Nicholas Sysock, 53, had taught in the school system for 21 years

Nicholas Sysock admitted in federal court today to possessing child pornography and now faces up to 10 years in prison. Adam Elmquist/Google Earth

CARTERET — The former vice principal of Carteret High School admitted in federal court today to one count of possession of child pornography, less than a year after he was arrested when investigators found video recordings of child pornography in his Union County home.

Nicholas Sysock faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced in August in federal court in Trenton, according to U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s Office.

Sysock, 53, whose October arrest at his Rahway home shocked the Carteret school system where he had taught for 21 years, purchased numerous DVDs of child pornography from Canada, federal prosecutors said. During a search of Sysock’s home, federal investigators found the DVDs, which they say he bought between 2008 and 2011, along with printed images featuring naked children, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Sysock was Carteret High School vice principal at the time of his arrest, and had taught as a middle school history teacher in the 1990s.

His federal public defender, Carol Gillen, could not be reached for comment.

MORE MIDDLESEX COUNTY NEWS

At some point in 2011, authorities say, Arbito — who was in federal court in Trenton yesterday on a child pornography possession charge — convinced the South American girl to start appearing nude during their video chats.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman is pictured above in a file photo. His office has filed a charge of possession of child pornography against a 31-year-old man from Hightstown, who also allegedly tried to coerce an Ecuadorian girl into performing sex acts on video. Star-Ledger file  

NEWARK — The man, in his late 20s and from Mercer County, posed as a teenage girl from Cali, Colombia, as he built an online friendship with a 14-year-old girl living in Ecuador, authorities say.

His real name was Fredy Arbito, authorities said, but while communicating via an internet account registered to his father, he allegedly told the 14-year-old his name was Angely Mendoza-Hernandez, and that he too was 14 and living with his mother and 12-year-old sister.

At some point in 2011, authorities say, Arbito — who was brought into federal court in Trenton Wednesday on a child pornography possession charge — convinced the South American girl to start appearing nude during their video chats.

But by 2012, authorities add, the nudity wasn’t enough, and Arbito, who lives in Hightstown, began asking the girl — referred to only as "A.C." in a federal complaint — to masturbate on camera. The girl refused and that is when, authorities allege, Arbito launched a campaign of attempted coercion and extortion born out through a series of ominous e-mails prosecutors say they now have in their possession.

"Look you little (expletive), I have a video and I’m going to send it to everybody!!!," he allegedly wrote to the girl on June 6, 2012, as he told her he would expose video of her nude if she didn’t agree to perform sexual acts on camera.

That e-mail, prosecutors allege in a six-page complaint, included a photo of the girl wearing panties with her shirt pulled up.

A month later, on July 15, 2012, even after the girl had "blocked" Arbito from MSN Messenger, he sent her another message: "I told you what I want for you to do. … I will continue to bother you and you will end up losing. So think about it."

That same day, prosecutors say, he also wrote: "Answer soon because once you return to school everyone will know."

Three days later, prosecutors say, he sent another message: "Look, you are not the only one I have done this (to), some of your girlfriends ... you have no other way out, but just trust me. I do keep me word."

In the end, there is no allegation the girl ever complied, even after Arbito allegedly sent four nude photos of her to at least one of her friends on Facebook.

Earlier this year, authorities say, Arbito traveled to the girl’s hometown, but there is no allegation he ever met her. He was arrested recently while traveling in Panama and was extradited to the United States this month, authorities said.

Using evidence they uncovered as they traced Arbito back to his home in Hightstown, authorities say they discovered a stash of graphic child porn and have charged the now 31-year-old with possession of child porn.

After Wednesday’s hearing, Arbito was ordered held without bail. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Mark Anderl, a lawyer for Arbito, said there was never any physical contact between his client and the 14-year-old in Ecuador. Noting the federal complaint is filled with "merely" allegations, he said, "We’re looking forward to reviewing the information in the case and resolving the matter."

RELATED COVERAGE

• Hightstown man arrested in Panama will appear in court on child pornography charges

Jodi Arias spoke out about the verdict minutes after her conviction Wednesday, telling a TV station that she would "prefer to die sooner than later."

PHOENIX — The jury has rendered its verdict — Jodi Arias is guilty of first-degree murder — but the trial is far from finished.

The same jury now returns to the courtroom today to decide whether she deserves to die for killing her one-time boyfriend on June 4, 2008 at his suburban Phoenix home.

The sheer brutality of the attack and previous testimony from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner that Travis Alexander did not die a quick death will be at the heart of the prosecution's argument that Jodi should receive the ultimate punishment for her crime.

Alexander was stabbed and slashed nearly 30 times, shot in the forehead and had slit his throat from ear to ear, leaving the motivational speaker and businessman nearly decapitated. His decomposing body was found in his shower about five days later by friends.

Arias spoke out about the verdict minutes after her conviction Wednesday, telling a TV station that she would "prefer to die sooner than later."

"Longevity runs in my family, and I don't want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place," a tearful Arias told Fox affiliate KSAZ. "I believe death is the ultimate freedom and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it."

