Sentence was imposed by the Honorable Christopher S. Romanyshyn, Judge of the Superior Court. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Ayala must serve the entire 25 years before he is eligible for parole.

Ayala previously pled guilty to two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13 and one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

When he entered his guilty plea, Ayala admitted to sexually assaulting the 8-year-old victim and filming the sexual assaults of the victim on his cellphone.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Unit, with assistance of the Newark Police Department, investigated the case.

Assistant Prosecutor Nicole Buermann, who handled the case, said “We want to thank the courageous young victim for coming forward and we hope this sentence will provide some sense of healing and closure.”

Ayala will be required to serve the entire 25-year sentence pursuant to the Jessica Lunsford Act and additionally was sentenced to Parole Supervision for Life and will be required to register under Megan’s Law.

On Sept. 1, 2019, a woman approached the victim asking for money in the vicinity of Halsey Street and Central Avenue. When he ignored her, a man jumped out of a Jeep with a box cutter and attacked the victim, slashing the victim in the arm, head and back.

Collazo entered a guilty plea on May 11, 2020 but absconded. On Dec. 19, 2020 Newark Police located him and took him into custody.

Today, the Honorable Christopher Romanyshyn, Judge of the Superior Court, imposed a seven year sentence.

“Newark Police did an excellent job of closing out this case and in the process got a dangerous criminal off the streets,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Lawrence Krayn, who handled the case.

Assistant Prosecutor Krayn sought the extended term because Collazo has four prior felony convictions.

Schade, 63, of Lumberton was a facilities supervisor when he siphoned $2.1 million from NJ Transit by setting up four fake companies and approving payments to them for services such as landscaping and maintenance at NJ Transit properties.

Schade entered a guilty plea on Sept. 6, 2019 to one count of second-degree conspiracy to commit theft by deception.

Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Oliveira said, “This defendant was a trusted employee of NJ Transit, authorized to sign off on expenses. He abused that trust by engaging in a fraud that resulted in millions of dollars being diverted to undeserving companies and ultimately, to him and the others who were part of this criminal scheme.’’

The scheme was uncovered in Oct. 2015 when an internal audit revealed the unexplained payments. The matter was referred to the NJ Transit Fraud Investigation Unit and ultimately to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. Schade had authority to approve payments of up to $5,000 at a time from New Jersey Transit to subcontractors for facility maintenance. Over the course of several years, he repeatedly signed off on payments to companies owned by his codefendants, including a subordinate New Jersey Transit employee, and his own nephew, who in turn paid Schade cash kickbacks.

In addition to five years in state prison, Schade is required to pay restitution in the amount of $200,000 to NJ Transit and is forever disqualified from holding public employment in New Jersey.

The others charged in the criminal scheme include:

Leonard Singleton, 39, of Newfield, a former NJ Transit mechanic, along with his wife, Shonta Singleton, 39, his mother, Calamity Singleton, 62, of Newfield, and Adam Horning, 35, of Marlton. Calamity Singleton was admitted to Pretrial Intervention, a diversionary program. Shonta Singleton pleaded guilty to corporate misconduct and received probation; Leonard Singleton also pleaded guilty to corporate misconduct and is scheduled to be sentenced to three years in State Prison on Sept.16. No sentencing date has been scheduled for Horning.

Serrano was sentenced to eight years for possession with the intent to sell heroin within 500 feet of public housing. He was also sentenced to five years for possession with the intent to sell crack cocaine, five years for possession with the intent to sell cocaine within 1,000 feet of school property, and five years for possession of a stolen vehicle. The sentences will run concurrently. Serrano must serve four years in New Jersey State Prison before he is eligible for parole.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Donato D’Angelo, on June 14, 2018, Newark Police were alerted that Serrano was selling drugs from his apartment. After securing a search warrant for the location, officers entered the apartment and recovered 114 vials of crack cocaine from the kitchen and bedroom.

During his guilty plea on May 8, Serrano also admitted to being in possession of 45 decks of heroin with the intent to sell within 500 feet of Wynona Lipman Gardens, 24 vials of cocaine with the intent to sell within 1,000 feet of Franklin Elementary School, and possession of a stolen 2008 Hyundai Sonata.

“This defendant put kids, families, and entire neighborhoods at a significant risk of harm by selling dangerous drugs throughout the Newark area. I applaud the Newark Police for keeping our community members safe as their law enforcement efforts have literally saved people’s lives,” said Assistant Prosecutor D’Angelo.

The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Ronald D. Wigler, the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division. In December, Palomo pled guilty to vehicular homicide. Under the No Early Release Act, Palomo must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

On March 17, 2019 at approximately 6:39 p.m. McCauley was struck from behind by a white pick-up truck while his car was stopped at a red light on the exit ramp of I-280 and First Street in Newark. McCauley sustained serious injuries and on March 23 he died from those injuries.

Palomo, the driver of the white pick-up truck that struck McCauley, fled the scene, according to Assistant Prosecutor Brian Pollock. He was quickly apprehended. The investigation revealed that Palomo was traveling at a high rate of speed and driving under the influence of alcohol, Prosecutor Pollock said.

