MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer, and Denville Chief of Police Frank Perna confirmed the arrest of Joseph Palumbo Jr., 33, of Columbia on charges related to the unlawful manufacturing and sales of firearms without serial numbers, more commonly known as ghost guns, in Morris and Warren Counties.

Palumbo Jr. is alleged to have carried out the illegal manufacture and sale of ghost guns between December 2023 and February 2024. Specifically, he is alleged to have sold these ghost guns, the majority of which are alleged to be assault firearms, during this timeframe in Morris and Warren County. The sales involved one homemade handgun without a serial number, five homemade AR platformed assault firearms without serial numbers, and two large-capacity magazines. Palumbo Jr. was taken into custody following a motor vehicle stop on February 8.

During the subsequent execution of a search warrant on Palumbo Jr.’s Columbia residence, an alleged ghost gun manufacturing facility was located in the basement. Searches were also conducted at Palumbo’s Barber Shop located in Netcong and his vehicle. As a result of these searches, two additional homemade AR platformed assault firearms without serial numbers, approximately 36 additional firearms consisting of assault firearms and handguns, numerous firearms components used to manufacture firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and approximately 3 firearm silencers were seized.

Palumbo Jr. has been charged with:

• Four counts of Certain Persons Not to Possess a Firearm, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-7(b) (1), a crime of second degree.

• Seven counts of Unlawful Possession of an Assault Firearm in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-5(f), a crime of the second degree.

• Eight counts of Transporting a Manufactured Firearm Without a Serial Number in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-9(n), a crime of the second degree.

• One count of Conspiracy to Manufacture and Transport Firearms Without Serial Numbers, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:5-2 and N.J.S. 2C:39-9(n), a crime of the second degree.

• One count of Purchasing Firearm Parts to Manufacture a Firearm Without a Permit, violating N.J.S. 2C:39-9(k), a crime of the second degree.

• One count of Child Endangerment, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:24-4(a)(2), a crime of the second degree.

• Eight counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Without a Serial Number, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-3(n), a crime of the third degree.

• One count of Unlawful Possession of a large-capacity ammunition Magazine, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-3(j), a crime of the fourth degree.

• One count of Manufacture, Transport, and Disposition of Large Capacity Magazines, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-9(h), a crime of the fourth degree.

• One count of Manufacture, Transport, and Disposition of Firearm Silencers, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-9(c), a crime of the fourth degree.

As a result of this investigation, Monica D. Scaglione, 30, of Columbia, was also charged with one count of Child Neglect in violation of N.J.S. 9:6-3, a crime of the fourth degree after it was determined that minor children reside in Palumbo Jr. and Scaglione’s shared home, where an abundance of unsecured firearms and ammunition were located and seized.

Under the Criminal Justice Reform Act, Palumbo Jr. has been detained in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending future court proceedings. Scaglione was charged on a summons complaint, processed, and released pending a court appearance.

Prosecutor Carroll would like to thank the following agencies for their hard work and dedication during this investigation: The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Special Enforcement Unit, consisting of the Roxbury Township Police Department, the Town of Boonton Police Department, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Denville Police Department, Warren County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Taskforce, the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor under the NJ Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) and its taskforce officers, which include Immigration and Customs Enforcement specifically, the office of ERO under the supervision of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, and the New Jersey State Police (NJSP).

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, this Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MORRIS COUNTY — County College of Morris (CCM) was recently awarded two grants from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) that will help students who are enrolled in Advanced Manufacturing programs, including both Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camps and Apprenticeship Programs. The college was awarded $237,109 as part of the PACE grant and $299,566 as part of the GAINS grant, totaling over $535,000 secured in grant funding.

“Receiving both of these grants from NJDOL positively impacts our students, manufacturing partners, the college and the communities we serve,” said Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, President of County College of Morris. “We are grateful to provide students with opportunities to be educated and trained in manufacturing, develop their resumes through apprenticeship programs, and be placed in jobs earning family-sustaining wages.  As a community college, CCM strives to support our communities’ economy and economic mobility and provide a pipeline of employees to industries throughout Morris County.”

The Pre-Apprenticeship in Career Education (PACE) Program will support 40 CCM’s Advanced Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp participants. Most of the funds will go directly towards tuition and participant stipends. The mission of the PACE Program is to align better secondary, post-secondary, adult education, and occupational training to meet labor demands unique to New Jersey and develop career pathways that lead to economically sustainable wages. Through the PACE funding received, CCM hopes to increase the number of apprentices from underrepresented groups. Many organizations in Morris, Sussex and Warren Counties help recruit participants and support those facing barriers. Following the boot camp, CCM’s Advanced Manufacturing team stays connected with those placed in Registered Apprenticeship programs, connecting them with additional support through related technical instruction.