Arias, 32, fought back tears as a court clerk read aloud the highly anticipated verdict after a four-month trial in which the jury heard 18 days of testimony from the defendant, saw a series of gruesome crime scene photos and heard a raunchy phone sex chat between Arias recorded with Alexander just weeks before he died.

Jurors have decided the fate of Jodi Arias, who is accused of murdering her one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in Arizona. The couple is pictured here in an undated photo that appeared on the HLN cable television network.HLN/YouTube 

The next portion of the trial is called the "aggravation phase," and it will focus on whether the jury believes the crime was committed in an especially cruel, heinous and depraved manner. If jurors find the aggravators exist, the next step will be the penalty phase during which the panel will recommend either life in prison or death. The process could take several more weeks to wrap up.

The trial quickly became an Internet sensation and transformed Arias from a little-known waitress to a morbid curiosity and a star of a real-life true-crime drama that the public followed incessantly. The presence of cameras in the courtroom, the advance of Internet streaming video and social media, the salacious details of the case, and the attention it got on cable networks like HLN gave the trial the feel of a celebrity proceeding.

The jury heard all about the stormy relationship between Alexander and Arias after they met at a conference in Las Vegas in 2006 and he persuaded her to convert to Mormonism. They began dating but broke up five months later, at which point prosecutors said she began stalking him and became increasingly obsessed with Alexander.

The 30-year-old victim was a rising star at a legal services company called Prepaid Legal, where he gave rousing motivational speeches to colleagues and was a beloved co-worker to people across the organization.

Arias sought to portray him as an abusive sexual deviant in her trial, hoping that the jury would buy her claims that she killed him in self-defense after being unable to take the abuse anymore. She claimed he attacked her and forced her to fight for her life. Prosecutors said she killed out of jealous rage after Alexander wanted to end their affair and planned to take a trip to Mexico with another woman.

Alexander's family members wept and hugged each other after the verdict. They thanked prosecutor Juan Martinez and the lead detective on the case, but declined comment until after sentencing.

CONNECT
WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like Star-Ledger Entertainment on Facebook

• Follow @NJentertainment on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

Alexander's friend Chris Hughes said he was happy with the verdict, pointing out a bold proclamation Arias made in one of her jailhouse interviews that she wouldn't be found guilty.

"She said, 'No jury would convict me. Mark my words.' This jury convicted her," Hughes said. "Luckily we had 12 smart jurors. They nailed it."

When asked about Alexander's family, Arias told the station, "I just hope that now that a verdict has been rendered, that they'll be able to find peace."

Arias seemed to cry silently when asked about her mother. With tears falling, she said her mom "has been a saint and I haven't treated her very well."

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said no more media interviews with Arias would be granted. She has been placed on suicide watch.

Outside court, more than 200 spectators and reporters watched for the verdict on their smart phones. A ripple of relief spread as people learned the result. The crowd cheered, with some people jumping, waving, high-fiving and dancing in approval.

Hughes said it was frustrating to hear the defense besmirch his friend's reputation during the trial, but praised the jurors for the verdict. He said he and the Alexander family were shocked by the international attention the case had received.

"Travis was grandiose, so it's interesting how this played out ... it is a bit of a circus. We were all surprised that it's like this," he said.

Testimony began in early January. The trial quickly snowballed into a made-for-the-tabloids drama, garnering daily coverage from cable news networks and spawning a virtual cottage industry for talk shows, legal experts and even Arias, who used her notoriety to sell artwork she made in jail. She also sent out tweets via an intermediary, attracting tens of thousands of followers.

Arias said she recalled Alexander attacking her in a fury after a day of sex. She said Alexander came at her "like a linebacker," body-slamming her to the tile floor. She managed to wriggle free and ran into his closet to retrieve a gun he kept on a shelf. She said she fired in self-defense but had no memory of stabbing him.

Jurors have reached a verdict in the trial of Jodi Arias, who is accused of murdering her one-time boyfriend in Arizona.YouTube

She acknowledged trying to clean the scene of the killing, dumping the gun in the desert and working on an alibi to avoid suspicion. She said she was too scared and ashamed to tell the truth. However, none of Arias' allegations that Alexander had physically abused her in the months before his death, that he owned a gun and had sexual desires for young boys, were corroborated by witnesses or evidence during the trial. She acknowledged lying repeatedly before and after her arrest but insisted she was telling the truth in court.

Arias spent 18 days on the witness stand describing an abusive childhood, cheating boyfriends, dead-end jobs, a shocking sexual relationship with Alexander, and her contention that he had grown physically violent in hopes of gaining sympathy from jurors.

But aside from her admitted lies, Arias had yet another formidable obstacle to overcome.

Her grandparents had reported a .25-caliber handgun stolen from their Northern California home about a week before Alexander's death — the same caliber used to shoot him — but Arias insisted she didn't take it. Authorities believe she brought it with her to kill him. The coincidence of the same caliber gun stolen from the home also being used to shoot Alexander was never resolved.

Meanwhile, the entire case devolved into a circus-like spectacle attracting dozens of enthusiast each day to the courthouse as they lined up for a chance to score just a few open public seats in the gallery. One trial regular sold her spot in line to another person for $200. Both got reprimands from the court, and the money was returned.

