February 10, 2021
By: Tyler Eckel
LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP (MERCER): On February 9th 2021, the Lawrence Police Department responded to the area of the CVS store located at 2971 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ on a report of a male acting erratically and harassing customers.
Responding Lawrence Police officers located the male, later identified as Byung Yu, a 50 year old male from Princeton, NJ operating a 2017 Honda Accord. Lawrence Police officers attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop on the 2017 Honda Accord, however the operator, Yu failed to comply with officer’s commands and continued to elude officers in an unsafe manner on Brunswick Pike in Lawrenceville, NJ.
Yu was later apprehended by Lawrence Police officers a short distance away on a residential street. During the apprehension a Lawrence officer sustained an injury.
Yu was charged with Complaint Warrant 2021-0088-1107 with the below listed offenses:
1 count of Eluding: 2C:29-2B (2nd degree)1 count of Aggravated Assault: 2C 12-b1 (3rd degree)1 count of Resisting Arrest: 2C:29-2A(1) (4th degree)
1 count of Obstructing the Administration of Law: 2C:29-1 (Disorderly Person)
A subsequent investigation conducted by Lawrence Police identified Byung Yu as the suspect responsible for committing the offense of Criminal Mischief from an incident that occurred earlier in the day in the a 2600 block of Lawrence Rd, Lawrenceville, NJ.
In that incident, Yu was captured on surveillance video vandalizing a residents lawn sign. Yu was charged with 1 count of Criminal Mischief and issued Complaint Summons 2021-000089-1107.
Please contact LT Joseph Lech of the Lawrence Police Department if you have any additional questions.609-844-7128
February 10, 2021
By: Tyler Eckel
KEYPORT (MONMOUTH)– A Keyport man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing an assault rifle, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Ahmed A-Hady, 36, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 10, 2019, there was a mass shooting in Jersey City in which a Jersey City Police Officer and three civilians were shot and killed by a male (Individual 1) and a female (Individual 2). After the shooting, law enforcement recovered a handwritten note from Individual 1’s right rear pants pocket that contained a telephone number ending in 4115 and a Keyport, New Jersey, address. Law enforcement also recovered several weapons possessed by Individuals 1 and 2, including an AR-15 rifle.
FBI agents determined that the phone number ending in 4115 contained on the note belonged to A-Hady. Law enforcement also determined that the Keyport address listed on the note was a storefront for a pawn shop. On the evening of Dec. 13, 2019, law enforcement officers traveled to the pawnshop and interviewed A-Hady and two of his relatives.
Law enforcement officers lawfully searched both the pawnshop and A-Hady’s private residence and recovered multiple rifles, handguns, and one shotgun. During the searches of the pawnshop and A-Hady’s private residence, law enforcement also recovered over 400 rounds of ammunition, including a large number of hollow point bullets.
One of the weapons recovered from the pawnshop was a Sig Sauer .22 caliber rifle capable of accepting a large capacity magazine. Records showed that A-Hady purchased this rifle in Florida on Oct. 23, 2012, approximately five months after A-Hady was convicted in New Jersey Superior Court of a crime that was punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced A-Hady to three years of supervised release. A-Hady forfeited his interest, if any, in the firearms recovered during the search of the pawnshop.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark; the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. Acting U.S. Attorney Honig also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Ronnell Wilson, Chief of the National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean C. Sovolos and Thomas S. Kearney, of the National Security Unit.
February 10, 2021
By: Tyler Eckel
ASBURY PARK/HIGHLANDS (MONMOUTH)– Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that two Monmouth County men have been sentenced for engaging in a fraudulent scheme, pursuant to which they unlawfully issued free life insurance policies to individuals and recouped more than $4 million in fraudulent commissions on those policies from various insurance companies.
Frank Pescatore, 73, of Asbury Park, was sentenced to three years in State prison by Superior Court Judge Lourdes Lucas in Monmouth County on Monday. Pescatore pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud on December 3, 2020. He was sentenced as a third-degree offender under a plea agreement.
“Frank Pescatore will serve time in prison for his lead role in a scheme that defrauded the insurance system of millions for his personal gain,” said Attorney General Grewal. “His crimes not only involved issuing policies that should not have been issued and that lapsed prematurely, but are also the type of offenses that contribute to higher insurance costs in the long run for all of us. This sentence sends a strong deterrent message that we will hold accountable those that cheat the system.”
Pescatore’s son, Evan Pescatore, 38, of Highlands, a former life insurance agent, was sentenced to three-years of non-custodial probation on Monday for participating in the scheme. He pleaded guilty to third-degree insurance fraud on December 3, 2020.
In pleading guilty, the two men admitted to defrauding insurance companies in a scheme to provide high-value life insurance policies at no cost to applicants in order to obtain commissions from the insurance companies. Eighteen policies – with face values totaling $61.5 million – were caused to be issued by eight insurance companies in the scheme.
This process of providing applicants and insureds with an inducement to apply for life insurance policies by paying their premiums, known as “rebating,” is prohibited by the insurance industry, as well as by New Jersey law.
The FBI estimates that the total cost of non-medical insurance fraud is more than $40 billion per year, costing the average U.S. family between $400 and $700 per year in the form of increased premiums.
“My office will continue to pursue these cases to protect the integrity of New Jersey’s insurance industry,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Tracy M. Thompson. “These crimes affect every policyholder who must pay higher insurance costs to cover the losses suffered by insurance carriers.”
Deputy Attorney General Jennifer L. Menjivar represented the State at sentencing. Detectives Natalie Brotherston, Taryn Seidner, and Matthew Armstrong coordinated the investigation with assistance from analyst Kelly Celenza.
Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Thompson noted that important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting the Web site at www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction for insurance fraud.
February 10, 2021
By: Tyler Eckel
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP (MERCER)– A 31 year old Hamilton woman was arrested yesterday following a robbery that occurred at the Circle Deli located at 3212 South Broad Street.
The customer entered the family owned and operated small business on February 9 around 3:30 pm, and began to argue with the employee about payment over merchandise. During the argument, the female grabbed the glass tip jar and threw it to the ground. She took the money from the tip jar off the floor, told the employee she was keeping the money, and attempted to leave. The employee blocked the exit door to keep the female from leaving, when the female began to repeatedly strike her with a closed fist.
The female stopped striking the employee when she was informed the police were called. She then dropped the money on the floor. Once police arrived on the scene, she was placed under arrest. The employee refused any medical attention.
The arrestee was identified as Melissa Williams, 32, of Hamilton. She was charged with Robbery.
MidJersey.News had a chance to speak to one of the 911 callers at the scene. The 911 caller stated she attempted to call the Deli to order food, when it was taking a while for the phone to be answered. Once the phone was answered, she states no one acknowledged the call, but a female was heard in the background yelling, “Give me the f*cking money b*tch.” That’s when she disconnected with the Deli and called 911.
Another employee that was at the Deli at the time of the robbery told MidJersey.News that this is not the first time this lady has caused a disturbance in the business, however it has never gotten physical and was usually quickly resolved among themselves.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Nick Schulte of the Hamilton Police Division’s Criminal Investigation Section at 609-689-8525 or the Hamilton Police Crime Tip Hotline at 609-581-4008.
Hamilton Police remind the public that despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
- Melissa Williams