HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Hanover Township Police Officer Matt Gallagher arrested Mr. William O’Brien, 20, for shoplifting on Friday, December 13.
Officer Gallagher was called to the ShopRite for a shoplifting report. Upon arrival, Officer Gallagher was briefed by store loss prevention and arrested Mr. O’Brien and transported him to Hanover Township Police Headquarters for processing.
He was charged with shoplifting, two counts of simple assault and possession of alcohol under age.
He was transported to the county jail pending his court date.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — The Italian American Police Society of NJ recently concluded its Holiday Season with a party for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of NJ. The Society purchased and collected toys for hundreds of at risk children from North Jersey.
The party was held at the American Legion Post 155 in Whippany and had face painting, pizza and lots of bugs and smiles from police officers. “We are excited to give back to the community and brighten the holidays for those less fortunate in our communities,” said Society President William Schievella.
The Society is comprised of more than 5,000 local, county, state and federal law enforcement officers of Italian American ancestry.
MORRIS COUNTY — Paradigm Marketing and Design recently received the Summit Marketing Effectiveness Silver Award from Summit International Awards for their innovative design of the DeTorres & DeGeorge Family Law website, www.danddfamilylaw.com. Of the more than 1,400 entries, only the top six percent were awarded the distinction.
The Summit Marketing Effectiveness Award (MEA) recognizes organizations of all sizes for their ability to influence consumers’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs through innovative and leading-edge creative work that uses strategy and results-based effectiveness practices.
“We are honored to be among the select few chosen for this prestigious award,” said Rachel Durkan, Founder & President, Paradigm Marketing and Design. “With a commitment to delivering website designs that are not only innovative and user-friendly, but also support clients’ strategic marketing goals, we look forward to a continued trajectory of success as we partner with customers to exceed their expectations.”
This is the second award Paradigm has received for their exemplary work on the DeTorres & DeGeorge Family Law website. Earlier this year, the agency earned the American Web Design Award by Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) for their outstanding efforts in print and web design.
Paradigm is a full-service marketing and design agency. Together with their clients, the Paradigm team is focused on one objective: creating impactful initiatives that help achieve long-term growth. Providing excellence is one of the agency’s core values, and they take tremendous pride in the quality of the work they deliver. The agency’s cross-functional team approach ensures that they’re always working together to drive client success.
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon gives the “Leaping LEO” award to Morris Plains Police Detectives Mike Kelly and Bruce Rapp at the 34th Annual Morris County Sheriff’s Crimestoppers fundraiser on December 9
MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Sheriff’s CrimeStoppers 34th annual fundraiser and networking reception brought out at least 318 guests to support the anonymous tip line program that has led to nearly 500 arrests.
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon addresses guests at the 34th annual Morris County Sheriff Crimestoppers fundraiser held on December 9
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon served as host of the elegant gathering Monday, December 9, at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany that drew together law enforcement Officers from throughout Morris County, dignitaries and interested residents.
Officers in the Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach and Planning Section (COPS) – who serve as liaisons between the Sheriff and CrimeStoppers’ Board of Commissioners – organized the event.
Sheriff’s Office Corporal Erica Valvano provided information on Sheriff Gannon’s hallmark Hope One mobile substance use resource and recovery program, as Sheriff’s Office Investigator Ashley Craig did on the RSVP-3 program, which Sheriff Gannon started in 2018 in partnership with the Morris County Police Chiefs Association to curb violent incidents in schools.
Members of the Sheriff’s Office Explorers Post #140 were part of the festive occasion, opening doors for guests, answering questions and directing them to seating in a grand hall with buffet dining.
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon names Morris County Sheriff CrimeStoppers Chairman John R. Sette the honorary Sheriff.
Sheriff Gannon named John R. Sette, the chairman of CrimeStoppers since its launch in 1985, an honorary Sheriff. He also presented the Morris Plains Police Department with the “Leaping LEO” award – which carried a $1,000 check from CrimeStoppers to the Morris Plains P.B.A. – for using the program more than other municipal police departments in 2019 to help solve its crimes.
“CrimeStoppers has really been a great tool for law enforcement throughout Morris County. And I don’t know where we’d be without it, obviously,” Sheriff Gannon said. Many of the tips pertain to drug-related crimes, he added.
“CrimeStoppers has proven effective and there are many of the county’s most notable residents serving as its commissioners,” Sheriff Gannon said.
CrimeStoppers Chairman Sette established the anonymous crime tip reporting program that offers rewards in 1985 with then-Morris County Sheriff John Fox.
