HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–Around 8:00 p.m. a bicyclist was struck by a car in the 2000-2100 Block of Nottingham Way-Route 33, in front of the Red, White and Blue Thrift Store. Hamilton Township Police, Hamilton Township Fire Department, RWJ EMS and Capital Health Paramedics responded to the scene of the crash.
The Hamilton Township Police and Fire Police closed Nottingham Way between Klockner Road and Madison Avenue for the accident Investigation. Hamilton Township Fire Department responded with a special service unit for lights for the investigation. It was reported that the Mercer County Prosecutors Office Serious Collision Response Team (SCRT) was responding to the scene. As of 11:10 p.m. the roadway was still closed.
No further information is available at this time.
It was almost a year ago on October 31, 202, a block away, where another pedestrian was struck on the same stretch of highway in a serious crash:
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–A federal jury today found three men guilty of various narcotics and firearms offenses for their roles in a Trenton-based drug trafficking conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Jerome Roberts, 51, of Delran, New Jersey, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin
Timothy Wimbush, 31, of Trenton, was convicted of one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; possession with intent to distribute heroin; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime; and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Taquan Williams, 24, of Trenton, was convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The jury found Williams not guilty of possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
The jury deliberated for approximately 2½ days before returning the verdicts following a three-week trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court.
In October 2018, Roberts, Wimbush, Williams, and 23 other individuals were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin; Wimbush, Williams, and others also were charged with firearms offenses. On Feb. 27, 2020, a grand jury returned a 10-count third superseding indictment charging Roberts, Wimbush, Williams, and four other defendants with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and various other drug and firearms offenses. Roberts, Wimbush, and Williams are the last of the 26 defendants charged in the original criminal complaint to be convicted of one or more federal criminal offenses. The other 23 defendants have pleaded guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In 2018, Roberts, Wimbush, and others participated in a large drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in various areas of Trenton, and which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that defendant Jerome Roberts and conspirator Jakir Taylor obtained regular supplies of hundreds of “bricks” of heroin from conspirator David Antonio, whom they referred to as “Pop” and “Papi,” and that they distributed those supplies of heroin to other dealers and end users in and around Trenton. In August and September 2018, Roberts and Taylor agreed to obtain a massive supply of heroin of more than 1,400 “bricks,” which Roberts referred to as “the motherload.” On Oct. 25, 2018, law enforcement executed a search of supplier Antonio’s residence in Trenton and recovered nearly 1½ kilograms of heroin and a substantial amount of packaging paraphernalia.
On Sept. 6, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped a green 2002 Volkswagen Passat after observing Williams, a previously convicted felon, enter the vehicle carrying a yellow plastic bag believed to contain contraband. The Passat was driven by, and registered to, Wimbush, who also was a previously convicted felon. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement officers recovered from a secret trap compartment installed under the rear passenger’s seat approximately 57 bricks of heroin, four semiautomatic firearms – including a .223 caliber assault rifle linked with a shooting in Trenton four days earlier – hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and the yellow plastic bag that defendant Williams had carried into the vehicle moments earlier. Law enforcement officers discovered in the yellow bag two boxes of .45 caliber ammunition and three .45 caliber firearm magazines, which matched one of the semiautomatic firearms also found in the trap compartment. Law enforcement officers identified the heroin as having been supplied by Taylor and another member of the conspiracy.
Roberts faces a combined statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $10 million. Wimbush faces a combined statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $5 million. Williams faces a statutory a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of 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, Newark Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve Wilson; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Christopher Morgan; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Albert Rhodes; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of Acting Public Safety Director James Sullivan; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. She also thanked officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri; officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John A. Kemler; and members of the New Jersey State Board of Parole for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The government is represented by Attorney-in-Charge J. Brendan Day and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
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Defense counsel:
Roberts: Mark A. Berman Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey Wimbush: Megan J. Davies Esq., Haddonfield, New Jersey Williams: Edward F. Borden Jr. Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Just after 5:00 p.m. Trenton Fire Department was dispatched to 17 Cliff Street for a reported mattress fire on the 3rd floor, initial radio reports stated a caller reported that the mattress was soaked with acetone. First arriving fire apparatus found a fire in the rear of the building on the 3rd floor and an “all hands” was called. The bulk of the fire was knocked down within 15 minutes of arrival and firefighters checked the neighboring attached houses for extension.