The funding secured through the Growing Apprenticeships in Nontraditional Sectors (GAINS) grant program will help 25 participants in CCM’s Registered Apprenticeship programs (RAPs) in Advanced Manufacturing. The GAINS grant program promotes expansion of U.S. Department of Labor-approved Registered Apprenticeship programs to support better-paying careers and the attainment of advanced credentials. The program seeks to develop new and existing apprenticeship programs and create Registered Apprenticeship programs in high-growth industries. CCM will use the GAINS grant funds to add the Robotics Technician apprenticeship program, maintain key personnel in established, successful RAPs and enhance already elite Related Technical Instruction (RTI), which is classroom and lab instruction that provides theoretical knowledge and technical skills.  

These programs are a part of CCM’s Center for Workforce Development, which allows students to learn cutting-edge skills and boost their marketability in an ever-changing job market. It is a vital part of CCM’s mission, and advanced manufacturing is a growing, in-demand sector with a proven impact on the community. According to the Research Institute at Dallas College, CCM has the country’s third highest Economic Mobility Index of all community colleges. Education and support provided by CCM unlocks lasting occupational proficiency, advancement, and economic prosperity for learners from low-income or marginalized backgrounds in northern New Jersey. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, 93 percent of apprentices who complete an apprenticeship retain employment with an annual salary of $77,000.

CCM developed the Advanced Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp that links directly to eight Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) that have been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor and are currently offered at CCM. The RAPs are as follows:

• CNC Operating: Milling
• CNC Operator: Turning
• CNC Operator: Milling and Turning
• CAD/CAM Programmer
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control
• Industrial Maintenance Mechanic
• Robotics Technician (this apprenticeship will be piloted in the 2024 calendar year)
• Tool/Die Manufacturer

Many target occupations result from these programs, including CNC operators, maintenance roles, tool/die manufacturers, QA/QC inspectors, CAD/CAM drafters, and robotics technicians. The daytime boot camp lasts over seven to ten weeks and totals 159 hours. It introduces participants to shop basics, advanced manufacturing equipment, OSHA 10, resume development, and other topics pertinent to successful job placement.

To learn more about CCM’s Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp and Apprenticeship Programs in Advanced Manufacturing, click here.

 To learn more about CCM’s Center for Workforce Development, click here.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Jefferson Township Chief of Police Paul Castimore announce the arrest of Richard Kattermann, 31, of Jefferson Township, in connection with possession of Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM).

The defendant has been charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of CSAM), a third-degree crime in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4B(5)(b)(iii).

The investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referencing a media file allegedly depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors. The defendant allegedly uploaded the media file to Discord, an internet-based social platform. It is further alleged that the defendant possessed additional items of CSAM. At the time of this investigation, he was employed at Montgomery Academy, a school serving students aged 5 to 21, in Basking Ridge.

Kattermann was arrested on the above charges on February 8. Following his arrest, he was released pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act with pretrial release conditions that included supervision and internet monitoring.

Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the Jefferson Township Police Department, the Bernards Township Police Department, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their efforts in this investigation.

Suppose anyone has any information related to this investigation. In that case, they are encouraged to call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the Sex Crimes / Child Endangerment Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, this Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Riverdale Police Chief Charles Quant Jr. confirmed that a jury has found Melvin Banks, 37, Somerset, guilty of one count of second-degree Conspiracy; first-degree Armed Robbery; third-degree Theft of a Motor Vehicle and first-degree Witness Tampering.

The State presented evidence that Melvin Banks targeted the owner of a high-end luxury car rental business in a conspiracy to rob the individual of jewelry and other items. On December 4, 2021, Banks was scheduled to return a rented Mercedes S580 to the victim and coordinated its return for 9:00 p.m. that evening. At 9:31 p.m., the victim was instead robbed at gunpoint by co-defendant Daniel Lind. Lind fired a handgun mere feet from where the victim sat and took approximately $100,000 in jewelry and cell phones. Lind then fled the business and entered the waiting rental vehicle Melvin Banks drove. In the hours leading up to the robbery, Banks and Lind were captured on surveillance purchasing black gloves and cable ties at a local Home Depot and returning to the scene of the robbery to await the victim’s arrival. In the months after the robbery, during the subsequent investigation of the crime by Riverdale Police, Banks sent messages threatening harm to the victim and the victim’s family if the victim did not drop the charges.

Before trial, Daniel Lind pled guilty to first-degree Robbery and second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and was sentenced to eight years in New Jersey State Prison.

The charges against Melvin Banks were tried before a jury between January 30, 2024, and February 8, 2024. The Honorable Claudia Jones, JSC, presided over the trial. Assistant Prosecutor Alexandra Pecora and Assistant Prosecutor Bridget Carr represented the State. The jury returned its verdict on February 9, 2024.

Melvin Banks is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2024. He is being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending sentencing.

Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the Riverdale Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office General Investigation Unit for their efforts in this investigation and prosecution.