Since CrimeStoppers was launched, police have made 479 arrests as a result of tips. There have been 441 cases cleared and CrimeStoppers has paid out $58,359 in rewards.
The program has achieved a total value of $444,284 in recovered property and drugs.
Sheriff Gannon commended CrimeStoppers for contributing $16,500 to creation and maintenance of the RSVP-3 app. Unveiled in October 2019, the app provides a simple, anonymous forum for students and anyone else to report threats to school safety. Chairman Sette also has been instrumental in securing an additional $7,000 in contributions to support the app.
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Detective Sergeant Michael Abate, Detective Sergeant Christina Kovacs, Morris County Undersheriff Mark Spitzer
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Michael Abate and Christina Kovacs – both skilled members of the Agency’s Crime Scene Investigation Section – were promoted Monday, December 16, to the positions of Detective Sergeant.
The Morris County Sheriff’s Office Joint Honor Guard added solemnity to the occasion in which Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon administered the oath of office to the new Detective Sergeants in front of their families and fellow Officers in the Historic Courtroom of the Morris County Courthouse.
“The two new Detective Sergeants have distinguished themselves as Officers who perform with absolute integrity some of the most difficult and demanding duties in the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Section of this Agency,” Sheriff Gannon said.
“The Detectives in CSI are subjected to a lot of what goes on in this world, the violence, and they do a phenomenal job. It’s difficult work. But you can’t do it by yourself. This Agency does tremendous work as a result of the cooperation of all the other agencies,” Sheriff Gannon said.
Newly-promoted Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sergeants Michael Abate and Christina Kovacs with their fellow Officers from the Crime Scene Investigation Section
Both Detective Sergeants are highly educated, with Detective Sergeant Abate currently on loan from the Sheriff’s Office to the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. He was sworn in on October 31 as a Task Force Officer and serves on a financial crimes task force.
Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detective Captain Denise Thornton, who commands the CSI Section, gave ceremony well-wishers overviews of the credentials of the Detective Sergeants.
Detective Sergeant Abate graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.
A Distinguished Military Graduate, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Military Police Corps. He served on active duty for 10 years, during which he commanded two companies, including the Fort George G. Meade Military Police Company, which was responsible for providing law enforcement to the installation and protecting critical federal assets.
Sergeant Abate also collaborated with federal, state and local agencies that supported the National Capitol Region and the Military District of Washington.
Sergeant Abate served in a variety of assignments throughout the world and directly supported Operation Joint Guardian II and Operation Enduring Freedom. He has held positions as a Platoon Leader, Company Commander, Coalition Joint-Task Force Provost Marshal and Force Protection Officer in support of the Global War on Terror.
Newly-promoted Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sergeants Michael Abate and Christina Kovacs.
After his separation from the Army, Sergeant Abate worked in the financial industry as a financial advisor and compliance examiner for UBS Financial Services and then as a securities regulator for the New York City District of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.He completed his Army service as the Headquarters Commander of the First Recruiting Brigade, which was responsible for U.S. Army recruiting for the northeast United States.
Interested in continuing a career in law enforcement, Sergeant Abate was hired by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in July of 2012. Upon graduating from the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, he was assigned to the Protective Services Division and then assigned in 2013 as a Detective to the Crime Scene Investigation section where he is qualified as an expert in fingerprints with the New Jersey Superior Court.
Sergeant Abate has received training in shooting reconstruction, bloodstain analysis, and crime scene photography.
Sergeant Abate earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2015 from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has completed the U.S. Army’s MPs Captain’s Career Course, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, Physical Security Course, and Anti-Terrorism Course. Sergeant Abate has earned the Exceptional Duty Medal and the Veteran Service Medal.
Detective Sergeant Kovacs knew she wanted a career in law enforcement after participating in a Junior Police Academy while in the 6th grade.
Newly-promoted Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sergeant Christina Kovacs at her swearing-in on December 16
Detective Sergeant Kovacs received a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Caldwell College in 2009. She then attended graduate school at Rutgers University, from which she received a master of arts degree in criminal justice in 2011.She began volunteering with a Volunteer Fire Department in 2004 and in 2006 was certified as an EMT. She has received a multitude of life-saving awards related to her EMT skills.
Detective Sergeant Kovacs was hired by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in July 2012. Upon graduation from the Morris County Public Safety Academy in 2012, she was first assigned to the Protective Services Division Holding Cell. She was transferred in June 2014 to the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Section, a position that earned her the rank of Detective.
Detective Sergeant Kovacs’ CSI specialties include Motor Vehicle Crash Investigation and Reconstruction, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, and DNA Laboratory Evidence.