Fire was reported under control at 5:35 p.m.
The fire department called for housing and an electrical inspector and Trenton Police shut down the intersection for traffic control.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on October 7, 2021, a superseding Indictment was returned against Mark J. Austin, 30, of Brick Township, charging him with Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5d, relative to the death of his father, Mark Richard Austin, in Brick Township on September 7, 2019. The superseding Indictment charges that Austin procured the commission of the murder of his father by payment or promise of payment of anything of monetary value, an aggravating factor which – if proven beyond a reasonable doubt at the time of trial – requires that Austin be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole eligibility. Austin and his co-defendant, Jeray Melton, 30, of Salem City, were originally indicted in connection with the murder of the victim on December 3, 2019; it was not known at that time that this was a murder for hire situation.
On Saturday, September 7, 2019, Officers of the Brick Township Police were summoned to a residence on Acorn Drive and discovered the victim’s body. At that time, it was discovered that the victim had been beaten to death. Following a thorough and extensive investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crime Unit, Brick Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, it was determined that Austin and Melton had conspired to kill the victim. Mark J. Austin and Jeray Melton were charged accordingly and taken into custody on September 13, 2019, and have been incarcerated since that date.
Subsequent investigation determined that Austin agreed to pay Melton a sum of money in exchange for killing Mark Richard Austin. On February 25, 2020, Melton pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4a before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, J.S.C. Melton is currently lodged in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution pending sentencing. Austin remains in in the Ocean County Jail awaiting trial.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Chief Trial Attorney Michael Weatherstone and Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr who are handling the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Unit, Brick Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Brick Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, Salem City Police Department, New Jersey State Police Major Crime Unit, New Jersey State Police TEAMS Unit, New Jersey Department of Corrections, Port Authority Police of New York and New Jersey, Manchester Township Police Department, Millville Police Department, Bayonne Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their collective and cooperative efforts in connection with this investigation.
The charges referenced above are merely accusations and the press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. R.P.C. 3.6(b)(6).
Mark J. Austin, 30, of Brick Township
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on October 7, 2021, a superseding Indictment was returned against Mark J. Austin, 30, of Brick Township, charging him with Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5d, relative to the death of his father, Mark Richard Austin, in Brick Township on September 7, 2019. The superseding Indictment charges that Austin procured the commission of the murder of his father by payment or promise of payment of anything of monetary value, an aggravating factor which – if proven beyond a reasonable doubt at the time of trial – requires that Austin be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole eligibility. Austin and his co-defendant, Jeray Melton, 30, of Salem City, were originally indicted in connection with the murder of the victim on December 3, 2019; it was not known at that time that this was a murder for hire situation.
SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ (MIDDLESEX)–South Brunswick Police continue to investigate two serious crashes in the past 48 hours that critically injured one person and left two other people with serious injuries. Both crashes occurred less than a mile from each other in the Dayton section of the Township.
The first crash took place on Wednesday, October 6th at 8:53 pm at the intersection of Stults Road at Herrod Boulevard. A 28-year-old East Brunswick man operating a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle was traveling eastbound when he attempted to pass a 2014 Nissan, operated by a 35-year-old Somerset man, in a no-passing zone. While the Suzuki was passing the Nissan, the Nissan attempted to make a left turn onto Herrod Boulevard and struck the motorcycle, causing it to lose control and strike a utility pole. The East Brunswick man was taken by South Brunswick EMS and paramedics to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was listed in critical condition.
The second crash took place on Thursday, October 7th at 10:14 pm on Route 130 in the area on Stults Road. A 24-year-old Cinnaminson woman operating a 2010 Kia was traveling northbound on Route 130 when she attempted to make an illegal U-turn across the grass divider. When the Kia crossed into the southbound lanes of Route 130, it was struck by a 2003 Ford operated by a 42-year-old man from Browns Mills who was unable to stop in time. The crash caused both vehicles to catch fire, and both were engulfed in flames by the time the Monmouth Junction Fire Department arrived. The driver of the Ford received burns and lacerations to his arms and head. The driver of the Kia received a head injury. Both were transported by EMS to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick with serious injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Both crashes are still under investigation, and anyone with additional information is asked to call the South Brunswick Police Department at (732)329-4646.
