MORRIS COUNTY — Not since the Great Depression has America faced a Labor Day such as this years. An international pandemic and extended government shutdowns of businesses have cost millions of American workers their jobs and closed many commercial enterprises permanently.

Thanks to extended help from the federal government, many families are able to make ends meet until a recovery takes place.

However, there are good economic signs that should give us hope <a href=”https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/09/04/business/stock-market-today-coronavirus#jobs-report-august-2020″>The U.S. added 1.8 million jobs in July and another 1.4 million jobs in August as unemployment fell to 8.4 percent.</a> The unemployment number is still a long way from the virtual full employment the U.S. had achieved before the pandemic hit this year, but we are headed in the right direction. Our economic recovery will go quicker as more governments loosen the shackles on business, allowing more people to get back to work.

I know many of you approach Labor Day with trepidation. Will there be a second phase of the virus? How soon will a vaccine be available? When can we resume our normal lives?  Battling the unknown can often lead to despair, but we must remember that we have history on our side.

Americans have always been extraordinarily resilient and inventive in the face of challenges. Throughout our history, we have been brilliantly creative and dynamic hard-working people.  Ordinary Americans always manage to do extraordinary things on behalf of their fellow man.  And because of that, America has overcome every obstacle and emerged from each crisis stronger and better than before. We have overcome the Civil War, the depression of the 1870s; two world wars, the Spanish Flu pandemic, the Great Depression, and murderous international terrorists.

There is no reason to believe we will not come out of this crisis as good or better than before – as long as we work together. We cannot allow ourselves to be divided by those who spread the disease of divisiveness. We must remember that the USA is one very great nation that was built by men and women who stood up to adversity and conquered it.

We will do so again. And by our next celebration of Labor Day, we will be applauding the contributions of America’s workforce as it leads us to renewed prosperity and hope.

Please enjoy the holiday weekend safely

<strong>BettyLou DeCroce
</strong><strong>Assemblywoman (District 26)</strong>

MORRIS COUNTY — There is still time to enroll for the Fall Semester at County College of Morris (CCM). The college also has a number of programs to help fund higher education so students can keep moving forward during these challenging times.

The Fall Semester begins on September 9. In addition to the traditional length semester, CCM also offers a 13 Week Semester that begins on September 23 and a Late Start 7 Week Semester that starts November 4.

Students enrolling for the Fall Semester at CCM are provided with additional flexibility. There are now three format options for courses. Those formats are remote, online, and hybrid. Remote courses are similar to live classes in that they take place through video conferencing on specific days and times. Online courses take place virtually but do not require attendance at a specific time. Hybrid courses are for those programs, such as engineering and science, that require some in-person learning on campus and the remainder online.

By enrolling at CCM, students can focus on taking care of their general education requirements to transfer to a four-year school at a later date; explore their options with more than 100 degrees, certificate, and training programs; and get started on a rewarding and fulfilling career path. A number of programs are offered to high school students so they can get a head start on higher education. To learn about those programs click here.

CCM recognizes the challenges that students face in funding their education. CCM offers several programs students can apply to determine if they qualify for free assistance.

Free Tuition
Free tuition is available for CCM students through the New Jersey Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG). Students taking six or more credits may qualify for these funds to cover both tuition and fees. To learn more and to apply click here.

CARES Funds
For students who were enrolled in a degree or certificate program during the Spring 2020 Semester, CCM currently has more than $1M in federal CARES dollars so they can continue their studies this fall. Those funds can be used not only to help with tuition but to take care of living costs such as rent, utilities, clothing, and childcare. To find out more and to apply click here.

Scholarships
The CCM Foundation has nearly $300,000 available to award to students as scholarships this fall. The Foundation also operates the Titan Emergency Fund to provide students with money to take care of unexpected expenses ranging from car repairs, to rent, to medical care and more. To apply for a scholarship click here.

