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Serial NJ Bank Fraudster’s $1.8M Scheme Leads To Long Prison Term: Feds Serial NJ Bank Fraudster’s $1.8M Scheme Leads To Long Prison Term: Feds Serial NJ Bank Fraudster’s $1.8M Scheme Leads To Long Prison Term: Feds
Serial NJ Bank Fraudster’s $1.8M Scheme Leads To Long Prison Term: Feds A notorious bank fraudster from New Jersey is headed to federal prison after ripping off customers, businesses, and banks across the tristate area, federal investigators said. Laquan Williams, 42, of Florham Park, was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 13 to 16 years and eight months in prison, the Justice Department said. Williams stole at least $1.8 million from various financial institutions through three overlapping schemes that ran from October 2021 to May 2024, the feds said. The most lucrative operation involved stolen U.S. Treasury checks, in which Williams and co-conspirators impersonated le…

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by Joe Wilkinson
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Driver Speeds Toward Cop, Crashes Camaro On Route 46, Flees On Foot: Police Driver Speeds Toward Cop, Crashes Camaro On Route 46, Flees On Foot: Police Driver Speeds Toward Cop, Crashes Camaro On Route 46, Flees On Foot: Police
Driver Speeds Toward Cop, Crashes Camaro On Route 46, Flees On Foot: Police A 21-year-old Bergen County man accused of accelerating his Chevrolet Camaro directly toward a police officer before crashing on Route 46 and fleeing on foot has been arrested, authorities said. Wilmer J. Gamezsuchite, of Palisades Park, was charged with eluding following the incident that began around 9:10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, Police Chief George Beck said. Officers Christian Sisco, Marc Larrea and Jasper Chau responded to 10th Street and East Palisades Boulevard after receiving a report of a vehicle striking parked cars and fleeing, Beck said. Police identified a white Chevrolet Camaro…

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by Cecilia Levine
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NJ Man Vandalized Statue At University Of Tennessee: Police NJ Man Vandalized Statue At University Of Tennessee: Police NJ Man Vandalized Statue At University Of Tennessee: Police
NJ Man Vandalized Statue At University Of Tennessee: Police Beckett Nachtman, a 19-year-old Cranford native, is facing felony charges after he vandalized a statue at the University of Tennessee. Nachtman is charged with felony vandalism after he damaged a statue of Smokey, the University of Tennessee's mascot, outside Gate 21 Plaza on Saturday, Oct. 10, University of Tennessee police said.  He was visiting people on campus when the vandalism occurred. Surveillance footage showed Nachtman vandalizing the statue before running away, according to WCYB. While being interviewed by police, Nachtman admitted to intentionally kicking the statue in the …

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by Sam Barron
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Wheelie Gone Wrong: Motorcyclist Slams Into Lexus In Hackensack, Police Say Wheelie Gone Wrong: Motorcyclist Slams Into Lexus In Hackensack, Police Say Wheelie Gone Wrong: Motorcyclist Slams Into Lexus In Hackensack, Police Say
Wheelie Gone Wrong: Motorcyclist Slams Into Lexus In Hackensack, Police Say A motorcyclist performing a wheelie lost control and slammed into the back of a Lexus SUV in Hackensack, sending him to the hospital, authorities said. The crash happened on South Summit Avenue around 11:27 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, Hackensack Police Detective Captain Darrin DeWitt said. A 26-year-old Hackensack woman driving a 2025 Lexus NX was heading north when she slowed to turn right into a residential driveway, DeWitt said. Behind her, a 27-year-old Lodi man riding a 2021 Kawasaki motorcycle performed a wheelie before landing on both wheels, losing control and rear-ending the SUV, an in…

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by Cecilia Levine
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Route 4 Dump Truck Crash Downs Wires, Trapping Driver Route 4 Dump Truck Crash Downs Wires, Trapping Driver Route 4 Dump Truck Crash Downs Wires, Trapping Driver
Route 4 Dump Truck Crash Downs Wires, Trapping Driver A dump truck struck multiple utility poles on Route 4 in Paramus, bringing down live electrical wires that trapped its driver and causing major traffic backups in both directions, incident photographer Boyd A. Loving reports Wednesday morning, Oct. 14. The crash happened on the eastbound side of the highway between Spring Valley Road and Forest Avenue. Live wires fell onto the truck, temporarily trapping the driver, who was not injured, Loving said. Eastbound traffic was restricted to the left lane as police, firefighters, rescue crews and utility workers responded. A separate cra…

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by Cecilia Levine
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Fugitive ‘Blood Feud’ Murderer Captured In New York After 25 Years On The Run: Authorities Fugitive ‘Blood Feud’ Murderer Captured In New York After 25 Years On The Run: Authorities Fugitive ‘Blood Feud’ Murderer Captured In New York After 25 Years On The Run: Authorities
Fugitive ‘Blood Feud’ Murderer Captured In New York After 25 Years On The Run: Authorities A murderous fugitive from Albania wanted for two “blood feud” murders and another killing has been arrested in New York, authorities said. Valentin Ftoni was on the run for more than 25 years before law enforcement caught up with him Thursday, Oct. 8, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Ftoni had been convicted in absentia for killings in 2000 and 2001, according to Albanian news outlet CNA. He murdered a husband and wife in 2000 for “blood feud reasons” and another man in 2001, CNA reported. Upon his return to Albania, Ftoni faces 25 years in prison on both convictions, the U.S. Marshals sai…

