BRICK — Theft charges have been filed against a former New Jersey police officer who allegedly stole funds while serving as treasurer of a police union. Authorities say 34-year-old Jeffrey Lempicki turned himself in this week at the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. The former Brick Township officer stands accused of stealing more than $500 from his PBA local. The charges...

BRICK — Theft charges have been filed against a former New Jersey police officer who allegedly stole funds while serving as treasurer of a police union.

Authorities say 34-year-old Jeffrey Lempicki turned himself in this week at the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

The former Brick Township officer stands accused of stealing more than $500 from his PBA local. The charges stem from a two-month investigation conducted by Brick police and the prosecutor's office, but further details on the matter were not disclosed.

Lempicki had been with the Brick force for nearly 12 years before he resigned in March. He did not immediately return a telephone message today and it was not known if he had retained a lawyer.

TEANECK — Saddle Brook police say they chased a Ridgefield Park man through six towns after he refused to pull over for a traffic stop early this morning, according to a report on NorthJersey.com. The chase ended in Teaneck where the man, Christopher Yager, lost control of his car and crashed head-on into a tree, which set fire, the report...

TEANECK — Saddle Brook police say they chased a Ridgefield Park man through six towns after he refused to pull over for a traffic stop early this morning, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.

The chase ended in Teaneck where the man, Christopher Yager, lost control of his car and crashed head-on into a tree, which set fire, the report said. The 21-year-old man, who injured his leg, was charged with driving while under the influence, reckless driving, speeding, failure to stop at red traffic signals and eluding.

NEWARK — Two men were shot in the 400 block of South 20th Street around 7:30 p.m. today, said Newark police Det. Hubert Henderson. One was shot in the torso and the other in the shoulder, Henderson said, and both were taken to University Hospital for treatment. While police were processing the scene, a black Jaguar approaching the police...

Google MapsTwo men were shot in the 400 block of South 20th Street in Newark tonight.

NEWARK — Two men were shot in the 400 block of South 20th Street around 7:30 p.m. today, said Newark police Det. Hubert Henderson.

One was shot in the torso and the other in the shoulder, Henderson said, and both were taken to University Hospital for treatment.

While police were processing the scene, a black Jaguar approaching the police line accelerated, smashing through two parked, empty police cars and flipped over, Samuel DeMaio, acting police director, said at the scene. The driver and passenger then got out and ran away, but police chased them and apprehended them.

One officer was treated at the scene for chest pains and shortness of breath following the chase, DeMaio said.

The black Jaguar was carjacked earlier tonight from Bloomfield, DeMaio said. Police found keys for several other vehicles believed to be carjacked on the suspect, including one taken from East Orange and another two from Newark.

NEWARK — Three people were shot in Newark early tonight, said Newark police Detective Hubert Henderson. The first incident was reported at 6:15 p.m. in the 100 block of Brunswick Street, Henderson said. A man was shot multiple times in the back and was taken to University Hospital for treatment. At about 6:30 p.m., police responded to Broad and...

Google MapsA man was shot multiple times in the back tonight in the 100 block of Brunswick Street.

NEWARK — Three people were shot in Newark early tonight, said Newark police Detective Hubert Henderson.

The first incident was reported at 6:15 p.m. in the 100 block of Brunswick Street, Henderson said. A man was shot multiple times in the back and was taken to University Hospital for treatment.

At about 6:30 p.m., police responded to Broad and Astor streets, where another two men had been shot, one in the chest and one in the leg, Henderson said. The victims, whose names are not being released, were taken to University Hospital for treatment, he said.

No more information was immediately available.

Anyone with information about this or other crimes is asked to call the 24-hour "Crime Stoppers" anonymous tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS (695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (695-4867).

ELIZABETH — It was late October of last year, and Elizabeth police officers Eric Martins, James Szpond and Lamar Boone were doing a routine investigation of a serious assault. Then, in an instant, they found themselves facing the prospect of death. The trio were approached by someone who pulled out two weapons — a shotgun and a handgun — pulled...

ELIZABETH — It was late October of last year, and Elizabeth police officers Eric Martins, James Szpond and Lamar Boone were doing a routine investigation of a serious assault.

Then, in an instant, they found themselves facing the prospect of death. The trio were approached by someone who pulled out two weapons — a shotgun and a handgun — pulled the trigger of each, then ran away.

The officers took cover in time to avoid injury, then turned to shoot back. It was too risky, they decided, because they might hit bystanders. Instead, they chased the suspect, who was still armed, up North Broad and called for assistance. The person, who still had a handgun, was eventually captured.

For those actions, the three officers were recognized on Friday with an award for valor by the Two Hundred Club of Union County, which provided that account of the incident. The three were among 17 police officers and firefighters honored this year.

The Two Hundred Club is organized by about 400 members of the county’s business community, said Brian Gallagher, the group’s business administrator and the mayor of Somerville. It started as a way to help the families of fallen officers and recognize those who carry out extraordinary acts.

Today, though, the club also provides educational grants assistance to active duty police officers and firefighters, and scholarships to some of their children.

"In a world of bad news we live in these days, these are stories of good news and, literally, local heroes," Gallagher said. "The men and woman who win this valor award, they all say the same thing, they were just doing their job."

Previous coverage:

• Seventeen heroes to be honored at the 200 Club Valor Award luncheon, May 6

Officials say the subpoena is part of a statewide probe of doctors who improperly prescribe human-growth hormones

Federal prosecutors have issued a subpoena seeking the names of hundreds of law enforcement officers and firefighters who obtained anabolic steroids through an unscrupulous Jersey City doctor, part of a wider criminal probe targeting physicians who improperly prescribe the drugs.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark served the subpoena on the New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, which collects data from pharmacies on every prescription they fill for steroids and other controlled dangerous substances, according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation.