Many people also gathered outside after trial for a chance to see Martinez, who had gained celebrity-like status for his firebrand tactics and unapologetically intimidating style of cross-examining defense witnesses.

The case grew into a worldwide sensation as thousands followed the trial via a live, unedited Web feed. Twitter filled with comments as spectators expressed their opinions on everything from Arias' wardrobe to Martinez's angry demeanor. For its fans, the Arias trial became a live daytime soap opera.

MORE NATIONAL NEWS

RELATED COVERAGE

• Jodi Arias trial verdict: Guilty of first-degree murder

• Verdict reached in Jodi Arias murder trial

Police say Chad Washington, a 19-year-old defensive lineman, followed the victim from his dorm room, grabbed him by the collar, yelled racial slurs and threatened to beat him up.

This Oct. 10, 2007 file photo, shows the statue of Alma Mater on the campus of Columbia University in New York. AP Photo/Diane Bondareff 

NEW YORK — A Columbia University football player has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly assaulting another student and using racial slurs.

Chad Washington was charged with misdemeanor aggravated harassment as a hate crime.

Police say the 19-year-old defensive lineman followed the victim from his dorm room, grabbed him by the collar, yelled racial slurs and threatened to beat him up.

CONNECT
WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

Washington was arraigned Wednesday and released without bail. His attorney, Daniel Fetterman, says the allegations don't accurately reflect the events.

The victim is of Asian descent. Washington is black.

The Columbia Spectator reported that Washington recently wrote an op-ed piece for the newspaper in which he said student athletes deserved more respect than they're given on campus.

MORE NATIONAL NEWS

RELATED COVERAGE:

• Total of 8 Rutgers students arrested following 'Delafest' block party last month

• New Brunswick police release names of 3 Rutgers students arrested in 'Delafest' disturbance

In a lengthy indictment unsealed last week, the Jacksons are alleged to have conspired from 2005 to 2010 — while living at Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County — in a course of neglect and cruelty toward three children they fostered and then adopted

NEWARK — Army Maj. John E. Jackson and his wife, Carolyn, both pleaded not guilty today in federal court to charges that they abused their foster and adopted children for years through beatings, breaking their bones, failing to get them medical help, depriving them of drinking water and training their biological kids to take part in the mistreatment.

Appearing at an arraignment about one week after U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced that both parents were facing 17 counts – including numerous charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a child – the Jacksons sat quietly at a defense table. They did not speak during a 25-minute hearing in Newark before U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden, during which they waived the reading of the charges against them, said a spokeswoman for Fishman. Their lawyers entered the pleas for them.

After the hearing ended, the couple whispered back and forth. John Jackson, 37, wore full military dress in court, appearing in a crisp dark-blue uniform with gold-and-red stripes woven into the shoulders. As he walked from the courthouse hand in hand with Carolyn Jackson, 35, he donned a military hat.

Neither Jackson would comment to reporters as they left the courthouse.

In a 22-page indictment unsealed last week, the Jacksons are alleged to have conspired from 2005 to 2010 — while living at Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County — to engage in a constant course of neglect and cruelty toward three children they fostered and then adopted, one of whom died in May 2008.

Authorities allege the Jacksons – who now live in Mount Holly – told their three biological children not to report the physical assaults to others, saying the punishments and disciplinary techniques were justified, as they were “training” the adopted children how to behave.

According to reports published on a website called “WorldNetDaily,” the state Department of Children and Families in 2010 took the Jacksons’ five children from them, citing an imminent danger to the children after the youngest, who was then 2 years old, was hospitalized.

Fishman’s office has confirmed the Jacksons’ five children are in the custody of the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.

Authorities have declined to provide the names, genders and ages of the children, and the indictment does not allege the Jacksons are responsible for the death of the one child.

Today, federal prosecutor Melissa Jampol told Hayden that the state had terminated the parental rights of the Jacksons to three of their former children. She also said that she believed the state was looking into what should happen with all five children, including two biological children.

Jampol added that a guardian represents the rights of the three children who are no longer legal children of the Jacksons – and that a separate guardian represents the rights of the other two.

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

According to prosecutors and the indictment, after John Jackson was told by a family friend that one of the children had revealed the alleged abuse, he told his wife. Carolyn Jackson then retaliated against that child with multiple beatings with a belt, authorities say.

The Jacksons allegedly assaulted their children with various objects, causing two children to sustain fractured bones, for which the Jacksons failed to seek prompt medical attention, authorities allege in the indictment.

They also withheld proper medical care for their adopted children, withheld sufficient nourishment for two of the children, withheld adequate water from two of the children, and, at times, prohibited them from drinking water altogether, authorities allege.

As another form of punishment, the couple forced two of the children to consume food intended to cause them pain and suffering, variously including red pepper flakes, hot sauce and raw onion, authorities say. They also caused one child to ingest excessive sodium or sodium-laden substances while being deprived of water, leading to a life-threatening illness, authorities also allege.

If convicted, authorities say, the Jacksons each face a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the 17 counts with which they are charged.