Financial Aid
In addition to the money offered through CARES, CCOG, and Foundation Scholarships, the CCM Office of Financial Aid awards more than $12M each year to students. A significant portion of those awards consists of Pell Grants, which unlike loans, do not need to be paid back. To learn more about financial aid at CCM click here.

To enroll for the Fall 2020 Semester at CCM click here.

NEW JERSEY — A Peruvian national in the country illegally, who has an Interpol warrant in Peru for aggravated robbery, is among 77 foreign nationals arrested during recent enforcement actions conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in New Jersey from July 22 to August 20, targeting individuals with arrests or convictions for assault, domestic violence, other crimes involving victims.

ICE officers arrested more than 2,000 at-large individuals living illegally in the U.S., or who are removable from the U.S. due to their criminal histories, from July 13 to August 20.

About 85 percent of those arrested nationally by ICE on immigration charges also had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

“The remarkable results of our officers and law enforcement partners highlight ICE’s ongoing commitment to public safety,” said John Tsoukaris, field office director of ERO Newark. “This enforcement action focused on targeting individuals that have been arrested or convicted of crimes involving victims as well as those who pose a risk to public safety. Because of the targeted efforts of these professional officers, there are fewer criminals in our communities.”
These individuals will go through removal proceedings before an immigration judge, or for those under a final order of removal, arrangements will be made to remove them from the U.S.

The individuals arrested throughout New Jersey were nationals of Brazil (1), China (1), Colombia (2), Costa Rica (1), Dominican Republic (6), Ecuador (5), El Salvador (7), Guatemala (12), Guyana (1), Haiti (2), Honduras (8), India (1), Jamaica (1), Mexico (22), Nicaragua (1), Peru (2), Trinidad (1), United Kingdom (2), and Venezuela (1).

These individuals were arrested in the following counties in New Jersey: Atlantic (1), Bergen (7), Burlington (8), Camden (3), Cumberland (3), Essex (5), Hudson (3), Mercer (7), Middlesex (6), Monmouth (6), Morris (1), Ocean (6), Passaic (7), Somerset (3), Union (10), and Warren (1). The individuals arrested range from age 19 to 63 years old and most were previously convicted of domestic violence offenses. Some of the other convictions included homicide, sexual assault on a minor, criminal sexual contact, child fondling, possession of marijuana, DUI, fraud, possession of a weapon, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, larceny, rioting, public order crimes, robbery, burglary, and illegal reentry.

Among those arrested during this targeted enforcement action include:

• • In Newark, a 30-year-old Guatemalan national, who has an arrest warrant in Guatemala for the offenses of homicide and aggravated robbery.
  • In Rockaway, a 31-year-old Belize national, who is the subject of a warrant in Texas for the offense of aggravated sexual assault of a minor;
  • In Hackensack, a 29-year-old Indian national, who has a conviction for criminal sexual contact;
  • In Hackensack, a 32-year-old Dominican national, who has a conviction for the offense of child fondling;
  • In Plainfield, a 61-year-old previously deported Mexican national, who has a conviction for fraud by wire;
  • In Newark, a 48-year-old Guyanese national, who has a conviction for the offense of child fondling
  • In Paterson, a 36-year-old Dominican national, who has a conviction for the offense of larceny;
  • In Carteret a 40-year-old previously deported El Salvadorian, who has a conviction for the offense of burglary;
  • In Guttenberg, a 51-year-old Venezuelan national, who has a conviction for the offense larceny;
  • In Toms River, a 29-year-old United Kingdom national, who has a conviction for the possession of a weapon;
  • In Trenton, a 35-year-old Guatemalan national who has a conviction for driving under the influence;
  • In Clifton, a 44-year-old Dominican national, who has a conviction for domestic violence;
  • In Brick, a 32-year-old- Mexican national, who has a conviction for domestic violence;
  • In Camden, a 43-year-old- Mexican national, who has a conviction for domestic violence;
  • In Mt. Laurel, a 38-year-old- Columbian national, who has a conviction for fraud and illegal use of credit cards;
  • In Lakewood, a 23-year-old Mexican national, who is a member of the La Gran Familia Mexicana gang;
  • In Newark, a 34-year-old Chinese national was charged with money laundering;
  • In Mt. Laurel, a 28-year-old El Salvadorian national was charged with child neglect

ICE continues to target criminal aliens and other public safety and national security threats every day. ICE does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All those in violation of immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States. ICE takes many factors into account when targeting and arresting individuals, including their criminal and immigration history.