The drugs were shipped to the officers and firefighters in New Jersey from a pharmacy in Brooklyn.

The officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said prosecutors do not intend to bring charges against the steroid users unless it’s determined they sold the substances.

Rather, one of the officials said, the aim is to find out if the officers and firefighters obtained the drugs from other doctors after the death of Joseph Colao, a Jersey City physician who prescribed steroids and human growth hormone when they weren’t medically necessary.

"The plan is for the information to be applied any way it can in a statewide probe of doctors who improperly prescribe this stuff," one of the law enforcement officials said. "We don’t think it’s isolated."

The subpoena marks the first indication of federal involvement on the issue in New Jersey. The state Attorney General’s Office has been examining steroid use in law enforcement since December, when The Star-Ledger published a three-part series focusing largely on Colao, a steroid user who was 45 when he died.

The newspaper found he prescribed steroids or growth hormone to at least 248 officers and firefighters through the Brooklyn pharmacy in 2006 and 2007.

Because the uniformed public servants used their government-sponsored health plans, taxpayers unwittingly subsidized the steroid use, paying out millions of dollars.

The Star-Ledger found that after Colao’s death in August 2007, his patients flocked to other physicians who specialize in prescribing the substances.

Steroids and growth hormone have legitimate medical uses, but authorities and many in the medical community say more and more doctors are prescribing them illegally under the guise of "anti-aging" medicine.

In the past several years, physicians and owners of anti-aging clinics have been charged from New York to California. Some of those doctors and clinics catered to athletes. More often, they provided the drugs to average Americans — including officers and firefighters — looking to bulk up.

The concern among law enforcement officials goes beyond the negative health effects associated with anabolic steroids. Research has found that in some cases, the drugs can lead to confusion, recklessness and aggression.

At least six of Colao’s patients — four police officers and two corrections officers — were named in lawsuits alleging excessive force or civil rights violations around the time they received drugs from him. Others were criminally charged or fired over allegations that include domestic abuse, assault and drug possession.

Federal prosecutors in Newark issued the subpoena to the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement more than three weeks ago. The agency, a law enforcement arm of the New York State Department of Health, is in the process of gathering the names, the second official said.

Rebekah Carmichael, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, declined to comment, saying she could neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation.

The federal probe comes as a state task force nears completion on a set of recommendations meant to address steroid use in the ranks, along with the role of doctors in making the drugs easily available.

Attorney General Paula Dow, who appointed the task force in the wake of The Star-Ledger reports, told the newspaper in March the state is likely to strengthen oversight of physicians, increase steroid testing of officers and launch more aggressive investigations.

The state already has taken steps intended to make it harder for people to obtain the drugs for nonmedical purposes, enacting new safeguards in the prescription drug program used by hundreds of thousands of public workers and their dependents.

Before a prescription for any anabolic steroid is filled, a doctor or pharmacist must attest in writing or over the phone that the drugs are for a medically accepted diagnosis. Prescriptions for testosterone, the most commonly prescribed anabolic steroid, are limited to cases in which patients’ testosterone levels fall below a medically accepted standard.

The task force is expected to release its recommendations in the next month.

Staff writer Amy Brittain contributed to this report.

Documents, interviews show Detective Sgt. William Billingham withheld his true identity from the driver whose car he crashed into 2 years ago

Photo of the Mitsubishi Montero driven by Philadelphia resident Clayton Tanksley when he was rear-ended by off-duty State Police Detective Sgt. William Billingham on Route 295 in Camden County on March 22, 2009.

LAWNSIDE — Two years ago on a darkened stretch of South Jersey highway, Clayton Tanksley was almost killed when his SUV was rammed from behind and sent tumbling to the side of the road — by a man who doesn’t exist.

"He hit me hard enough to crush the back of the car like an accordion," said Tanksley, 46. "It was like a shark attack. It’s so sudden, out of the blue."

The accident, on Route 295 in Camden County, left Tanksley with a demolished car, back problems and recurring flashbacks.

"In the middle of night, everything is calm and peaceful," Tanksley said. "And then you live through it again. Even the smells."

According to the State Police crash report, a man named William Gillespie was behind the wheel of the other car that night. As Tanksley’s medical bills from the crash neared $30,000, his lawyer filed a lawsuit against Gillespie.

But when it came time to serve him, Gillespie was nowhere to be found. A private investigator couldn’t find Gillespie at the home or business listed on the State Police report of the accident, and the insurance company named did not recognize the information about his car.

It was as if Gillespie didn’t exist, and for good reason — he doesn’t.

Through a series of interviews and a trail of documents, The Star-Ledger has learned that Gillespie is the undercover name for State Police Detective Sgt. William Billingham and that his true identity was withheld from Tanksley — in violation of State Police policy — leaving Tanksley and his lawyer to go on a prolonged wild goose chase for a phantom. The newspaper also found that Billingham’s fellow troopers provided Tanksley’s insurance company with fictional and incomplete information.

In fact, Tanksley — an actor who has appeared in movies and on television in "The Cosby Show" under the name Clayton Prince — had no idea who really hit him until The Star-Ledger tracked him to his Philadelphia home in April.

Tanksley’s lawyers are considering a lawsuit against the state claiming his civil rights were violated.

"It looks like a cover-up," attorney Charles Nugent said. "There’s no innocent explanation for it, as far as I’m concerned."