After being detained initially last week after the indictment against them was unsealed, the Jacksons were granted bail last Thursday after a lengthy court hearing. But the federal magistrate judge who freed them also mandated that neither Jackson is allowed to have contact with any of their children. According to statements made by lawyers at the bail hearing, the Jacksons had previously been allowed to visit with two of their biological children.

John Jackson began his career with the Army in 1993. In later years he served in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. While serving in Iraq and Afghanistan between February 2009 and March 2010 as part of the Joint Contracting Command — Iraq/Afghanistan, he received the defense meritorious service medal while working as a contractor.

Defenders of John and Carolyn Jackson have said the parents are kind, practicing Christians and have been unfairly targeted by state child protective services.

A court motion and discovery schedule was also set out in court during today’s hearing. A trial date was slated for July 8 – for now – but because of voluminous discovery expected in the case, Fishman's spokeswoman said it is expected the trial date could be pushed back to a later date.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Friends defend Army major and wife charged with abusing children; 1 calls allegations 'a lie'

• Army major and wife charged with 'unimaginable' abuse of 3 children

• U.S. Army major, wife charged with assaulting and abusing foster and adoptive children

• Army major, wife charged with abusing 3 foster children at Picatinny Arsenal

While admitting to his crime last December, Ronald Oshrin, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to production of child pornography, authorities say.

Ronald Oshrin, 49, of Budd Lake, in a photo released by the FBI after he was arrested in 2012 on charges that he installed hidden cameras in his home and recorded at least seven teenage girls undressing and using the bathroom.Courtesy of the FBI 

CAMDEN — A computer consultant from Budd Lake has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for installing hidden cameras in his Morris County home and then using the cameras to secretly record young girls who were nude or undressing, authorities said.

While admitting to his crime last December, Ronald Oshrin, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to production of child pornography. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in federal court in Camden.

At the time the initial charges were brought in April 2012 against Oshrin – who is married with children – his lawyer said his client had 23 years of experience as a computer consultant with "the veteran's administration."

Oshrin has admitted, according to authorities, that between 2007 and April 2012, he installed hidden cameras in a bedroom and a bathroom of his home in order to record nine young girls in various states of undress.

He's also admitted to editing the videos to produce still photographs, authorities say, as well as to distributing videos and the still photographs of the girls over the internet.

In addition, authorities said, Oshrin admitted to having sexual contact with certain minors.

According to an FBI-signed complaint made public in April 2012, agents spoke with Oshrin and he allegedly told them that he "regularly downloads child pornography from various websites on the internet.”

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

In addition, the complaint alleged that “he also regularly distributed child pornography through various methods including direct e-mail and posting on known child pornography sites and file sharing sites.”

The complaint also alleged that "when pre-pubescent girls were in the bathroom or bedroom, (Oshrin) would monitor the cameras and make video recordings of the girls ... disrobing, using the shower or using the toilet.

"Because he installed multiple cameras ... it allowed video production from various angles and allowed him to focus on specific areas of interest," the complaint said.

A phone call to Oshrin’s defense lawyer was not immediately returned this afternoon.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Morris County man accused of using hidden cameras to record nude images of young girls

Eli Weinstein, charged in a new fraud today, claimed he had access to large blocks of Facebook before the social media company went public. Prosecutors said he lured at least one investor from New Zealand, who put up $6.7 million.

Eliyahu Weinstein, already facing 25 years in prison in connection with a Ponzi scheme, was charged today in a new scam involving shares of Facebook before the social media company went public.Frank Conlon/The Star-Ledger 

NEWARK — It was the hottest stock offering in internet history. And with frenzied investors racing to get their hands on shares of Facebook before it went public, admitted scam artist Eliyahu "Eli" Weinstein saw a
$6.7 million opportunity.

Weinstein — then under federal indictment in a separate $200 million Ponzi scheme — convinced an investor he had the inside track on Facebook, claiming "special access" to the hard-to-get shares in the social networking company’s highly sought initial public offering.

Today, Weinstein was charged along with two others with fraud and conspiracy in what was described as a "Byzantine series of monetary transactions" involving a New Zealand investor looking for a quick return, offshore bank accounts and a Brooklyn synagogue seeking cash to pay the life insurance premiums of members who had named the congregation as beneficiary on $350 million in death benefits.

Also charged were Alex Schleider, 47, of Lakewood, and Aaron Muschel, 63, of Brooklyn. Prosecutors said the three stole $6.7 million from the unnamed investor before the scheme came to light.

There were no shares of Facebook. According to a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court in Newark, Weinstein used the money to mostly pay for his mounting legal fees, take his home out of foreclosure, support the Brooklyn synagogue and send his kids to religious school — as well as fund his own investments, including a gold deal in Africa.

"The defendants took advantage of the buzz around the Facebook IPO to fleece unsuspecting investors," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. "Shamelessly, Eliyahu Weinstein allegedly committed these crimes while under federal indictment for another investment scheme, even using stolen money to pay his legal fees."