Victims of crime committed by individuals with a nexus to immigration are encouraged to contact ICE’s VOICE office if they need assistance. The VOICE office affords victims and their loved ones a single point of contact to obtain information regarding criminal aliens in ICE custody, including the ability to get automated custody status information, releasable case history about the perpetrator, or having an ICE representative explain the immigration enforcement and removal process. The toll-free VOICE Hotline number is 1-855-48-VOICE.

ICE exercises all appropriate prosecutorial discretion when encountering the family members of arrest targets and evaluates each individual situation to determine the appropriate course of action. According to ICE Directive 10076.1 Prosecutorial Discretion: Certain Victims, Witnesses, and Plaintiffs, ICE should exercise all appropriate prosecutorial discretion to minimize any effect that immigration enforcement may have on the willingness and ability of victims, witnesses, and plaintiffs to call the police and pursue justice.

TRENTON — Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) announced that New Jersey’s two largest wine and spirits wholesalers will pay $4 million each to resolve findings that they engaged in discriminatory trade practices that unfairly favored their largest retail customers. In addition, twenty retailers statewide will pay a total of $2.3 million for their part in the unlawful scheme.

In separate Consent Orders with ABC, wholesalers Allied Beverage Group and Fedway Associates agreed to pay record-high monetary penalties and change their business practices to resolve trade violations uncovered during a sweeping two-year investigation by ABC’s Enforcement and Investigations Bureaus.

The investigation found that the wholesalers – which together account for approximately 70% of all wine and 80% of all spirits sold at wholesale in the State – unfairly favored 20 of the State’s largest wine and spirits retailers and put smaller retailers at a competitive disadvantage by manipulating the retailer incentive program (RIP), granting credit extensions and interest-free loans, and engaging in other discriminatory practices.

“Simply put, Allied Beverage Group and Fedway Associates rigged the market in favor of a handpicked group of powerful retailers, leaving smaller businesses struggling to compete. The unprecedented monetary penalties imposed reflect the egregiousness of this conduct and the widespread negative impact it had on New Jersey consumers and retailers,” said Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. “This settlement sends a clear message that we will not tolerate this manipulative and anticompetitive behavior.”

The RIPs provide cash rebates paid to retailers by wholesalers for purchasing certain quantities of alcoholic beverages. ABC regulations control the program by making RIPs available to all retailers on a non-discriminatory basis, by keeping the RIP payments to retailers relatively small, and by not allowing wholesalers to substitute RIPs for interest-free loans.

The investigation found that Allied Beverage Group and Fedway Associates were giving chosen retailers a financial advantage by issuing rebates more often and in greater amounts than allowed. They also failed to wait the required 30 days before issuing rebates, thus allowing those retailers to use that money to pay for the orders for which the rebates were issued, which is against ABC regulations. Retailers who do not pay for orders within 30 days are put on industry-wide cash-only delivery status, so the early rebates ensured that the larger retailers would have a ready cash flow to pay for their orders on time, giving them an unfair edge over smaller retailers who had to use their own money to pay for their wine and spirits orders within the required 30-day window.

The investigation also found that Allied Beverage Group and Fedway Associates falsified records related to RIPs and/or used undocumented gift cards to make cash payments to chosen retailers that were not accounted for.