Questioned outside his South Jersey home Saturday, Billingham would say only that his lawyer had instructed him not to comment on the case.

IN THE DARK

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerDecember 2000 copy photo of New Jersey State Trooper William Billingham as he is installed as Worshipful Master in the Ionic (Masonic) Lodge No. 94 F. & A.M.

While Billingham’s identity was a secret to the man he could have killed, memos between ranking State Police officers show that trooper brass were well-informed about the crash. So were prosecutors: Billingham, an 18-year veteran of the division, has been the subject of internal and criminal investigations into the accident, but they have inched their way through the legal system.

He eventually was suspended without pay and charged with assault by auto on March 4 — two years after the crash — and prosecutors say there’s evidence he was drunk behind the wheel. His lawyer, Steven Secare, declined to comment on the allegations except to say Billingham is pleading not guilty.

Tanksley and his lawyers were unaware of any inquiry until they were told by The Star-Ledger.

"No one told me there was any investigation," he said.

Two sources said state investigators are also probing the way troopers responded to the predawn crash, starting with the undercover name on the crash report, obtained by the newspaper.

The troopers wrote in their report that Billingham, 51, was not tested for alcohol. There were no charges filed or tickets issued, according to the report and motor vehicle records.

Details of the accident — including that Billingham was off-duty and driving an unmarked troop car — were forwarded to superior officers, including State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes. But sources said the accident might never have been examined if not for an anonymous letter alerting the Attorney General’s Office to the conduct of Billingham and the other troopers who protected him.

The criminal case against Billingham is now being handled by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, but it didn’t arrive there until almost a year after the crash. (Camden County authorities passed on the case to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest because Billingham’s brother is the sheriff there.)

It was another year before Billingham was charged. By that time, the statute of limitations rendered it too late to file a charge of driving under the influence. The State Police say they will not comment because the case is still under investigation. Pressed by The Star-Ledger, spokesman acting Maj. Gerald Lewis said, "We’re going to try and rectify this and figure out exactly what happened."

THE CRASH

Photo of the Mitsubishi Montero driven by Philadelphia resident Clayton Tanksley when he was rear-ended by off-duty State Police Detective Sgt. William Billingham on Route 295 in Camden County on March 22, 2009.

The night was clear and the road was dry as Tanksley drove south on Route 295 at 2:23 a.m. on March 22, 2009. He doesn’t recall any headlights behind him.

Suddenly, he said, there was a screech and another car slammed into the back of his SUV. The rear axle snapped and his vehicle rolled over, coming to rest upside-down on the highway.

"Thank God for my seat belt," Tanksley said. "I was dangling like a puppet."

The crash was so bad the State Police dispatched its fatal accident unit to the scene. The Department of Transportation shut down all three southbound lanes and nearby towns sent emergency services.

Tanksley was concerned for another reason — he had a pistol locked in a box in the back of his SUV, and the crash had thrown it loose. He said he placed the firearm in his glove compartment and told a trooper about it. Tanksley said the .32-caliber pistol was legally purchased in Pennsylvania, where he has a carry permit, but not registered in New Jersey, which has much stricter gun laws. He said the trooper told him not to worry.

Tanksley, cut and bruised, was placed in an ambulance. But suddenly the trooper ran up to him. "He said the other guy is hurt worse than you, get out," Tanksley recalled.

He caught a glimpse of the other driver, who suffered six broken ribs, before the ambulance sped away to Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

At this point, Tanksley had no idea who hit him. And he wasn’t going to learn that from the official crash report. Troopers wrote down the undercover information for Billingham, including a false name, address and company.

Three sources with knowledge of State Police procedures said troopers working undercover are issued fake identification cards but are supposed to use them only to protect an investigation. Once it is clear that an investigation won’t be jeopardized, troopers are supposed to correct the record, they said. (The sources requested anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.)

A trooper wrote in the crash report that Billingham "apparently fell asleep," which was echoed word for word by a statement Billingham signed. There’s no description of how fast he was driving.

At the top of the report obtained by the newspaper, a trooper indicated the full document was three pages long. But when Tanksley’s insurance company received a copy, it had been modified to say it was only two pages. That copy did not include the diagram of the accident — which correctly identified Gillespie as Billingham. (Both reports were obtained by The Star-Ledger.)

The report was sent to the insurance company not from State Police division headquarters in Ewing but the trooper station in Bellmawr.

"I’ve never seen that happen before," said Jeffrey Pooner, a lawyer who is also representing Tanksley. "It just smells real bad."

PAPER TRAIL

Photo of the Mitsubishi Montero driven by Philadelphia resident Clayton Tanksley when he was rear-ended by off-duty State Police Detective Sgt. William Billingham on Route 295 in Camden County on March 22, 2009.

Meanwhile, there was a very different paper trail inside the State Police. Three weeks after the accident, superior officers circulated a memo outlining details of the incident, although alcohol wasn’t mentioned.

The memo, dated April 10, 2009, said Billingham "was at fault in the operation of unmarked troop car 4898" during the accident. It said that he should be "held accountable" and that the accident should be classified as "preventable."

Another memo was addressed to Fuentes, the State Police superintendent, listing both fictional and accurate information for Billingham. Shown the document on Thursday, Fuentes said he did not recognize it, but said he is informed of every crash involving a state trooper. He declined further comment, citing the ongoing internal investigation.

The probe now under way at the Attorney General’s Office started when an anonymous letter alerted investigators, according to two sources with knowledge of the case.

The state sent the investigation into Billingham to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office in October 2009, according to Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the prosecutor.