“Defendant’s decision to drive after drinking prematurely ended the very promising life of a vibrant and altruistic 19-year-old man and caused unfathomable pain to those that loved him. If the deterrent effect of defendant’s long prison term spares just one family the same pain suffered by Jaleel McCauley’s family, then it will be justified,” said Assistant Prosecutor Pollock.

Under the terms of the plea agreement Robinson must serve 18 years before he is eligible for parole. After parole, he must remain on parole supervision for five more years, according to Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab who was preparing to begin jury selection in the case when Robinson decided to plea.

On Sept. 5, 2014 Gibson was shot and killed outside of his Rhode Island Avenue home during an attempted robbery.

“This was truly a senseless act of violence because the victim did not have any money or items of value on him at the time,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Edwab. “The defendant already had a cellphone and wallet that belong to a woman Gibson was talking to at the time but Gibson had nothing.’’

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15 before the Honorable James Donohue, Judge of the Superior Court. Judge Donohue took the plea today.

In addition to the homicide, Robinson also pled guilty to a weapons offense. The gun used in the fatal shooting was a ballistic match when he was arrested on Sept. 10, 2014 and charged with unlawful possession of a gun.

Hiciano, a 37-year-old mother of four, was fatally strangled by Vargas in March of 2015. When Hiciano failed to return from her job at El Merengue restaurant, her family reported her missing on March 10, 2015. Four days later her body was discovered in an apartment building on South 20^th Street in Newark. The victim and the defendant had a romantic relationship.

On Sept. 11, 2017 an Essex County jury convicted Vargas of first degree murder. Today, Judge Teare sentenced Vargas to 30 years. He must serve all 30 years before he is eligible for parole. This is his first felony conviction.

“His selfish and cowardly act of extreme domestic violence carried out against Ms. Hiciano left a still grieving family without a mother.  Ms. Hiciano was a wonderful mother and a dear friend to all that knew her. We hope that this verdict and sentence will help her children and extended family find some degree of closure in what has surely been a difficult process for them,’’ said   Assistant Prosecutor Eric Plant, who tried the case with assistance from Assistant Prosecutor Sarah Vander Woude.

In 2015, Buono and former Newark police officer Dino D’Elia, 52, of Newark were charged with two counts of computer theft and one count of conspiracy for illegally accessing a private database made available to police agencies to investigate insurance fraud.

Buono gained access to the database and D’Elia would later sell the information taken from the database to third parties for as much as $100 per search.

The illegal breach was discovered in 2014, prompting an investigation by the Newark Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Buono accessed the databased on more than 900 occasions. D’Elia sold the information through his private investigation business.

Today Buono admitted his role in the illegal scheme. Under the terms of a plea agreement he is expected to be sentenced to a non-custodial prison term. However, he must forfeiture his job as a police captain and all future public employment.

Sentencing for Buono is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2018 before Judge Ravin.

D’Elia pled guilty in April. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1, before Judge Ravin.

“It took a great deal of bravery and courage for the child to come to court, much less talk about something so traumatizing before the jury,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Lyons-Boswick, who tried the case.

Following a trial before the Honorable Verna Leath, Judge of the Superior Court, the jury convicted Destra of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, for incidents that occurred when the child was between six and seven years old.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 25, 2018. Destra faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years to life in New Jersey State Prison. Under the Jessica Lunsford Act, defendants convicted of raping children younger than 13 are required to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison without parole.

Acting Prosecutor Laurino would like to thank members of the Maplewood Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit for their hard work in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

Destra is currently being held in the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.

Following a trial before the Honorable Siobhan Teare, Judge of the Superior Court, Williamson was convicted today of aggravated manslaughter, a first-degree crime which carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years. He was also convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Williamson shot the victim, Amera Bell, 35, also of Newark eleven times with a 9 mm Ruger handgun. At least five of those gunshots struck Bell. The shooting took place on May 5, 2014 outside of 84 North Munn Avenue, Bell’s residence.

One of the bullets severed Bell’s spine, leaving her a quadriplegic, paralyzed below her neck. Bell lived in a hospital bed for 11 months but ultimately died on April 7, 2015 as a result of complications from the gunshot wounds.

Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, who tried the case, said, “Justice was served in this case. The defendant’s actions not only took the life of Ms. Bell, but victimized her loving family, who attended to her needs during her 11 months of hospitalization.  This verdict is a direct result of the tireless investigative efforts of the Newark Police Department, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and witnesses who came forward to see that justice was done. Hopefully, the verdict brings some measure of solace to the Bell family.’’

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 1.

Previously, Williamson pled guilty in an unrelated case to unlawful possession of a handgun. That incident also occurred in Newark. He is expected to be sentenced for that offense at the same time he is sentenced for the homicide. Under the terms of the plea agreement he is expected to be sentenced to 42 months in New Jersey State Prison with a 42-month period of parole ineligibility for that offense which occurred approximately eight months before the shooting of Bell.