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Republican Branchville, Frankford Commissioner Faked Military Status For Tax Break: AG
A sitting Sussex County Commissioner has been indicted for falsely claiming a veteran’s exemption on a New Jersey tax return, officials said.
William "Bill" Hayden, 58, of Frankford Township, was charged with one count of filing a fraudulent tax return (3rd degree), according to an announcement made by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) on Tuesday, July 15.
Hayden, who was elected to the Sussex County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 8, 2022, is also employed as a Region North Permit Supervisor with the New Jersey Department of Trans…
Storms Knock Out Power To Thousands Across NJ; Thunderstorm Watch In Effect Until 10PM
Thousands of homes and businesses lost power across New Jersey on Thursday, July 3, as storms moved through the state, according to outage data from JCP&L and PSE&G.
As of 6:15 p.m., Sussex County had the most widespread outages, with 3,029 customers in the dark, JCP&L reported. The hardest-hit towns included:
Sparta, with 1,724 outages
Ogdensburg, with 404 outages
Andover, with 298 outages
Stillwater, with 210 outages
In Morris County, 1,295 customers were without power, including:
646 in Chester
265 in Mendham Borough
136 in Mendham Township
Smaller outages were reported in…
Stanhope Man, Father Of Two, Missing Since May
Dan Butkus, a 36-year-old Sussex County resident, has been missing since Friday, May 16, his family said.
Butkus was last seen leaving his apartment in the 500 section of Stonegate Village in Stanhope, his aunt Peggy McNichol Peterson said. He left his wallet, cellphone and glasses behind, Peterson said.
He has light brown hair, brown eyes and is 5'11", weighing between 170 and 200 pounds, Stanhope Police said.
"His family and friends believe his disappearance is suspicious and are concerned for his safety and well-being," Stanhope Police said.
Police said they searched the apa…
Registered Sex Offender Admits Instructing Sparta Woman To Perform Sex Acts On Toddler: Feds
A Sussex County, NJ, woman and a Texas man admitted to exploiting a child and producing child pornography, as well as to other child pornography offenses, authorities said.
Dominique Saczawa, 34, of Sparta, and Russell Lynn Davis, Jr., 47, of Heller, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said.
Court documents say Saczawa admitted to sexually exploiting a then-4-year-old by engaging in sexual contact and then producing images and videos of that sexual contact. She also admitted to sharing these videos and…
Drug Bust: Sparta Man Ran Narcotics Lab Out Local Shop, Cops Say
One man has been charged with operating a drug production facility out of a local storefront in Sussex County, and another is facing charges for distribution, authorities said.
Devin Pupo, 38, of Sparta, and Anthony Buff, 25, of Newton, were arrested on Friday, May 23, after an extensive investigation by the Sparta Township Police Department and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Sahil K. Kabse said.
Investigators executed search warrants at several locations in Sparta, including two businesses: Green Remedies at 53 Sparta Ave. and Zenshine Smoke Shop at …
Erratic, Speeding Route 206 DWI Jeep Driver Had Open Container: Byram PD
A 35-year-old man was arrested after police say he was driving drunk with an open container of alcohol in his vehicle on Route 206 in Sussex County.
The arrest happened just after 11:15 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, according to a Byram Township Police Department media release.
An officer saw a white Jeep traveling at a low rate of speed, then noticed it weaving between lanes and speeding up and down in an erratic manner, the report said. As officers got closer, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, prompting a traffic stop.
Police say the driver, identified as Johnathan Valdez, of Warren, app…
Hamburg Dad Bryan Evans Dies Suddenly, 39
Shock and sadness spread following the sudden death of Bryan Evans, a Sussex County father of four. Evans, 39, died on Sunday, April 27 in Morristown, according to his obituary on the Pinkel Funeral Home website.
Bryan, of Hamburg was a devoted husband to Laura and a proud father to sons Bryce and Sylas, and daughters Taylor and Aryana, his obituary says. He worked at Givaudan in East Hanover since 2021 and was named Employee of the Month multiple times for his dedication and work ethic, his obit says. He was known for his kind heart, loyalty, and quiet strength.
In addition to his wife and…
Former Tenafly Cop Convicted Of Killing Husband In 'Freak Accident' Sentenced: Prosecutor
Joseph Grieco, a former Tenafly police officer convicted of fatally shooting his husband in what he called a freak accident was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Thursday, April 10, authorities said.
Grieco was previously convicted of aggravated manslaughter and faced up to 30 years in prison.
On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Grieco and his husband John Kelly, a former New York City police officer, were at their Vernon Township home after a night out with friends, Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Sahil Kabse said. Grieco, who had been drinking, retrieved his handgun, a Gen4 Glock…
Thousands Of NJ Residents Without Power As Fierce Winds Sweep Through
Thousands of New Jersey residents remained without power Monday morning, Feb. 17, after wind gusts of nearly 70 mph over the weekend.
According to the PSE&G outage center, the following areas were in the dark as of 7:50 a.m:
Burlington County: 2,400
Camden County: 787
Mercer County: 1,900
According to JCP&L, the same was true for the following customers:
Hunterdon County: 2,075
Mercer County: 787
Middlesex County: 3,236
Monmouth County: 6,384
Morris County: 1,600
Ocean County: 3,300
Restoration times are varied.
The highest wind gust in the state was 71 mph, …
60 MPH Winds, Heavy Rain Will Batter NJ, PA: Outages, Flooding Possible
A powerful storm system is sweeping across New Jersey on Sunday, Feb. 16, bringing damaging winds, heavy rain, and the potential for flooding and power outages, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The strongest winds are expected to peak in the afternoon into the evening, with gusts between 50 and 60 mph hitting many areas across the state.
The hardest-hit areas for wind gusts include Morristown, Flemington, and Trenton, where winds are forecasted to reach 50 to 60 mph through tonight. Similar gusts are expected in greater Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, Vineland, and Atlantic …
Former Tenafly Cop Convicted Of Killing Husband In What He Once Called 'Freak Accident'
A 38-year-old former Tenafly police officer has been convicted of aggravated manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his husband, a retired NYPD officer in 2023 in Sussex County, authorities said.
On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Joseph Grieco and his husband, John Kelly had returned to their Vernon home from a night out with friends, Sussex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said. Griceo had consumed alcohol at the Vernon VFW earlier that night and continued to drink while at home with Kelly and friends, Murray said.
Early the next day, Grieco retrieved his handgun and began to handle it, despite mu…
Murphy Declares State Of Emergency, New Snowfall Forecast Released As Winter Storm Nears
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency beginning Sunday morning, Jan. 19, right as the National Weather Service released a brand-new snowfall forecast for the winter storm heading toward the region.
CLICK HERE FOR LATEST FORECAST AS OF 9 AM JAN. 19, 2025.
The storm will begin with scattered showers and a low of 26 degrees Saturday night, Jan. 18, the NWS said. By Sunday afternoon, snow is expected to begin after 1 p.m., with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees. The snow could be heavy at times, with rates exceeding 1 inch per hour, especially in areas northwest of the…