To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest because Billingham’s brother is the Camden County sheriff, the case was transferred to Ocean County about two months later, Laughlin said.

Then it took more than a year for charges to be filed against Billingham. A criminal complaint was filed in municipal court in Lawnside, where the accident occurred, charging him with assault by auto causing serious injury.

Billingham’s lawyer said his client has not been indicted and is entering a not-guilty plea. He declined to comment on any of the other allegations in the case.

Although the criminal complaint said Billingham was under the influence during the crash, the 90-day period in which a drunken driving charge could be filed had expired, under the statute of limitations.

"It took awhile for (the case) to get to us," said Steven Cucci, the assistant prosecutor handling the case. "It bounced around a little bit."

He declined to specify what kind of evidence shows that Billingham was drunk.

The complaint does not identify Billingham as a trooper.

OTHER CHARGES

Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty ImagesClayton Prince, also known as Clayton Tanksley, attends the 2010 Philadelphia Comic Con at Pennsylvania Convention Center on June 13, 2010.

The day after the accident, Tanksley said he was told to report to the State Police station to pick up his belongings, including his gun.

But when he arrived, he was arrested and charged with weapons possession because he did not have a permit in New Jersey.

"I was like, are you kidding?" Tanksley said. "I get nailed from behind, and now I’m looking at a felony charge?"

Lewis, the State Police spokesman, declined comment on why Tanksley was charged and not Billingham.

The case was assigned to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, and Tanksley was allowed into pretrial intervention. He received probation and completed his community service requirement.

The weapons charge derailed Tanksley’s plan to become a Philadelphia police officer. He said he withdrew from the application process when he had to disclose the incident.

"For the first time in my life, I recently was arrested and I am currently on probation," he wrote on a police department form.

"That was my last chance," said Tanksley, who is now too old to apply to the force. "I had to turn down being a cop."

Billingham, although suspended, is still employed by the State Police.

TRENTON — People who intentionally kill police dogs or dogs involved in search and rescue operations may soon face stiffer penalties in New Jersey. The Assembly is set to consider legislation this week that would mandate minimum five-year prison terms — with no chance of parole — for such offenders, who would also face fines of up to $15,000. The...

TRENTON — People who intentionally kill police dogs or dogs involved in search and rescue operations may soon face stiffer penalties in New Jersey.

The Assembly is set to consider legislation this week that would mandate minimum five-year prison terms — with no chance of parole — for such offenders, who would also face fines of up to $15,000. The current maximum sentence they now face is just three to five years in prison.

The measure — named for a police dog killed in the line of duty last November — was passed by the state senate earlier this year, so it would head to Gov. Chris Christie's desk if the Assembly gives its approval on Monday.

The legislation honors Schultz, a 3 1/2-year-old German Shepherd who served with the Gloucester Township police force and was well-known in that southern New Jersey community due to appearances at many public events,

On the day he died, Schultz had helped track down a robbery suspect and sunk his teeth into the man's forearm. But the suspect then swung his arm, and the dog was thrown into the path of an oncoming car, which struck and killed him.

He was later memorialized with full police honors at a ceremony which drew large crowds and media coverage.

"Dogs that assist law enforcement are loyal allies in the fight against crime," said Ruben Ramos Jr., D-Hoboken, one of the bill's primary sponsors in that chamber. "This dog, like many others, was simply doing his job serving and protecting the public. They deserve legitimate protection against abuse, and those who abuse them need to face severe punishment."

Besides Ramos, other primary sponsors in the Assembly are Democrats Paul Moriarty of Turnersville, Charles Mainor of Jersey City and Gilbert "Whip" Wilson of Camden. It was initially considered by the Law and Public Safety committee, which gave its approval in March.

In the senate, the bill was sponsored by Fred Madden, D-Turnersville, who served 28 years with the New Jersey State Police, and Donald Norcross, D-Camden. It was passed by that chamber in February by a unanimous 40-0 vote.

Madden said police dogs are "vital parts" of the law enforcement agencies they serve with, so killing one should be viewed no less harshly than assaulting a police officer.

"Schultz died in the line of duty doing exactly what he and every police dog has been trained to do — hunt down criminal suspects and help their human handlers arrest them so they can be brought to justice."

Previous coverage:

• Police dog bill sponsored by Hoboken Assemblyman Ramos passes state assembly panel

• 'Schultz's Law' - which would impose a mandatory 5 year term for killing a police dog - clears Assembly panel in N.J.

• Gloucester Township police dog killed by fleeing robbery suspect

PATERSON — An autopsy is planned for a Passaic County Jail inmate who died while playing basketball. Michael Wilkerson was taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center on Sunday. Passaic County Sheriff's Office spokesman Bill Maer told The Record newspaper a preliminary investigation shows foul play is not suspected. Maer says the 23-year-old was originally from Pennsylvania. Wilkerson was jailed...

Google street viewA street view of the Passaic County Jail in Paterson, where an inmate died while playing basketball Sunday.

PATERSON — An autopsy is planned for a Passaic County Jail inmate who died while playing basketball.

Michael Wilkerson was taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center on Sunday.

Passaic County Sheriff's Office spokesman Bill Maer told The Record newspaper a preliminary investigation shows foul play is not suspected.

Maer says the 23-year-old was originally from Pennsylvania. Wilkerson was jailed on a sexual assault charge.

More Passaic County news

BRICK — A 29-year-old Brick man was fatally stabbed outside of a home in the township Sunday night, according to a report on APP.com. The incident took place at about 6:45 p.m. outside a home on Marilyn Drive in the Bay Harbor section of Brick. The victim's identity has not been released yet. More Brick news

Google MapsA map view of Marilyn Drive in Brick, where a man was fatally stabbed outside of a home Sunday night.