Because of her background as an EMT, Detective Sergeant Kovacs has been a member of the Special Operations Group, a partnership between the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), since its creation. SOG serves as the medical response team to the Morris County Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT).
This past November 2019, Detective Sergeant Kovacs was the co-recipient of Sheriff Gannon’s Lifesaving Award. As a member of SOG, she responded on July 14, 2019, to a reported shooting at a home in Jefferson Township.
Disregarding a risk to her own safety, she was part of the team that entered the home to give life-saving aid to a wounded man in the house.
Duvi Mendoza and her son Gabriel Suarez hold a symbolic check for $4,500 that represents the amount of money Morris County Sheriff’s Officers raised to help them while Duvi recovers from breast cancer surgery
MADISON — Through tremendous generosity, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office has made the holiday season unforgettable for a Madison Borough teenager and his mother, who is in recovery from breast cancer.
Duvi Mendoza and her son Gabriel Suarez hold a symbolic check for $4,500 that represents the amount of money Morris County Sheriff’s Officers raised to help them while Duvi recovers from breast cancer surgery.
Duvraska “Duvi” Mendoza and her 17-year-old son, Gabriel Suarez, were brought to the Morris County Correctional Facility on Friday, December 20, by Karen Casolaro, the founder of the Florham Park-based charity Halos For Angels, who kept the mother and son in suspense over the purpose of their visit.
They found Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Bureau of Corrections Undersheriff Alan Robinson, and more than a dozen Officers from the Bureaus of Corrections and Law Enforcement waiting for them with huge smiles and a huge, symbolic check for $4,500 to help them recover financially and emotionally.
“I don’t have enough words to say how grateful we feel,” Ms. Mendoza said. She is employed, but the cancer diagnosis that arose from her annual mammogram led to unexpected and expensive treatment, including surgeries in February and May, and other bills that couldn’t be met.
Gabriel, a high school senior, said he had no idea the Morris County Correctional Facility existed and was puzzled, at first, why he was there.
Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detective John Granato, president of P.B.A. 298 which represents Officers in the Bureau of Corrections, presents a symbolic check for $4,500 to Gabriel Suarez and his mother, Duvi Mendoza, who is recovering from breast cancer.
Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detective John Granato, president of P.B.A. 298 which represents Officers in the Bureau of Corrections, presents a symbolic check for $4,500 to Gabriel Suarez and his mother, Duvi Mendoza, who is recovering from breast cancer.
“I was not expecting something like this. I tried not to cry in front of all the Officers. When I saw the check I was at a loss for words. I didn’t know so many people would care about our story. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he said.
Officers and non-sworn staff in both bureaus of the Sheriff’s Office opened their hearts and wallets to contribute $4,500 to the family – along with dozens of toys, stuffed animals, dolls, trucks, and children’s games that also were donated to Halos For Angels for distribution to other families in need of holiday cheer.
Every union associated with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office contributed to Ms. Mendoza and her son, but most of the $4,500 came from No Shave November and No Shave December fundraisers spearheaded by Corrections Bureau Corporal Peter Lenahan. During those months, Officers donated $50 apiece to sport beards on the job.
The unions that contributed to Halos For Angels, which received the $4,500 check on behalf of Ms. Mendoza and Gabriel, are: Morris County Sheriff’s P.B.A. 298 Superior Officers Association; Morris County Sheriff’s P.B.A. 298; Sheriff’s Office P.B.A. 151; and Sheriff’s Office F.O.P Lodge 137.
Sheriff’s Office Detective John Granato, who serves as the P.B.A. 298 President, presented Ms. Mendoza and Gabriel with the oversized check.
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Gabriel Suarez, Halos For Angels member Ginny Akhoury, Duvi Mendoza, Bureau of Corrections Lieutenant Andrew Bileci, Halos For Angels Founder Karen Casolaro, Bureau of Corrections Sergeant Ray Dykstra.
“This makes us feel so good. We hope it can help you out a little bit in your day. There’s always dark times in our lives, as we’ve all experienced. When you look around, you see these people who genuinely care about who you are and who your family is,” Sheriff Gannon said.
“We’re here for you. We’ll keep you in our prayers and ask that you keep all of us in your prayers,” the Sheriff said.
Karen Casolaro formed Halos For Angels more than a decade ago after her Florham Park community rallied around her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The non-profit assists families who have suffered a tragedy or are struggling with an unexpected crisis.
Ms. Casolaro was joined at Friday’s event at the Correctional Facility by her parents, Betty Gizzo and Frank Gizzo, the charity’s treasurer; Halos For Angels Vice President Cecilia Bocchino, and Volunteer Ginny Akhoury.
