.
The incident occurred on June 28, 2022, at approximately 2:15 a.m. on Berry Street in Greenpoint. The 39-year-old victim was on the phone outside his apartment when Ruiz, a stranger, threatened him. Ruiz left to retrieve a knife from his car and continued to menace the victim upon returning.
A bystander attempting to intervene was punched by Ruiz, who then kicked the original victim to the ground and slashed him with the knife. The victim sustained injuries including a fractured orbital bone and arm laceration, requiring 15 stitches. Ruiz was apprehended on October 6, 2022
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