BRICK — A 29-year-old Brick man was fatally stabbed outside of a home in the township Sunday night, according to a report on APP.com.

The incident took place at about 6:45 p.m. outside a home on Marilyn Drive in the Bay Harbor section of Brick. The victim's identity has not been released yet.

More Brick news

PLAINFIELD — A 15-year-old boy was shot Saturday night and 20-year-old man was stabbed in the face over the weekend in Plainfield, according to a report on MyCentralJersey.com. The boy was shot in the wrist and chest on the 600 block of West Third Street around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The man was treated at a local hospital following the...

Google MapsA map view of Third Street, left, and Park Avenue, right, in Plainfield where a shooting and stabbing were reported over the weekend.

PLAINFIELD — A 15-year-old boy was shot Saturday night and 20-year-old man was stabbed in the face over the weekend in Plainfield, according to a report on MyCentralJersey.com.

The boy was shot in the wrist and chest on the 600 block of West Third Street around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The man was treated at a local hospital following the stabbing on the 1300 block of Park Avenue around 12:50 a.m. Sunday.

Neither injury is considered life-threatening and no suspects have been arrested.

Related coverage:

• Plainfield community leaders call for action to stem deepening violence

• Plainfield mayor, community leaders to discuss increase in shootings

• Two unrelated shootings in Plainfield leave 1 dead, 1 critically injured

• Plainfield man pleads not guilty to shooting 27-year-old woman found dead in Piscataway

• Piscataway man is on life support after shooting in Plainfield convenience store

ATLANTIC CITY — A New Jersey couple pleaded not guilty today in the carjack-killing of an Atlantic City casino patron. Forty-five-year-old Craig Arno of Atlantic City and 25-year-old Jessica Kisby of Egg Harbor Township face charges of murder, felony murder, carjacking and kidnapping. The pair are accused of carjacking 47-year-old Martin Caballero of North Bergen from the Trump Taj...

(AP Photo/The Press of Atlantic City, Bill Gross)Craig Arno of Atlantic City, who is charged with kidnapping and carjacking in the May 2010 abduction of a North Bergen man from a casino garage appears in the Atlantic County Courthouse in this June 2010 file photo.

ATLANTIC CITY — A New Jersey couple pleaded not guilty today in the carjack-killing of an Atlantic City casino patron.

Forty-five-year-old Craig Arno of Atlantic City and 25-year-old Jessica Kisby of Egg Harbor Township face charges of murder, felony murder, carjacking and kidnapping.

The pair are accused of carjacking 47-year-old Martin Caballero of North Bergen from the Trump Taj Mahal garage, then stabbing him to death and dumping his body in May 2010.

Authorities say the crime was random and the suspects did not know Caballero before attacking him.

Caballero had just dropped off his wife and daughter at the casino when he was accosted and kidnapped in the parking garage. His body was found days later in a field.

If convicted on the murder charges, the suspects could face life without parole.

Previous coverage:

• Couple accused of carjacking, slaying of North Bergen man pleads not guilty

• Pair held for disappearance of North Bergen man, enter 'not guilty' plea

• Man accused of carjacking, kidnapping North Bergen resident in Atlantic City has led a life of crime: report

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The injured driver of a double-decker Megabus that smashed into a low bridge in upstate New York in September, killing four passengers, was charged Monday with criminally negligent homicide. John Tomaszewski, 60, of Yardville, N.J., made a wrong turn off an interstate highway late at night just outside downtown Syracuse, and the 13-foot-1-inch-tall bus failed to...

Peter Chen/The Post-StandardInvestigators examine the area around the bus driver at the scene of a fatal Megabus accident on Onondaga Lake Parkway after the bus was pulled upright. The bus hit the railroad bridge abutment and rolled onto its side.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The injured driver of a double-decker Megabus that smashed into a low bridge in upstate New York in September, killing four passengers, was charged Monday with criminally negligent homicide.

John Tomaszewski, 60, of Yardville, N.J., made a wrong turn off an interstate highway late at night just outside downtown Syracuse, and the 13-foot-1-inch-tall bus failed to clear the railroad bridge's 10-foot-9-inch span.

The Philadelphia-to-Toronto bus was carrying 29 people, including the driver, when it crashed Sept. 11 on Onondaga Lake Parkway in Salina. The crash killed a New Jersey teenager, a Philadelphia college student from Kansas, a Malaysian preacher and an information technology specialist from India.

After months of review, a grand jury decided to indict him on four counts of criminally negligent homicide plus one count of failing to obey a traffic control device. At an arraignment in Onondaga County Court, attorney Scott Brenneck entered a not guilty plea for Tomaszewski.

According to police, Tomaszewski was using a personal GPS with an audio feature and may have been distracted. There are 12 signs along the road to warn vehicles of the low bridge, some with flashing yellow lights.

Coach USA, which operates Megabus, said that using any GPS device while driving is against company policy. Each bus, it said, is equipped with a GPS system that allows the company to track its location, but the device cannot be used by a driver to get directions.

Paramus, N.J.-based Coach USA has not confirmed that a GPS was being used or played a role in the crash. Tomaszewski told investigators he was listening to the GPS system rather than holding it.

Tomaszewski and the company said he was traveling within the 55-mph speed limit.

Chicago-based Megabus operates about 100 double-decker buses on scheduled routes to 33 cities in the Northeast and Midwest. It has carried close to 7 million passengers since its launch in 2006, with no previous fatal highway accidents.