HAMILTON– A dump truck overturned on a sharp curve on Lamberton Rd around 1:30 pm. The truck was filled with reclaimed asphalt at the time of the crash. No one was injured.
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Derrick Norwood, 58, of Neptune, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. Judge Thompson imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 18, 2019, Norwood knowingly possessed 39 bricks, or 1,982 individual glassine bags, of heroin mixed with fentanyl inside a safe in his residence. Norwood admitted that he possessed the heroin-fentanyl mixture for the purpose of distributing it to others in and around Monmouth County.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Norwood to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, and detectives from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Lori Linskey, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Mark Davis Esq., Hamilton, New Jersey
ALLENTOWN, NJ (MONMOUTH)–The Allentown Business Community Association’s Fall Fall Festival returns this Saturday, October 9th and Sunday, October 10th. The annual festival features live music, the Allentown Lions Club’s Craft Beer Garden, food trucks, classic cars, wine tasting, moon bounces, community groups, local fundraisers, and a host of activities for children of all ages. Live music will take place near the Old Mill. The 4-H Clever Clovers will be in Heritage Park. The Allentown Public Library Association will be selling 50/50 tickets. Showcasing local crafters and artisans selling their wares, this is an event you do not want to miss!
Main Street, between Church Street and High Street, will be closed off to traffic between the hours of 7:15AM and 6PM on both days.There will be a free shuttle to the festival from the Allentown High School parking lot. The shuttle runs 8:30AM to 6PM. Masks are required while riding the shuttle. The shuttle will drop visitors off at Pete Sensi Park.
Handicapped restroom facilities will be located at the intersection of Church Street and South Main Street near the Allentown Shell Station and by the Old Mill. Additional restrooms will be located on Lakeview Drive behind the Ely Sluder Law Office and behind Bloomers ‘N Things to Do. All restroom facilities will feature hand washing stations.
Here is the live music schedule for performances by the Old Mill.
Saturday, October 9th Sunday, October 10th 11AM-12:30PM Rangers Nouveau 11AM-12:30PM Georgia Owen 1PM-2:30PM Matt Delre 2:30PM Steven Peter Rodgers & Friends 3PM-4:30PM Siren 3PM-4:30PM Andrew Lobby
The Allentown Lions Club’s Craft Beer Garden is open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Children and friendly dogs are welcome at the Allentown Lions Club’s Craft Beer Garden. All under age visitors must be accompanied by an adult 21 and older. Anyone purchasing beer will need to show ID and wear a wristband before entering the Beer Garden.
There will be 24+ local craft beers on tap with root beer and water for the kids. Beer tickets are $6 each and are redeemable for one beer. There will be 16-oz servings of most varieties with 12-oz pours of the stronger varieties. All beers must be consumed in the Beer Garden, but you are free to leave the area and return to explore the Fall Festival.
All proceeds from this event so to support the Allentown Lions Club and their work raising scholarships for area high school students, funding community service projects, and supporting locals with medical equipment and vision testing.
The festivities kick off on Friday night with the “Hometown Takeover” between 5PM and 9PM and continue on Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 12PM and 9PM. There will be live music all weekend long. The Hope Fire Company will be selling food in the Beer Garden as a fundraiser.
Here is the live music schedule for performances in the Allentown Lions Club’s Craft Beer Garden.
BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (BURLINGTON)–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Burlington Township Acting Public Safety Director James Sullivan announced that a 17-year-old male was fatally shot last night in the parking lot of the Walmart on Route 541 in Burlington Township.
The victim’s father was also struck by gunfire. The preliminary investigation indicated this was not a random shooting.
The investigation began after officers from the Burlington Township Police Department were called to the store at approximately 10:15 p.m. for a report of a shooting.
Upon arrival, they discovered Dione Williams Sr., 44, and his son Albert, 17, both of Hammonton, suffering from gunshot wounds. They were taken by ambulance to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where Albert was pronounced dead. Dione Williams Sr. was treated and released.
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information that might be helpful to investigators is asked to call Burlington County Central Communications at 609-265-7113.
The investigation is being conducted by detectives from the Burlington Township Police Department and Prosecutor’s Office. The lead investigators are Prosecutor’s Office Detective Sean Tait and Burlington Township Detective Steven Cosmo.
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