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by Joe Wilkinson
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Tesla Driver Pinned By Tree Branch In Garden State Parkway Crash: Firefighters Tesla Driver Pinned By Tree Branch In Garden State Parkway Crash: Firefighters Tesla Driver Pinned By Tree Branch In Garden State Parkway Crash: Firefighters
Tesla Driver Pinned By Tree Branch In Garden State Parkway Crash: Firefighters A Tesla driver was pinned by a tree branch after veering off the Garden State Parkway and crashing into the woods in Bergen County, authorities said. The crash happened in the southbound lanes near milepost 167.2 in Washington Township around 7:55 p.m., New Jersey State Police Trooper II Christopher Postorino said. The driver lost control of the SUV, ran off the left side of the highway and struck a tree, Postorino said. The Township of Washington Fire Department arrived to find the Tesla in the woods, with the driver trapped inside by a tree branch. A passenger had managed to get out on t…

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by Cecilia Levine
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Husband Of Harvard-Stanford UPMC Doctor Charged With Murder, Arson As Daughter Slept Husband Of Harvard-Stanford UPMC Doctor Charged With Murder, Arson As Daughter Slept Husband Of Harvard-Stanford UPMC Doctor Charged With Murder, Arson As Daughter Slept
Husband Of Harvard-Stanford Upmc Doctor Charged With Murder, Arson As Daughter Slept A Harvard and Stanford graduate who became a UPMC pediatrician was killed by her husband, who then set her body on fire inside their Harrisburg home while their 7-year-old daughter slept upstairs, police said. Jonathan Alan Gatto, 41, was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated arson, arson, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the killing of his wife, Dr. Julia Pederson, 41, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice. Gatto is being held at Dauphin County Prison without bail following his arrest on Tuesday, Oct…

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by Jillian Pikora
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19 Fire Alarms Go Off Almost At Once In Bergen County Town In 'Extremely Rare' Incident 19 Fire Alarms Go Off Almost At Once In Bergen County Town In 'Extremely Rare' Incident 19 Fire Alarms Go Off Almost At Once In Bergen County Town In 'Extremely Rare' Incident
19 Fire Alarms Go Off Almost At Once In Bergen County Town In 'Extremely Rare' Incident Fire alarms went off at 19 buildings across one Bergen County town almost simultaneously early Tuesday morning, Oct. 13, sending firefighters scrambling across town in what officials called an extremely rare incident. The Montvale Volunteer Fire Department began receiving reports of multiple fire alarm activations around 5:15 a.m., according to a statement shared to Facebook. Firefighters quickly determined the alarms were connected to sprinkler systems and changes in water pressure. Veolia had been performing work on the town's water tank and pumps, triggering water flow alarms in 19 …

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by Cecilia Levine
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Power Grid Emergency Issued In NJ: What To Know About Unusual October Alert Power Grid Emergency Issued In NJ: What To Know About Unusual October Alert Power Grid Emergency Issued In NJ: What To Know About Unusual October Alert
Power Grid Emergency Issued In NJ: What To Know About Unusual October Alert The world's largest power grid operator has issued an emergency alert as unusually warm October weather and widespread equipment outages put pressure on electricity supplies across the region, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania. PJM Interconnection issued a Maximum Generation Alert and Load Management Alert for Tuesday, Oct. 13, as higher electricity demand and planned equipment outages put pressure on the regional power supply. The alerts mean power companies are being asked to keep as much equipment running as possible, including postponing maintenance that could take power plants or t…

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by Cecilia Levine
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Trouble In The Air, Charges On The Ground: Duct-Taped Newark-Bound Passenger Faces Prison Time Trouble In The Air, Charges On The Ground: Duct-Taped Newark-Bound Passenger Faces Prison Time Trouble In The Air, Charges On The Ground: Duct-Taped Newark-Bound Passenger Faces Prison Time
Trouble In The Air, Charges On The Ground: Duct-Taped Newark-Bound Passenger Faces Prison Time The American Airlines passenger who had to be restrained with duct tape and zip ties during a flight that was diverted to Maryland is now facing a much bigger problem on the ground. Layne Lundeen, 67, of Tucson, Arizona, was indicted on charges stemming from a confrontation aboard a Dallas-to-Newark flight that was diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Anne Arundel County on Thursday, Sept. 3. Federal prosecutors announced the indictment on Tuesday, Oct. 13, alleging that Lundeen assaulted a fellow passenger and interfered with flight attendants and cre…

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by Zak Failla and Cecilia Levine
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Mom Killed Husband, 3-Year-Old Son At Great Wolf Lodge In Poconos: Police Mom Killed Husband, 3-Year-Old Son At Great Wolf Lodge In Poconos: Police Mom Killed Husband, 3-Year-Old Son At Great Wolf Lodge In Poconos: Police
Mom Killed Husband, 3-Year-Old Son At Great Wolf Lodge In Poconos: Police A family vacation at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos ended with a father and his 3-year-old son stabbed to death inside their hotel room, and the child's mother charged with both killings, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, of Towanda, Pennsylvania, is charged with two counts of criminal homicide in the deaths of her husband, Charles "Chaz" Harrison, and their 3-year-old son, identified in court documents only as T.H. The killings happened inside Room 2030 at Great Wolf Lodge, located at 1 Great Wolf Drive in Scotrun, Monro…

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by Jillian Pikora