Brenneck said Tomaszewski suffered numerous injuries in the crash, including a traumatic brain injury, and has been living with his sister. Brenneck also said Tomaszewski would need surgery and asked Judge Anthony Aloi to allow the defendant to be released without bail. There was no objection by the prosecution, and the judge agreed, warning Tomaszewski not to drive a vehicle for hire while the criminal case is pending in court.

Brenneck declined to comment as he left court with Tomaszewski, who stared straight ahead as he walked past TV cameras.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Chris Bednarski said outside the courtroom that he was mulling whether to seek jail time if Tomaszewski is found guilty. Bednarski said he had reached out to the victims' families "to see what they hope to accomplish."

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick had said at a December news conference that he was considering having a grand jury review whether rail company CSX had any responsibility for not addressing the low bridge over the highway despite numerous nonfatal crashes in the past. Bednarski said there were no plans now to pursue charges against the company.

Previous Coverage:

• N.J. driver in fatal Megabus N.Y. crash to be arraigned on criminal charges

• Burlington County woman sues over injuries from N.Y. fatal Megabus crash

• No charges have been filed in fatal N.Y. double-decker bus crash

The Justice Department says it wants to address allegations of excessive force, discriminatory policing and possible civil rights violations

Jerry McCrea/The Star LedgerU.S. Attorney Paul Fishman (right); announces a Department of Justice investigation into Newark Police Department, based on ACLU's petition last year alleging rampant misconduct in the Department; during a press conference held at the offices of the US Attorney in Newark . Listening are Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark (left); and Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

NEWARK — The Department of Justice announced this morning it will launch an investigation into the Newark Police Department to address allegations of excessive force, discriminatory policing and accusations that city police have violated residents' civil rights, officials said.

Describing the probe as a partnership and not an antagonistic relationship, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said the investigation will determine whether or not Newark’s issues with residents' civil rights are systemic.

“Our goal is not to blame, but to fix any problems that we might find,” Fishman said. "We are not opening an investigation with any preconceived notion of what will find."

The move comes after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a 96-page petition accusing Newark of spotty internal affairs investigations and rampant misconduct in September. In the document, the ACLU cited a litany of lawsuits and civil rights complaints, alleging the department cannot police itself. Over a two and a half year period, Newark’s Internal Affairs Unit sustained only one of 261 serious complaints against officers for allegations ranging from false arrest to physical abuse.

Despite the public outcry sparked by the petition, Fishman and Thomas Perez, the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, said the petition was only one of many factors that led to the decision for a federal investigation. Fishman said the petition was not a deciding factor.

Outgoing Police Director Garry McCarthy and Mayor Cory Booker said yesterday that they welcomed the Department of Justice’s intervention, which Booker jokingly referred to as “free consulting.”

“I’m pretty relieved and enthusiastic about working with the Department of Justice,” Booker said, later adding that both he and McCarthy wanted to partner with federal officials to improve the department “from the very beginning.”

The statements seem to be a change in tone from last year, when Booker and McCarthy blasted the ACLU’s petition and the call for a federal monitor to oversee New Jersey’s largest municipal department.

When asked yesterday, Booker said he and McCarthy were opposed to the idea of a federal monitor, but not the idea of outside help. The investigation could eventually result in the implementation of a federal monitor to oversee the department, but Booker said that is a “rare and extreme” conclusion, and federal investigators could merely offer recommendations to the Department.

The ACLU filing cited 418 instances of alleged misconduct that included officers breaking a man’s jaw and eye socket during an arrest and seven deaths attributed to Newark officers. The deaths included shootings or ignoring urgent health complaints, the filing said. The organization claims that out of 261 complaints filed with the police department’s internal affairs division between 2008 and 2009, only one complaint, alleging an improper search, was found credible.

The move has already drawn praise from West Ward Councilman Ron Rice Jr., who called for federal intervention in Newark several times before the ACLU’s complaint.

“I supported it then. I support it now. I support the investigation and I applaud it,” said Rice. “This is not pointing the finger at any director, at any mayor. This institution, since the riots, has not been able to correct itself.”

Deborah Jacobs, executive director of ACLU’s New Jersey chapter, said Monday that the ACLU had been calling for federal intervention in the Newark Police Department since 1967.

"The announcement that the DOJ will bring its resources and expertise to our city and hold the NPD accountable marks a critical moment in our city’s history," Jacobs said. "The cries of Newarkers have finally been heard."

The government’s response to such investigations can range from simple recommendations to the implementation of a federal monitor to oversee a police department’s day-to-day activities.

Today’s announcement marked the second time a New Jersey law enforcement agency has been investigated by the Department of Justice. In 1999, allegations of racial profiling caused the government to place the N.J. State Police under a consent decree that wasn’t lifted until 2009.

The Department of Justice also opened probes into the Seattle and New Orleans Police Departments last year on the heels of excessive force allegations.

By James Queally and Jason Grant

RED BANK — A Red Bank teen who police say was drunk when he crashed his car into a tree, killing his friend, was charged today with vehicular homicide. Adam Sofio, 18, was arrested today after the two-month investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash that killed Paul Bradley, 18, of Middletown, said First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor...

Mitsu Yasukawa/ The Star-LedgerFirst Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni speaks outside the old Federal Court House in Newark in this 2010 file photo.

RED BANK — A Red Bank teen who police say was drunk when he crashed his car into a tree, killing his friend, was charged today with vehicular homicide.

Adam Sofio, 18, was arrested today after the two-month investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash that killed Paul Bradley, 18, of Middletown, said First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.

