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Essex County Prosecutor's Office
Serving the People of Essex County, NJ
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Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that the Honorable Peter V. Ryan, J.S.C., sentenced Colleth Merle Rhodes, 54, of Staten Island, N.Y. and Elizabeth, N.J., to 7 years in state prison for one count of second degree theft. While working as an account manager at XCEL Federal Credit Union in Bloomfield, Rhodes…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Acting Orange Police Director Hakim Sims announced that two individuals have been charged with the murder of Malcolm Bagley, a 19-year-old Orange resident who was attending Dean College in Massachusetts. “Malcolm Bagley was a young man with a bright future until he was violently and senselessly killed…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Montclair Police Chief David Sabagh announced today that Ernest Williams, Jr., 21, of Montclair has been arrested and charged with the murder of Brian Schiavetti, a 21-year-old of Villanova University student from Ridgefield, Ct. “Our detectives and those the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that an Essex County jury convicted Luis A. Santiago, 44, of Newark of 20 counts, including kidnapping and multiple counts of aggravated sexual assaulting for attacking his 26-year-old neighbor. After deliberating over three days, the jury returned a verdict late today finding Santiago guilty of dragging…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that an Essex County jury convicted Joel Hester, 25, of Newark for the murder of Oscar Ayo, Jr., 31, of Newark. The jury reached its verdict after approximately four hours of deliberation. In addition to first degree murder, Hester, a reputed Bloods gang member whose street…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio announced today the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force and Newark Police are investigating a fatal shooting involving an off-duty Essex County Corrections Officer. The preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 10:55 p.m. yesterday an off-duty corrections officer was approached…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that the Honorable Peter J. Vazquez, J.S.C., sentenced Edelbarto Padilla, 36, of Highland Park to 50 years in state prison for the murder of Carlos Manuel Freitas, 27, of Newark. On October 24, 2002, the two men had an altercation at the Ugha Ugha Social Club…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that an Essex County jury convicted Jean Joseph, 39, of Irvington of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl. In April of 2010 when the crime occurred, the child was in the defendant’s home because the defendant’s mother was babysitting. Joseph brought the child to a secluded bedroom…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that the Honorable Martin G. Cronin, J.S.C., sentenced Robert Claybrook, 31, of Orange to 14 years in state prison for stabbing his former girlfriend with a 12” butcher’s knife. On September 16, 2011, the victim was found lying in the street near Linden Avenue in Bloomfield…
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that Matthew Kirnan, 52, of Ramsey entered a guilty plea admitting he stole $750,000 from three clients he was representing in real estate and other legal transactions. Kirnan, a disbarred attorney, represented himself, when he pleaded guilty on July 16 to three counts of theft by…
