Knowledge is power, and this blog is dedicated to providing the most updated information on New Jersey Criminal Defense, related topics, and criminal law in general. It's our goal for you to use the information on this site, including the individual practice area pages, to help you understand your rights, obligations, and the best course of action for your New Jersey Criminal Defense case.
Across the US, the number of teachers accused of sexual crimes against students is on the rise. In fact, according to some estimates, educator sexual misconduct has increased ten times more in one year than clergy abuse has over five decades. These claims include sending lewd material to underag...
Ocean County, New Jersey, has been nominated to participate in an anti-domestic violence pilot program that would radically change how the state handles domestic violence cases and monitors people convicted of domestic violence-related offenses. The legislation's official name is A3731, but it wi...
In June, Lakewood, New Jersey, mother Naomi Elkins was arrested and charged with killing her two children, ages 1 and 3. Elkins reportedly stabbed the youngest child with a serrated kitchen knife before drowning both of her daughters in separate bathtubs. Elkins claims she killed her children fo...
If you have been served with a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), the petitioner may request an extension of time before the court hearing on a Final Restraining Order. You may feel indignant—after all, why should you agree to give a person seeking a restraining order against you additional time ...
A 56-year-old Evesham resident, John G. Fox, has been charged with aggravated assault after a domestic violence report turned into a 6-hour standoff with police. On June 17, 2024, at 2:30 am, Evesham police officers responded to a home on Brookfield Avenue. Neighbors reported hearing an argument...
In June 2024, a grand jury indicted two men employed at a Tom's River nursing home with charges related to the alleged mistreatment of a patient. Both men were charged with criminal neglect of an elderly patient, assault, and criminal restraint. The criminal charges center around th...
Our nation was built on a bedrock of principles – the right to bear arms chief among them. While the Second Amendment is a frequent subject of debate, a new ruling from the Supreme Court could significantly reshape how these rights are interpreted and enforced. In June of 2024, the Court upheld a...
In June 2024, a Manhattan federal judge sentenced an NJ preacher to nine years in prison for multiple counts, including wire fraud, attempted extortion, and making false statements. The charges were related to multiple financial scams on several victims, with one parishioner losing $90,000 in ret...
Steven Gordon, an ex-teacher at a Hudson County school, has been arrested and charged with sexual contact with a minor and endangering the welfare of a child. The incident, which occurred on the 29th of May, saw the 67-year-old allegedly making inappropriate sexual contact with one of his teenage...
In June 2024, a jury in Camden found a 71-year-old man from Pennsauken guilty of multiple counts of sex crimes against juveniles. These acts were committed against two victims over a 15-year period. The guilty counts included two counts of aggravated sexual assault and five counts of second-degre...
46-year-old Edgar Jesus Avila Alvarado of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 59 months in prison on drug charges, including conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger announced the news in a...
A Newark, New Jersey, man and convicted felon, Antoine Hawkins, has been sentenced to new drug and weapons charges. Hawkins pleaded guilty to various indictments by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office following an in-depth investigation of Hawkins' activities during the summer of 2020. The U.S. ...
A New Jersey man is facing serious charges after an alleged victim came forward to accuse him of sexual assault at a Pennsylvania house party in 2022. Nadir Jamir Harris was 20 years old at the time of the alleged incident, with his accuser being a minor female attending the get-together with her...
In May 2024, Joshua Cobb, a 23-year-old former Marine from Trenton, New Jersey, was arrested for threatening to kill white people and planning a mass shooting, federal prosecutors announced. In December 2022, Cobb posted on social media expressing his desire to cause "mayhem on the white communit...
In April, Austin Maddox, a former Boston Red Sox Pitcher, was arrested in an undercover child sex solicitation sting in Florida. He was one of 27 men who were arrested during a five-day joint task force “Operation Valiant Knights” sting where undercover cops pretended to be underage girls and eng...
Sparta police charged a former New Jersey high school teacher with child endangerment and manufacturing of child sexual abuse for allegedly taking photos and videos of eighth-grade girls. According to the release statement, Michael Wagner, 41, "would position the electronic devices in such a way ...
When arguing, things can sometimes get heated. Intense emotions may drive people to take drastic action if they're not careful. Such was the case for 62-year-old Evelyn Sampson and her victim, a man on whom she poured boiling water. Even the most disciplined people lose their temper on occasion,...
Atlantic City police arrested a man last month for locking his ex-girlfriend in an apartment crawl space after receiving a report of a woman who claimed she was assaulted, held against her will, and feared for her life. When police arrived at the apartment of the suspect, Gary Lockel, 54, they fo...
In Herkimer, New York, police arrested three individuals accused of attempting to withdraw money using a fake driver's license. The incident occurred at the Woodforest Bank within Walmart, prompting officers to arrive around 6 p.m. They detained Kelly Arrigo from Brooklyn, while her associates, J...
The Bergen County Sheriff's Department charged a 33-year-old Hackensack, New Jersey, man with aggravated assault after he allegedly threw bleach into a mechanic's eyes during a dispute over the suspect's girlfriend. He also allegedly smashed a windshield during the May 15 spat. Alonge Jones, 33, ...
Accusations of sexual assault and sex trafficking carry some significant weight; just ask the infamous rapper Diddy. Also known as Sean Combs, Diddy faces multiple sexual assault accusations, as well as sex trafficking allegations. While these started as mere civil suits, Diddy is currently facin...
A couple was recently charged with Cruelty and Neglect of Children by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office after allegedly leaving two kids, aged two and three, alone in a car while the couple spent “approximately 20 minutes” at a roadside winery in White Township. If convicted of this fourth-de...
The Newark Opportunity Youth Network and Measure of America of the Social Science Research Council recently collaborated on a report studying the correlation between high levels of youth disengagement in the Newark, New Jersey, area and rising levels of suburban crime. Research indicates a relat...
A New Jersey man is facing multiple charges after being accused of meeting a 13-year-old girl in a local park, offering her money in exchange for sexual acts, then sexually assaulting her in a North Bergen motel room. The defendant, Henry Sunun Sutuj, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. ...
An Indiana man has been charged with six felony counts, including child solicitation, for allegedly sending nude photos over the Internet to a 14-year-old New Jersey girl. According to the sheriff's office in Henry County, Indiana, the defendant sent a number of nude photos of the defendant and h...
When it comes to criminal defense cases, you need the right person in your corner. To learn more about how Mr. Lento can help you, call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686. or contact him online.
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