Sofio’s blood-alcohol content was "substantially above’’ the legal limit of 0.08 for driving a vehicle, Gramiccioni said. Because Sofio was under the legal age of 21 to drink, any impairment level above 0.01 is considered above the legal limit, he said.

Sofio was speeding in his 1992 Honda Accord west on Cooper Avenue in Middletown at 2:05 a.m. on Feb. 27, when he lost control of the car, skidded off the left side of the road and hit a tree on the passenger side of his vehicle. The force of the impact split the car in two. Bradley, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, sustained massive injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The posted speed limit was 25 mph, he said.

Sofio and the rear seat passenger, John Vogel, also 18 of Middletown, suffered serious injuries and were rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

Today, Sofio was charged with vehicular homicide within 1,000 feet of a school and assault by auto within 1,000 feet of a school zone. After the crash, police issued him motor vehicle summonses for reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, underage driving while intoxicated, speeding, failure to maintain a lane and violating the conditions of his provisional license for carrying an excessive number of passengers in the car and driving after the legal curfew of 11 p.m., Gramiccioni said.

If convicted of vehicular homicide, Sofio faces up to 20 years in prison and would have to serve 85 percent of that term before becoming eligible for parole. Assault by auto carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Previous coverage:

• Police are attempting to determine if alcohol played a role in fatal Middletown crash

NEWARK — The death of a 5-year-old boy at his home Sunday night is being investigated as a homicide, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said today. An autopsy was performed today on the child, identified as Charlice Young, but a cause of death has not been released, said Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the office. She said...

Google MapsPolice responded to a call from an Esther Street address and a 5-year-old boy was taken away by ambulance.

NEWARK — The death of a 5-year-old boy at his home Sunday night is being investigated as a homicide, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said today.

An autopsy was performed today on the child, identified as Charlice Young, but a cause of death has not been released, said Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the office.

She said authorities were called to an Esther Street address on Sunday night after someone inside the boy’s home called 9-1-1. He was taken by ambulance to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 11:30 p.m., she said.

Anyone with information may contact the Newark Police hotline number at (877) NWK-TIPS or the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips hotline at (877) TIPS-7432.

NORTH BRUNSWICK — A North Brunswick woman was sentenced today to five years probation for helping an Edison man abandon his 20-month-old daughter at a gas station restroom and protect him from being charged with murdering the child’s mother. Ritu Loi, 27, was also ordered by Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz to undergo mental health counseling as part of...

courtesy of policeTwo-year-old Hannah was found in the bathroom of a Shell gas station in Newark, Del. Her father, Dwayne Jackson, has been indicted on slaying charges.

NORTH BRUNSWICK — A North Brunswick woman was sentenced today to five years probation for helping an Edison man abandon his 20-month-old daughter at a gas station restroom and protect him from being charged with murdering the child’s mother.

Ritu Loi, 27, was also ordered by Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz to undergo mental health counseling as part of her agreement to plead guilty on Nov. 3, 2010 to endangering the welfare of a child, Hannah Belizaire Jackson, and hindering Dwayne Jackson’s prosecution.

Her agreement called for her to testify against Jackson, but he pleaded guilty on April 14 to murder and endangering the welfare of the toddler.

Jackson admitted he took his daughter to Newark, Del., with Loi accompanying him, where he abandoned the child in a gas station restroom. Earlier, Jackson admitted, he had choked the child’s mother, Patricia Belizaire, 25, in her apartment in North Brunswick on Feb. 21, 2010 and drove the body to a park in New York state, where he dumped it and set it afire.

He is to be sentenced May 19.

Previous coverage:

• New Brunswick woman admits to helping Edison man abandon his daughter in gas station

• Edison man is indicted on charges of killing woman, abandoning daughter in Delaware

• Edison man accused of dumping daughter in Delaware is charged with killing her mother

• Edison man is charged with abducting, abandoning daughter at Delaware gas station

• Boyfriend charged in Jersey City woman's stabbing after 6-year-old tells on him

BRICK TOWNSHIP — A 31-year-old Berkeley Township man who tried to rob a Brick Township homeowner was stabbed to death Sunday night, authorities said today. Adam Ferguson was stabbed in the back during an altercation outside the home of Joseph Bellisano Jr., 27, on Marilyn Drive in the Bay Harbor section of Brick, said Deputy Chief Michael Mohel, a...

Google MapsAdam Ferguson, 31, was stabbed in the back during an alleged altercation outside the home of Joseph Bellisano Jr., 27, on Marilyn Drive in the Bay Harbor section of Brick Township.

BRICK TOWNSHIP — A 31-year-old Berkeley Township man who tried to rob a Brick Township homeowner was stabbed to death Sunday night, authorities said today.

Adam Ferguson was stabbed in the back during an altercation outside the home of Joseph Bellisano Jr., 27, on Marilyn Drive in the Bay Harbor section of Brick, said Deputy Chief Michael Mohel, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

Mohel said Bellisano stabbed Ferguson after Ferguson and Mark A. Dillard, 30, of South Toms River went to Brick Sunday night to rob Bellisano.

An autopsy performed today listed the manner of death as homicide, Mohel said. He said Ferguson sustained a stab wound to the back. He was rushed to Ocean Medical Center in Brick, where he was pronounced dead at 7:53 p.m., Mohel said.

Bellisano was charged with drug possession and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, Mohel said. He was released on a summons and has not been charged in connection with the stabbing, although the investigation is continuing, Mohel said.

Charged with armed robbery, Dillard is being held in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River in lieu of $350,000 bail.

