Gramiccioni confirmed by NJ Senate as Monmouth County Prosecutor

FREEHOLD — After serving in an acting capacity for four years, Christopher Gramiccioni is officially Monmouth County’s prosecutor. Two weeks after he was subjected to a grilling by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate on Monday confirmed his nomination to a five-year term. In the days leading up to his committee confirmation hearing on July 14,… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Gramiccioni’s nomination clears Senate committee

Christopher J. Gramiccioni will soon drop the “Acting” from his title as Monmouth County Prosecutor.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Gramiccioni’s nomination yesterday despite opposition for the state PBA who made an issue of his hiring practices.  The Senate is expected to confirm the prosecutor on August 1st.

A veteran of Chris Christie’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gramiccioni was the governor’s first choice to replace former prosecutor Luis Valentin. But he did not meet the constitutional residency requirements for the job and was hired as First Assistant Prosecutor in 2011.  Once the residency requirements were met, Peter Warshaw, Valentin’s replacement on an acting basis, was nominated for a Superior Court judgeship and Gramiccioni took over the top law enforcement job in Monmouth County July 1, 2012.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Monmouth Prosecutor Announces Promotions, Retirements

(FREEHOLD) Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni has announced a pair of promotions and changes to his executive staff following the retirement of two long-serving front office assistant prosecutors.

Marc LeMieux has assumed the duties of First Assistant Prosecutor and Lori Linskey has been named Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

ASBURY PARK MAN CHARGED WITH AUGUST MURDER

NJ Department of Corrections photo

Bryan Burford, 21, of Asbury Park was arrested today and charged with the August 16 murder of Tyrell Howard, 20, also of Asbury Park, according to a statement from Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramicconi.

Burford was also charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose.  He is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. Judge Joseph Oxley set Burford’s bail at $1 million with 10% cash option.

Burford was convicted of Aggravated Assault in April of 2011.  He was released from the Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility on May 23 of this year, according to the NJ Department of Corrections.

• Tweet

Crime Stoppers To Reward Anonymous Tipsters Of Monmouth County Crimes With Cash

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced a new partnership Crime Stoppers in an effort to encourage the public to share information with law enforcement.  The announcement was made last evening at National Night Out events in Asbury Park,  Neptune City, Neptune Township and Union Beach.

“Unfortunately people with information about crimes are often reluctant to cooperate with law enforcement because they are afraid of retaliation, they do not care enough to get involved or  they want something in exchange for the information,” Gramiccioni said, “Crime stoppers offers cash, up to $5000, no questions asked, with anonymity as a solution to this lack of information.”

Citizens with information about a crime or fugitive may contact Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-671-4400, which is a confidential telephone tip line; they can text “MONMOUTH” plus their tip to 274637; or the can email a tip via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com

When a tipster contacts Crime Stoppers via tip line, email or text, the tipster is assigned a confidential code number, which becomes their only identity in the system. At no time does anyone ask a tipster for their name.  When an arrest is made, the tipster will be told to go to the Crime Stopper’s bank in Freehold, provide the confidential code number, and collect the cash.

Gramiccioni asked the the crowd in Asbury Park for information about the September 2009 murder of Red Bank Middle School teacher Jonelle Melton, who was found in a pool of her own blood in her Neptune City home.  He said the investigation has led law enforcement to believe that Melton’s murder was a case of mistaken identify; that the perpetrator went to the wrong home and intended to kill someone else.

• Tweet

Gramiconni’s Deployment Cancelled

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramicconi’s deployment to Afghanistan as a U.S. Naval Reserve Officer has been cancelled.

A JAG Lt. Commander, Gramicconi received orders in March to report for active duty last March. He was ordered to report for a 9 month tour of duty on August 9.

Those orders have been rescinded, according to a statement issued by the Prosecutor’s Office.

“The outpouring of support from the people in my Office and people all across the state meant so much to me and my family during the lead-up to this deployment.  I am blessed to work with all these outstanding people and touched by the kindnesses extended by everyone – thank you,” Gramiccioni said in the statement

• Tweet

Gramiccioni Being Deployed to Afghanistan

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni, a Navy Reserve JAG Lt. Commander, will be deployed to Afghanistan, according to a report on Middletown Patch.   He is to report for 9 month tour on active duty in August for combat zone training and will be sent overseas in September.

Gramiccioni joined the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in February of 2011 as First Assistant Prosecutor after a 9 year stint in the U.S. Attorney’s Office where he was part of Chris Christie’s team of federal prosecutors. Word in the legal community was that Gramiccioni was Christie’s first choice to replace Luis Valentin as prosecutor in 2010, but the Wall Township resident was 18 months short of the residency requirement.  Long time 1st Assistant Prosecutor Peter E. Warshaw, Jr was named prosecutor.  Once Gramiccioni met the residency requirements to be prosecutor, Warshaw was nominated to the Superior Court Bench and Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa appointed Gramiccioni Acting Prosecutor pending confirmation of his nomination by the State Senate.