“Retail incentives are a legitimate marketing tool as long they are above board and available equally to all retailers. Discriminatory practices like these foster instability in the market by harming smaller retailers” said James Graziano, Acting Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. “If left unchecked, the ability of small retailers to remain in business may have been jeopardized and consumers would have less access to retail stores and the specialized product selections that they offer. We will continue to monitor industry practices to ensure an equal playing field in New Jersey’s alcoholic beverage retail industry and hold violators accountable for noncompliance.”

The monetary payments from Allied and Fedway are the largest in ABC’s history, and in addition, both entities each agreed to adopt a corrective action plan; employ a compliance monitor for two years; make upgrades to their computer systems; and facilitate the retirement, resignation and/or termination of certain employees. (Click here for Allied Beverage Group Consent Order.) – (Click here for Fedway Associates Consent Order.)

The following retailers were charged with ABC violations that included accepting the delivery of alcoholic beverages from Allied and/or Fenway upon terms that violated ABC regulations; accepting a loan from a wholesaler to pay a wholesaler and/or avoid being placed on cash-on-delivery status; receiving a RIP before paying the invoice, receiving a RIP in excess of allowed maximum on a product. Each retailer entered a Consent Order with ABC to resolve the charges, with the following settlement terms:

• 70 Wine and Spirits, LLC, t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• Ashburn Corp., t/a Roger Wilco: $200,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• Birchfield Ventures, Inc., t/a Joe Canal’s Discount Liquor Market (Woodbridge): $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension.
• Birchfield Ventures, Inc. t/a Joe Canal’s Discount Liquor Outlet (Lawrenceville): $160,000 monetary offer compromise in lieu of suspension.
• Bernardsville Wine Company, LLC t/a Gary’s Wine & Marketplace: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• BLW World, Inc., t/a Liquor World of Fort Lee: $110,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension.
• Closter Wine and Spirits t/a Gary’s Wine & Marketplace: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• Ecclipse LLC, t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• The Hudson Wine Market t/a Hudson Wine Market: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension.
• Jelma, Inc., t/a Gary’s Wine & Marketplace: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• Leiham Corp., t/a Bayway World of Liquors: $375,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus phased-in retirement of the manager and other corrective action.
• Meritage Wine Cellars LLC, t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• MM Wine & Spirits Inc., t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• Richard McAdam, Inc., t/a Stirling World of Liquor and Stirling Fine Wines: $110,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension.
• Somerset Wine Company, LLC, t/a Gary’s Wine & Marketplace: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• SVGI, Inc., t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• SVGS Inc., t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 (including $62,500 unaccounted for cash seized from the store) monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• Vinvigo, LLC, t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• VSGI LLC, t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.
• Vive Naini, LLC, t/a Vingo Wine and Spirits: $90,000 monetary offer in compromise in lieu of suspension plus corrective action.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Morris County Acting Chief of Investigations Chris Kimker, and Chief Assistant Prosecutor Brad Seabury announce that the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Special Operations Division has been presented with the Guns, Gangs & Drugs Law Enforcement Award by the New Jersey Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association.

The NJNEOA presented the award to Prosecutor Knapp on September 3, 2020, at their
2020 Training Conference in Atlantic City.

The award highlights the accomplishments of the agencies involved in “Operation Carrera,” including the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Parsippany Troy-Hills Police Department Special Enforcement Unit/ Investigative Division, and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office. Members of the MCPO received individual awards.

Those recognized by the NJNEOA include Assistant Prosecutor Erin Callahan, Det. Supervisor Stephanie Merced, Det. Supervisor Ramon Lopez, Det. Kerri Griffin, Det. Jimmy Atoche, and TFO Danny Corrales.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office was recognized for its vigorous drug enforcement efforts, exhibiting a high degree of professionalism, integrity, and dedication above and beyond the call of duty.

Prosecutor Knapp said, “Members of the Morris County Narcotics Task Force have been regularly recognized for excellence by the NJNEOA. Those who were named today have made outstanding contributions to narcotics interdiction along with our law enforcement partners. It was my honor to be present at the awards ceremony, along with fellow prosecutors from across the State.”