Anyone with information is asked to call Brick Detective Ken Steinberg at (732) 262-1120 or the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 929-2027.

TRENTON — After two months of stinging recriminations and heated controversy, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation yesterday to end the early release of inmates. Christie has blamed the early-release program for two killings allegedly committed by former inmates allowed out of prison months ahead of schedule. “From a public policy and public safety point of view, the statutory early-release...

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerGov. Chris Christie signs the Jaden's Law bill, promoting bone marrow transplant awareness in New Jersey, during a press conference at the statehouse last year.

TRENTON — After two months of stinging recriminations and heated controversy, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation yesterday to end the early release of inmates.

Christie has blamed the early-release program for two killings allegedly committed by former inmates allowed out of prison months ahead of schedule.

“From a public policy and public safety point of view, the statutory early-release law was a disaster,” he said in a statement. “Repeal should have happened 10 months ago, when we predicted and warned of the tragic circumstances that would follow if this law remained in effect.”

Christie added, “Our communities and the safety of our citizens must get first consideration, and repeal of this law accomplishes that.”

The governor’s signature canceled the release of four inmates yesterday and 14 scheduled to be released today. About 400 inmates had been released early since the program began on Jan. 3.

A war of words broke out in March between Christie and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer), who sponsored program, after it was disclosed that two former inmates — Brandon Isler, 24, of Camden and Rondell Jones, 22, of Jersey City — had been charged with homicide after being released early.

Christie blamed Watson Coleman for the deaths, while she said his administration failed to properly supervise former inmates.

Watson Coleman has argued that the program would improve public safety because inmates released early would be under state supervision rather than finishing sentences with no strings attached. Yesterday she expressed concern that the state had “taken a step backward” in its effort to reduce recidivism.

“No one could have predicted nonviolent inmates would suddenly engage in violent acts,” she said in a statement. “We mourn those who were lost, but we should also celebrate those who used this program to turn their lives around.”

Isler and Jones — the two former inmates accused of homicide — had not committed violent crimes before being released early. But not all of the inmates allowed out through the program were nonviolent offenders.

Quamere Redding, 19, for example, was released early, in February, after serving almost two years in prison for aggravated assault. Within two months he was rearrested and charged with attacking and robbing a 49-yearold woman in Bridgeton.

It’s unclear if inmates released early from prison were more likely to commit new crimes, however. Most studies on recidivism take into account years of data.

The controversy over the early-release program dates to its signing by Gov. Jon Corzine on his last day in office. When he approved Watson Coleman’s bill last year, Corzine attached a signing statement saying he expects the early-release provision “will not become effective.”

Christie and Watson Coleman have fought over what that meant. Coleman said she only committed to ensuring inmates were not released before their first parole dates; Christie said she broke her promise to roll back the entire program.

The bill signed by Christie yesterday also restores more discretion to the Parole Board, allowing it to determine an inmate’s parole eligibility rather than being required to review each case every three years.

“These are decisions that belong not with lawmakers but with professionals who have taken on this responsibility successfully for decades,” Christie said.

Amy Locane, 39, was charged by a grand jury with first-degree aggravated manslaughter and third-degree assault by auto after a fatal crash in Montgomery in June

Matt Rainey/The Star-LedgerAmy Locane has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges.

MONTGOMERY — A Superior Court judge is deciding whether to dismiss the indictment accusing actress Amy Locane of killing a woman last summer in a drunken-driving crash on Cherry Hill Road in Montgomery.

Judge Angela Borkowski expects to reach a decision in a week, she said today in Superior Court in Somerville. The decision will be coupled with a ruling on whether the defense should have access to a document that prosecutors say offers a peek into their early thoughts on the case.

In June, authorities arrested Locane, best known for a one-season turn on television’s "Melrose Place," after she crashed her Chevy Tahoe into a car driven by Fred Seeman. Seeman, 60, was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for treatment, but his 60-year-old wife, Helene, who was his passenger, died at the scene.

Authorities said it was the second collision that night for Locane, whose married name is Locane-Bovenizer. They believe the 39-year-old woman was drunk at the time and involved in a hit-and-run several miles away.

Locane originally faced charges of second-degree vehicular homicide and third-degree assault by auto, but a Somerset County grand jury indictment delivered in December changed that to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and third-degree assault by auto.

Defense attorney Blair Zwillman has challenged the indictment, accusing the prosecution of supplying grand jurors with incomplete, confusing and opinionated instructions to secure an extreme punishment.

"It’s a clear case of throwing the kitchen sink out there," he said.

The result, he said, is that Locane now faces up to 30 years in jail. Before the grand jury’s charges, she had faced 10 years.

Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Murphy said the jurors had enough direct evidence for those charges.

"This is not a Chinese restaurant," he said. "They don’t go up and down a menu and pick what they like."

In addition to the dismissal, Zwillman asked Borkowski to grant him access to a "case screening" form prepared by the prosecutor’s office.

The document, a legal-sized paper containing checklists and fill-in-the-blank questions, outlines the charges and provides instructions for follow-up police investigations.

Murphy called it a work product that he wasn’t required to reveal, but Zwillman argued that by not seeing what was on the form, the defense would be put "in a very unfair situation."

The next status hearing in the Locane case is tentatively scheduled for May 23.

Previous coverage:

• Former 'Melrose Place' N.J. actress pleads not guilty in fatal drunk driving trial

• 'Melrose Place' actress is indicted in fatal Montgomery drunken driving crash

• 'Melrose Place' actress accused in fatal Montgomery drunken driving crash is released on $50K bail