Howell Man Faces New Pedophile Charges

Gregory Rittman

A Howell man who was arrested two weeks ago for masturbating in front of a juvenile in the public bathroom at a fast food restaurant on Route 35 in Wall Township is facing a dozen new charges after additional victims were identified, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Gregory S. Rittman, 49, of Howell Township, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, after authorities received a report from an employee at a McDonald’s that described lewd behavior witnessed by an 8-year-old juvenile, near the sink in the men’s bathroom of the restaurant. Rittman was charged with one count each of second degree Sexual Assault, third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, fourth degree Lewdness and a disorderly persons charge of Harassment. He was released after posting $73,000 bail with no 10-percent option, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Teresa A. Kondrup-Coyle, J.S.C.

News of Rittman’s October arrest, which included his picture, prompted three additional victims to come forward.

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Asbury Park Man Arrested In Neptune Shooting

A twenty-two year old Asbury Park man was arrested today and charged with the early Monday morning shooting of a Neptune Township woman.

According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Diquan Speights is charged with one count each of first degree Attempted Murder, second degree Burglary, second degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and second degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. Speights is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $650,000 bail, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Francis J. Vernoia, P.J.Cr. Judge Vernoia also ordered Speights may not return to the scene of the crime and may not have any contact with his victim, as part of a condition of bail.

Neptune Township Police received a 911 call at approximately 4:28 am, reporting a female was shot inside 1827 Bangs Avenue, Apartment 5A.  Neptune police immediately responded to the apartment and located the 22- year-old female with a gunshot wound.  The victim was transported to a local hospital where she remains in critical but stable condition.

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Large Heroin Trafficking Ring Busted

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman

Fourteen members of a major Jersey shore drug trafficking organization (DTO) were arrested this morning by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The DTO is alleged to be a large-scale supplier of heroin and cocaine in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman joined representatives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the DEA in announcing the arrests at the Prosecutor’s satellite office in Asbury Park.

A total of 22 defendants were charged in two complaints. 7 remain at large and one has been in custody since September on other charges.

Herve Cadet, a/k/a “Gotti,” a/k/a “Bro,” 29, of Neptune and Sayreville, New Jersey; and Eric Smith, a/k/a “EV,” a/k/a “E,” 42, of Manchester, New Jersey are the alleged leaders of the DTO. Smith is the defendant who has been incarcerated since September.

“The criminal complaints describe drug trafficking operations that have been responsible for sizable quantities of illegal narcotics on the streets of Asbury Park, Neptune Township, and the surrounding towns,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “We hope and expect that today’s arrests will make a real difference to the drug trafficking trade in these counties. This is not the last that you will hear from us in this fight.”
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Two Middletown Men Charged With Arson

Sean Powers photo via facebook

Sean Powers, a twenty-two year old Middletown volunteer firefighter has been charged with starting the fire that left him with critical burn injuries.  William Rohweder, 23 of Middletown was also charged with arson of an abandoned barn in a residential area.  The fire at 251 Monmouth Ave was reported to Middletown authorities on Saturday morning at 5:48 AM.  Powers’ address is 260 Monmouth Ave.

According to a statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, both young men have been charged with one count of second degree Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Arson, one count of second degree Aggravated Arson and one count of third degree Aggravated Assault.

Because of his status as a volunteer firefighter, Powers has also been charged with Official Misconduct, an offense that carries a maximum prison term of ten years and a minimum period of parole ineligibility of five years, upon conviction.

Powers is in critical but stable condition at The Burn Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.  Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen set Powers bail as R. O. R. (Released On Recognizance) so long as he remains in an in-patient. Upon his release from The Burn Center, his bail will be reviewed.

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Lakehurst Child Pornographer Pleads Guilty in Court

TOMS RIVER-A Lakehurst man plead guilty in court today and faces six years in prison for distributing child pornography. Michael R. Allen, 27, of Lakehurst entered a guilty plea before Judge Francis R. Hodgson Jr., J.S.C., yesterday to second degree Distribution of Child Pornography. Allen is facing 6 years in New Jersey State Prison and mandatory… Read the rest of this entry »

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New Jersey court reverses parole denial in 1973 trooper killing

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Brick Realtor Arrested After Arranging Sex With Fourteen Year Old Girl

Girl Was Undercover Cop

Richard J. Jones Mugshot

A 66 year old real estate broker was arrested today after he set up a meeting to have sex with a 14 year old girl who was actually an undercover police officer, according to a statement by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Richard J. Jones of Brick Township, Ocean County, was charged with second degree Attempted Sexual Assault after he was snagged this afternoon by a Joint Investigation of the Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit and investigators from the Asbury Park, Englishton and Wall Township police departments.  He is alleged to have used a local prostitute to facilitate a meeting to have sex with a 14 year old girl who was really an undercover police officer.

Jones, the owner and broker of Century 21 Herbertsville Real Estate in Brick, is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on $125,000 bail with no 10% option as set by Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen.  Judge Kilgallen also order Jones to have no contact with the prostitute who facilitated the meeting.

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A Bad Situation

Sorrentino Brothers Indicted For Tax Exvasion

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Middletown Committeeman Gerry Scharfenberger cutting the ribbon at the TV personality’s Middletown tanning salon

Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore fame and his brother Marc have been indicted on federal charges of failing to pay taxes on $8.9 million income from promotional activities, according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. The brothers are expected to surrender to IRS Criminal Investigation Agents in Newark this afternoon prior to an appearance before in U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven Mannion.

Both brothers are charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Government and with filing false tax returns for 2010 and 2012.  The Situation faces an additional charge of failing to file a tax return for 2011.

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Lucas admits more mistakes

Andrew Lucas, center, then the Republican mayor of Manalapan, with then Freeholder John D’Amico and Amy Mallet, both Democrats, in September of 2010, seven months after Lucas purchased Burke Farm.

Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas is not disputing the facts that the federal government is presenting against him before a jury in Trenton.

Rather, Lucas is claiming the he made mistakes and lacked the training and expertise to accurately prepare the documents he submitted to obtain his financing for the purchase of the 97 acre Burke Farm in Manalapan, according to the Asbury Park Press’s coverage of his trial.

Lucas is defending against 11 felony charges including wire fraud, loan application fraud, illegal monetary transaction, false statements to the IRS,  aggravated identity theft, obstruction of a grand jury investigation and falsification of records in a federal investigation.

If convicted on all 11 counts against him, Lucas, 37, could be sentenced to more than 60 years in federal prison.

Closing arguments are expected to be made today.

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Christie’s Office: Separation of powers prevents Governor from intervening in Shaneen Allen case

Shaneen Allen and her sons Niare and Sincere

Governor Chris Christie’s office responded to a constituent who had written in support of Shaneen Allen with a phone call stating that the separation of powers prevents the Governor from intervening in the Atlantic County prosecution.

Allen is a 27 year old single mother who is facing a possible 10 years in State Prison for bringing her Pennsylvania licensed handgun into New Jersey.  She is being prosecuted by Atlantic County Prosecutor James McClain, a Christie appointee.  McClain refused to allow Allen to enter the same Pre-Trial Intervention Program for first offenders that former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice was admitted to after he knocked out his then fiancee in an Atlantic City casino elevator last February.

Last week, McClain requested a three week adjournment in the case.  This was seen as a sign by Allen’s supporters that McClain is reconsidering his decision to prosecute due to the public outcry since the video of Rice beating his fiancee became public.

In the call from Christie’s office this afternoon to James Hogan of Howell Township, a young sounding man left a message stating that he was calling from the Governor’s office. Hogan forwarded the message to MMM:

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