In Afghanistan Gramiccioni will be assisting with setting up legal procedures and helping to establish a Western-like judicial system for detainees. He told Patch that he will monitor events at the office from the war zone, but that Richard E. Incremona, first assistant prosecutor and Kevin Clark, deputy first assistant prosecutor, would be running the day-to-day operation of the office.

• Tweet

Attorney General Chiesa Announces 1,500-Plus Guns Obtained In Weekend Gun Buyback Initiative in Monmouth County

Photo credit:Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

TRENTON–Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced today that more than 1,500 guns were turned in by Monmouth County residents during a state-sponsored gun buyback event held at churches in Asbury Park and Keansburg this past weekend.

According to Chiesa, county residents turned in a total of 1,581 guns – including 15 assault weapons –during the two-day buyback held at the Shiloh Community Fellowship Ministry in Asbury Park and the Saint Ann Catholic Church in Keansburg.

The number of guns obtained in Monmouth County brings to 7,092 the total number of firearms collected so far as a result of four state-led gun buybacks. A buyback held in Camden County last December yielded 1,137 guns, and a buyback in Mercer County in January brought in another 2,604 firearms. A February buyback held in Essex County resulted in the collection of another 1,770 guns.

Attorney General Chiesa said this past weekend’s strong turn-out by Monmouth County residents demonstrates continued support of the State-led buyback initiative by citizens concerned about gun violence and eager to help rid their communities of dangerous firearms.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Prosecutor Seeks Publc Help In Indentifying Bank Robber

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is seeking the public’s help in indentifying the man suspected of robbing the JP Morgan-Chase Bank branch in Colts Neck yesterday afternoon, Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced this afternoon.

The bank robbery occurred around 5 p.m. on Thursday when a light-skinned male, standing approximately 5-feet,   11-inches tall, with a medium build, brown hair and glasses, walked into the JP Morgan Chase Bank, located at 290 Route 34 in Colts Neck, pointed a firearm at a teller and demanded money. The teller handed over an amount of cash before the suspect fled the bank in a dark colored, two-door Infinity with New York license plates and tinted windows. The vehicle was last seen traveling south on Route 34 and entering onto Route18 north.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Kevin Condon at 732- 431-7160, Colts Neck Police Department Detective Richard Zarrillo at 732-462-4343, or the Red Bank FBI Field Office at 732- 741-0006.

• Tweet

County Employee Charged With Embezzling $3,000 From Millstone Golf Course

Carol Hobbs, 34, of Jackson, was arrested and charged with third degree theft on Thursday following an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Hobbs was responsible for maintaining the cash register in the pro shop, collecting greens fees and managing the schedule of golfers to the starting point to begin their round of golf. The investigation revealed Hobbs would modify a transaction so it appeared the golfer received a refund after the golf course patron paid for a round a golf when they had not asked for or received a refund. After modifying the transaction Hobbs retained the money. An audit revealed Hobbs embezzled over $3,000 from September 2012 through December 2012, according to a statement released by Acting Prosecutor Christopher A. Gramiccioni.

Hobbs was not charged with Official Misconduct, a second degree crime if the benefit of the infraction exceeds $200, that carries up to a 10 year prison sentence upon conviction, according to attorney Matheu D. Nunn:

Under New Jersey’s Official Misconduct law, N.J.S.A. 2C:30-2, a public servant can be prosecuted for acts committed in their official capacity and, if convicted, imprisoned for up to ten years.

A public servant includes any officer or employee of government including legislators and judges as well as any person participating as a juror, advisor, consultant or otherwise, in performing a government function; it does not include a witness. The test is whether the person is performing a “government function.”

Under New Jersey Official Misconduct law the public servant’s action or omission must be coupled “with a purpose to obtain a benefit for himself or another” or a purpose to injure another or deprive another of a benefit….

…Here is the scary part–Official Misconduct is a crime of the second degree. As a result, the official faces up to 10 years in state prison if the benefit involved exceeded $200 in value. If the benefit is less than $200 in value it is a crime of the third degree and the official faces a term of imprisonment up to 5 years.

If the purpose is to injure another it will be a crime of the second degree no matter how slight the injury.

And, unlike many other “non-violent” crimes, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6.5, a person convicted of Official Misconduct:

“shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment without eligibility for parole as follows: for a crime of the fourth degree, the mandatory minimum term shall be one year; for a crime of the third degree, two years; for a crime of the second degree, five years; and for a crime of the first degree, 10 years; unless the provisions of any other law provide for a higher mandatory minimum term.”

Former Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham is serving at least two years of a five year prison sentence due to his guilty plea to Official Misconduct.

Gramiccioni declined to say why Hobbs was not charged with Official Misconduct, citing work product confidentiality.

• Tweet