Several years ago, Ms. Casolaro forged a partnership with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office through which the Bureau of Corrections has been particularly involved in collecting monetary donations and gifts for the charity and in volunteering as ghoulish characters for the Halos For Angels annual Haunted House spectacle called “Fright Factor.”
Bureau of Corrections Lieutenant Andrew Bileci was honored as a special Angel by the charity in 2019.
“The Morris County Sheriff’s Office has really made such a difference and an impact that we are so thankful for. It’s such a blessing. They not only help out at holiday times but throughout the year and that’s very unique,” Ms. Casolaro said.
MORRIS COUNTY — The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys has recognized the exceptional performance of New Jersey’s Family Law Attorney Denise A. Wennogle, Esq. as 2019 10 Best Family Law Attorney for Client Satisfaction.
The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys is a third-party attorney rating organization that publishes an annual list of the Top 10 Family Law Attorneys in each state. Attorneys who are selected to the “10 Best” list must pass AIOFLA’s rigorous selection process, which is based on client and/or peer nominations, thorough research, and AIOFLA’s independent evaluation.
AIOFLA’s annual list was created to be used as a resource for clients during the attorney selection process. One of the most significant aspects of the selection process involves attorneys’ relationships and reputation among his or her clients.
As clients should be an attorney’s top priority, AIOFLA places the utmost emphasis on selecting lawyers who have achieved significant success in the field of Family Law without sacrificing the service and support they provide. Selection criteria therefore focus on attorneys who demonstrate the highest standards of Client Satisfaction.
We congratulate Denise A. Wennogle, Esq. on this achievement and we are honored to have her as a 2019 AIOFLA Member. You can contact Denise A. Wennogle, Esq. directly by calling (973) 292-1800 or click here.
PARSIPPANY — Meet Phoebe!! We recently rescued this petite pocket Pittie from a local, municipal animal shelter. She is just about a year-and-a-half-old and is cute as a button! Phoebe is fun-sized, coming in at only 40 lbs. She has a bit of a food allergy but we know she will be just fine in a couple of weeks on some new food!
Phoebe is fun, playful, and super loving. She also LOVES other dogs! Phoebe is very affectionate and loves to give kisses. She also enjoys playing with toys but is respectful with them and will happily give them up to you. Phoebe is also a lady at her food bowl.
Want to know even more great things about her? Phoebe is potty-trained and knows “sit,” “paw,” and “down”!!! She pulls a bit on leash but does great in a harness. Phoebe can also live with children 10+ and would love to have some furry and human siblings to play with!!
If you’re looking for a little ball of love and fun, apply to adopt Phoebe today!
If you are interested in adopting, please fill out an application by clicking here.
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MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, Dover Police Chief Anthony Smith and Randolph Police Chief David Stokoe announce that Levi Young, 20, formerly of Dover, was sentenced Friday to ten years in New Jersey State Prison, with fifty-one (51) months of parole ineligibility. The Honorable Stephen J. Taylor, P.J.Cr. presided over the case.
Mr. Young previously plead guilty to aggravated assault in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1); aggravated assault (strangulation) in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(13); endangering the welfare of a child in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(2); witness tampering in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:28-5d; and contempt in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-9a.
Mr. Young must serve a minimum of 51 months of the ten year term prior to being eligible for parole. In addition, he was ordered to pay mandatory fines and penalties and to have no contact with the victim.
Prosecutor Knapp said, “Detective Craig May and Detective Lydia Negron did an outstanding job locating this defendant and bringing him to justice. Assistant Prosecutor Gloria Rispoli led the prosecution and is also to be highly commended.”
Prosecutor Knapp thanked the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, Dover Police Detective Bureau, Randolph Township Police Department and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, whose efforts contributed to the investigation and resolution of the matter.
FLORHAM PARK — The Township Committee will convene its 2020 Reorganization Meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, at 6:00 p.m.
The meeting will take place in the Main Meeting Room at the Municipal Building, 111 Ridgedale Avenue. Please join in congratulating our elected officials Councilwoman Kristen Santoro and Councilman William Zuckerman as they are sworn into office as well as the appointment of other Borough Officials and Borough Employees.
Refreshments Will Be Served Directly After the Meeting.
Phoebe is fun, playful, and super loving. She also LOVES other dogs! Phoebe is very affectionate and loves to give kisses. She also enjoys playing with toys but is respectful with them and will happily give them up to you. Phoebe is also a lady at her food bowl.