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

Weinstein, a 37-year-old former used car salesman from Lakewood, had a history of preying on others in his tight-knit Orthodox Jewish community with a virtual portfolio of fraudulent real estate investments and land deals stretching back more than five years. The target of countless civil lawsuits over the years by investors who claimed he took advantage of the trust he enjoyed in his own community, Weinstein was accused of bilking people out of tens of millions of dollars.

Many of his transactions involved those who knew him, or were introduced to him by others in the community. One of his deals involved Solomon Dwek, long before Dwek became the infamous informant behind the biggest corruption and money laundering sting in New Jersey history.

Indicted in 2010, Weinstein was charged in a real estate investment scheme stretching from New Jersey, Florida and California to Israel, soliciting investments for properties he either never owned or had already sold.

While on bail awaiting trial in that case, Weinstein hatched the Facebook ploy, prosecutors say. They said he claimed he could get his hands on large blocks of hard-to-get Facebook shares, in the frenzy that swept the financial markets over the offering. According to the criminal complaint. Weinstein had no access to the pre-IPO shares.

The complaint recounted the luring of an investor in New Zealand, only identified by his initials, "G.C." Told Weinstein "had an interesting deal involving Facebook’s IPO," "G.C." was asked if he had an "appetite." After being assured the money was secure, the victim transferred millions of dollars to purchase the shares, in some cases through offshore accounts in the Channel Islands, according to the complaint.

As part of the conditions for Weinstein remaining free on bail, he was prohibited from engaging in any monetary transaction in excess of $1,000 without approval of a special counsel named to the case.

After Weinstein pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering in January in connection with the unrelated Ponzi scheme, the investor — seeking his money from the Facebook investment — flew to New Jersey in February to confront him. The meeting at the Marriott Glenpointe Hotel in Teaneck was secretly recorded by the investor and his son.

"You’ve got to trust me," Weinstein is heard on the tape, parts of which were transcribed in the criminal complaint. "It’s going to be hard for you because I’m the bad guy. I’m the thief. I only made Schleider money and I made you money."

"Where is it?" demanded the victim.

"You made it!" insisted Weinstein. "I wired it back to you. I didn’t wire you money?"

The U.S. Attorney’s office said Weinstein used the money to pay his lawyers and experts representing him in his pending criminal cases, as well as to make additional investments in other companies and extend loans to a Brooklyn congregation that had insured members who had named the synagogue as the beneficiary of millions in life insurance policies.

In federal court in Newark this afternoon, Weinstein, Schleider and Muschel had their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo. Bail was set at $1 million each for Schleider and Muschel. Weinstein, however, was ordered held without bail.

Already facing up to 25 years in prison under the terms of his plea in the Ponzi case, Weinstein now faces another 30 years for the fraud in this one.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Lakewood man pleads guilty in global real estate investment scheme

• Authorities say Lakewood real estate developer preyed on community's trust in Ponzi scheme

• Judge sets new date in bail-revocation hearing for Lakewood man

More than four years after the world last heard from O.J. Simpson in court, one of the nation's most famous prisoners speaks again Wednesday in a bid to win freedom from a sentence that could keep him behind bars until he dies.

LAS VEGAS — More than four years after the world last heard from O.J. Simpson in court, one of the nation's most famous prisoners speaks again today in a bid to win freedom from a sentence that could keep him behind bars until he dies.

In 2008, he was near tears as he told a judge: "I didn't mean to steal anything from anybody ... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it."

This time he will get to say much more testifying for at least a day about a strange Las Vegas hotel room confrontation that sent him to prison.

There is no jury and his fate will be determined by Clark County District Judge Linda Marie Bell.

"He's been wanting to tell his story. He's excited about telling his story," said Simpson attorney Ozzie Fumo.

When he went to trial in 2008 on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping, Simpson did not testify — a decision that one of his lawyers said was pushed upon him by another attorney he trusted so completely that he took his bad advice.

"It's going to be a long day," said his co-counsel, Patricia Palm, "He's going to have to testify to every point in the petition. But they can't do a little mini-retrial."

O. J. Simpson stands during a break during the second day of evidentiary hearing in Clark County District Court on May 14, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steve Marcus - Pool/Getty Images 

With 19 points raised to support reversal in the writ of habeas corpus, Simpson will answer many questions from his lawyers and then undergo cross-examination by an attorney for the state who wants to keep him in prison.

"He is anxious, and it's hard for him when he hears testimony that he wants to refute," Palm said of the 65-year-old former football hall of famer.

Simpson is testifying midway through a five-day evidentiary hearing. He's serving nine to 33 years in prison for his conviction on armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges in a 2007 gunpoint confrontation. Simpson has said, and is likely to repeat, that he never saw any guns.

Attorney Gabriel Grasso was Simpson's star witness, the Las Vegas lawyer who joined the case when his old friend, Yale Galanter, called and said, "Hey Gabe, want to be famous?"

He said he soon realized he would be doing most of the behind the scenes work while Galanter made the decisions.

"I could advise O.J. all day long, and he was very respectful of me," Grasso told the court. "But if I advised him of something different from what Yale said, he would do what Yale said."

It was Galanter's decision not to have Simpson testify, Grasso said.

Under questioning from H. Leon Simon, attorney for the state, Grasso acknowledged the trial judge, Jackie Glass, specifically asked Simpson if he wanted to testify and he said no.

"Mr. Galanter told him, 'This is the way it's going to be,'" Grasso said, adding he would have put him on the stand.

He said Simpson's confidence in Galanter was born of the acquittal he gained for the former Hall of Fame football player in a road rage case in Florida five years after his 1995 acquittal on murder charges in the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Galanter is now the focus of Simpson's motion claiming ineffective assistance of counsel and conflict of interest. He has declined to comment until he takes the stand Friday.

There are questions of money too. Grasso accused Galanter of lining his own pockets while telling him they were "operating on a shoestring" and couldn't afford to hire expert witnesses. Simpson's business attorney, Leroy "Skip" Taft testified by phone Tuesday that he kept getting big bills from Galanter but no explanation of what costs were eating up hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Witness after witness spoke of a proposed plea bargain that Galanter turned down on Simpson's behalf but no one was sure the defendant knew about it.

CONNECT
WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

There were rumors that Galanter gave his blessings to Simpson's plan to show up at a hotel room and reclaim his memorabilia, which two dealers were trying to peddle.

Retired Clark County District Attorney David Roger, who prosecuted Simpson, was asked whether investigators determined if Galanter helped Simpson plan the 2007 hotel room confrontation.

"He said he did not advise Mr. Simpson to commit armed robbery," Roger said.

"And he said he wasn't there?" Fumo asked.

"Yes," Roger replied.

Others have testified that Galanter was in Las Vegas and had dinner with Simpson the night before.

The other prosecutor, Chris Owens, testified about discovering phone calls between the two but hiding that fact from the judge. He identified at least 10 calls in the days preceding and on Sept. 13, 2007.

Both prosecutors described an agreement with the Simpson defense that was read to the jury saying there were no calls.

"So you stipulated to events that weren't true?" Fumo asked Owens.

"It was in the form of a legal construct," Owens replied and said Judge Jackie Glass encouraged it because she didn't want to confuse the jury with another issue.

This is Simpson's last chance under state law to prove that he was wrongly convicted. A federal court appeal is still possible.

But Simpson has aged rapidly and his changed appearance - heavy, graying and shuffling under the weight of shackles - has shocked friends and relatives who traveled to Las Vegas to see him.

MORE NATIONAL NEWS

RELATED COVERAGE:

• O.J. Simpson bid for new trial starting in Las Vegas court

• Poll: Should O.J. Simpson be granted a new trial?

The student, who was not identified by name, was killed on the 200 block of Aldine Street

A Weequahic High School senior was shot and killed this afternoon on the 200 block of Aldine Street, police confirmed.Star-Ledger file photo 

NEWARK — An 18-year-old high school student was killed today when a gunman fired shots at him from a vehicle, Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio said.

The unidentified student, who was a senior at Weequahic High School, was killed on the 200 block of Aldine Street, about a block from school, police confirmed. Officials said the shooting happened between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., but an exact time was not immediately known.

DeMaio said the student had left the school about 20 minutes earlier, after signing himself out complaining he wasn't feeling well. School officials contacted his grandmother at the time he left, the police director said.

Witnesses to the shooting said a vehicle pulled up to the student before shots were fired at him. One of the alleged assailants then stepped out of the vehicle, looked at the victim then returned to the car, before driving off.

South Ward City Councilman Ras Baraka called the shooting "absolutely crazy. These things are happening in the middle of the day," he said. Baraka, who is also principal of Central High School, said he wanted to see more police officers assigned to his district. "We are outgunned and outmanned here on the street."

As several police officers milled around the crime scene this afternoon, a teenager recalled growing up with the victim, whom he called a lifelong Newark resident.

The teen, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, said his friend would hang out at the nearby Greater Life Community Outreach Center. "He was a good kid," the teen said. "When he was little, he used to play pool and and videogames around here."

MORE ESSEX COUNTY NEWS

Genaro Ortiz, Jr. and his "Batmobile" were on full display today at a National Police Week event in Washington Park

Genaro Ortiz Jr., a Newark police detective, has been the city's Batman for 21 years. He visits kids at Saint Michael School in this 2011 file photo on Halloween with the Batmobile, which plays music to entertain them. He has the authentic costume you see in movies and his personal car, a Camaro, looks like the batmobile. He pays for this with his own money, traveling to schools to stress education and he makes appearances at many charity events.Jennifer Brown/The Star-Ledger 

NEWARK — It's made of thick, black rubber. It weighs 40 pounds, but that doesn't stop Genaro Ortiz, Jr. from putting it on — he's got a job to do.

For two decades the veteran detective has suited up as "Batman" teaching inner city children about safety and to trust police officers. He say it's his personal mission to show the youngsters that officers are not people to fear, but people to turn to when danger knocks.

And if words don't work, he always has the costume and the "Batmobile," his personal Camaro that's tricked out with cameras, lights and a "Batphone."

"Kids had seen cops but this was something different," said Ortiz, a Newark native, adding that the idea to tour schools giving Halloween safety tips was birthed after a "Batman" movie was released in theaters. "Something they would remember. Some kids are afraid of police offices but everybody loves 'Batman.'"

A masked Ortiz and his "Batmobile" were on full display today at a National Police Week event in Washington Park. And as passerbys snapped pictures and shook his hand, Ortiz talked about how his little Halloween safety chats expanded into presentations -- sometimes to two or three schools in a day — about bullying, strangers, 911, gangs, drugs and bicycle safety.

And there's even a little magic show. Ortiz said he uses a set of rings to show kids how following the wrong crowd can "get you caught" and make difficult to escape.

Passerby Caled Odestin, 34, of Newark, snaps a picture of Ortiz during a National Police Week event today in Washington Park.Victoria St. Martin/Star-Ledger 

"This sticks in their mind," said Ortiz of his costume and tricks. And he doesn't mind that kids don't remember his real name — he answers to "Batman."

Sgt. Louis Cancel, who supervises Newark Police Department's community affairs division, said Ortiz gets calls from all over the state and even puts in time when he's off duty to be the caped crusader.

"They know he's a police officer and they look up to him," said Cancel. "(He tries) to make them feel comfortable around people instead of fearing police."

One 34-year-old Newark resident, Caled Odestin, stopped in the middle of the Police Week event at Washington Park to snap a picture of Ortiz. Odestin said his four children — ages 5, 6, 7 and 11 — are going to love seeing a "Batman" roaming the Brick City streets.

"I tell them if they're ever in trouble, they need to know that they can go to the authorities," he said. "And this shows them that law enforcement is here for you."

CONNECT
WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

Authorities say Loretta Burroughs fatally stabbed her husband, Daniel Burroughs in August 2007, before reporting him missing

Atlantic County authorities have charged Loretta Burroughs with the murder of her husband, who was reported missing in 2007.Star-Ledger file photo 

On Friday, authorities revealed that to be an elaborate lie.

In fact, they said, by the time Daniel Burroughs was reported missing in September 2007, Loretta had already killed him.

Friday, the 61-year-old woman was charged with murder after investigators found her husband’s remains inside a closet in her new home in Ventnor, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor James McClain said.

Daniel Burroughs’ body had been moved from Mays Landing to Ventnor, about 20 miles south, near Atlantic City, McClain said, though authorities aren’t saying exactly how or when.

Detectives from the prosecutor’s cold case unit charged Loretta Burroughs with fatally stabbing her husband in August 2007, in Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township.

Daniel Burroughs’ disappearance remained a mystery, authorities said, because when he allegedly drove off with the other woman in a Hummer with Florida plates, he left behind all his belongings, according to a report in the Press of Atlantic City.

A family member — not his wife — reported Burroughs missing. Hamilton Township police investigated the case, along with the State Police Missing Persons Unit. Both agencies were also involved in her arrest Friday.

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

The missing persons case languished, then was reopened in February after members of Daniel Burroughs’ family contacted the prosecutor’s office with information. Authorities would not say what kind of information investigators had received and would not provide a motive for the killing. Autopsy results are pending.

At the time of her arrest, Loretta Burroughs was in the process of selling her Ventnor home, and moving this time to Villas in Cape May County, the prosecutor’s office said.

Search warrants in hand, authorities on Friday went through Burroughs’ residence in Villas, and her home in Ventnor, McClain said.

It was at the Ventnor house that human remains were discovered inside a closet, and later identified as those of Daniel Burroughs.

Arrested in the morning on charges of murder and weapons offenses, Loretta Burroughs appeared in Superior Court in Mays Landing hours later, handcuffed and in street clothes. She was not required to enter a plea and did not have an attorney present, said Haleigh Walz, a prosecutor’s office spokeswoman. Bail was set at $2 million.

MORE REAL-TIME NEWS

The veteran police officer, who was not identified, has about 12 years of experience on the Nassau County police force and previously spent several years as a New York City police officer

Hofstra University student Andrea Rebello was killed when a home invader held her hostage and police broke in and shot her accidentally during the rescue attempt. Courtesy Facebook 

MINEOLA, N.Y. — In what police are describing as a crime of opportunity, a wanted man with a criminal history dating nearly 15 years entered a front door that had been left open at a New York home near Hofstra University.

A short time later, the intruder, Dalton Smith, and a 21-year-old college junior, Andrea Rebello, were both dead. The two were killed early Friday by a Nassau County police officer who fired eight shots at the masked man, hitting him seven times but also accidentally hitting Rebello once in the head, Nassau County homicide squad Lt. John Azzata said Saturday.

Smith was holding Rebello in a headlock and pointing a gun at her head before he turned his gun at the officer, Azzata said, prompting the shooting.

"He kept saying, 'I'm going to kill her,' and then he pointed the gun at the police officer," Azzata said.

A loaded 9 mm handgun with a serial number scratched off was found at the scene, police said.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale said he had traveled to Rebello's Tarrytown, N.Y., home to explain to Rebello's parents what happened.

"I felt obligated as a police commissioner and as a parent to inform them as soon as all the forensic results were completed," Dale said.

The officer is currently out on sick leave. He will be the focus of an internal police investigation once the criminal investigation is completed, which is standard police procedure in any officer-involved shooting, the commissioner said.

The shooting came just days before the school's commencement ceremonies, which are scheduled for Sunday.

Dalton Smith, 30, broke into the off-campus home, police say and held 21-year-old Andrea Rebello at gunpoint. Smith was killed by police gunfire which also struck and killed Rebello. 

Earlier Saturday, police announced that Smith, 30, had been wanted on a parole violation related to a first-degree robbery conviction. A warrant was issued for Smith on April 25 for absconding from parole, police said.

Smith had what police described as "an extensive criminal history," which included arrests for robbery in the first degree in 1999, promoting prison contraband in the second degree in 2000, robbery in the first degree in 2003, assault in the second degree in 2003 and robbery in the second degree in 2003.

Rebello was in the two-story home in Uniondale, N.Y., with her twin sister Jessica, a third woman and a man when Smith, wearing a ski mask, walked into the house through an open front door, Azzata said.

The door was left open after someone had moved a car that was blocking a driveway, Azzata said.

When Smith entered, he demanded valuables and was told they were upstairs, Azzata said.

Smith, apparently unsatisfied with the valuables upstairs, asked if any of the four had a bank account and could withdraw money, Azzata said. The intruder then allowed the unidentified woman to leave and collect money from an ATM, telling her she had only eight minutes to come back with cash before he killed one of her friends, Azzata said.

The woman left for the bank and called 911, according to Azzata.

Minutes later, two police officers arrived at the home and found Rebello's twin sister Jessica running out of the front door and the male guest hiding behind a couch on the first floor, Azzata said.

One of the officers entered the home and encountered Smith holding onto Rebello in a headlock, coming down the stairs, Azzata said. Smith pulled Rebello closer and started moving backward toward a rear door of the house, pointing the gun at her head before eventually threatening the officer, Azzata said.

The Rev. Osvaldo Franklin, who gave Rebello and her twin their first communions, on Saturday night told The Associated Press their mother, Nella, couldn't even speak to him earlier in the day.

"She was so devastated," said Franklin. "She's just crying. We have to pray for Andrea, to pray for Jessica because she needs help."

Franklin said a funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at Teresa of Avila Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., and will be in Portuguese.

"The family's a very good family, they have very good values," he said. "They are a very good, very devoted family."

More National News

The lawsuit charged Community Education Centers, the state of New Jersey, the Department of Corrections, the state Parole Board and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey with failing to prevent David Goodell’s escape and Viviana Tulli’s death

University Hospital in Newark, where a man being held at a halfway house escaped in 2010, and later murdered a 21-year-old woman from Garfield. Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal 

NEWARK — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey in connection with the death of a 21-year-old Garfield woman allegedly killed by a parolee who escaped the custody of a Newark halfway house nearly three years ago.

However, the case will be allowed to continue against the private operators that run the facility.

The case was brought by Estella Tulli-Makowski, the sister of 21-year-old Viviana Tulli, who was found strangled to death just hours after former prison inmate David Goodell faked a seizure at Logan Hall, a halfway house in Newark run by Community Education Centers, and escaped from University Hospital.

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

The lawsuit charged Community Education Centers, the state of New Jersey, the Department of Corrections, the state Parole Board and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey all with failing to prevent Goodell’s escape and Tulli’s death.

But last week, U.S. District Judge William Martini in Newark threw out all the charges against the state agencies, finding that as public entities they could not be sued. He did, though, leave the door open to litigation against UMDNJ, ruling that its status under the statutes was unclear.

A spokesman for UMDNJ had no immediate comment.

The lawsuit continues against Community Education Centers, which had nothing to say about the ruling. “The company does not comment on pending litigation,” said spokesman Christopher Greeder.

Goodell, who had been sent to Logan Hall six months after his release from prison, has a criminal record that includes arrests on burglary, robbery and drug possession charges. He has been charged with the death of Tulli, who was killed Aug. 30, 2010, after she rejected advances by Goodell, a former friend, prosecutors have said.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Sister of woman allegedly killed by Newark halfway house parolee files wrongful death suit

• Lawsuit charges Essex County contract with halfway house in Newark violates state law

Caleb 'Kai' McGillivary got famous on the Internet claiming to be a surfer from West Virginia with no family but he is actually a Canadian with a large extended family and a troubled past, his parents say.

Caleb McGillivary (right) poses with his father, Gil McGillivary in a family photo.Courtesy of Gil McGillivary  

On the viral YouTube video that propelled him to a measure of fame, the disheveled itinerant dubbed "Kai the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker" describes himself as a "home-free" surfer and musician with roots in West Virginia.

"I don’t have any family," he tells a television reporter after describing how he stopped an attack on a utility worker in Fresno, Calif., by striking the assailant with an ax. "As far as anyone I grew up with is concerned, I’m already dead."

But 24-year-old Caleb McGillivary, as he is legally known, isn’t from West Virginia. He was born and raised in Canada, where his estranged parents reacted with horror to the allegations their son fatally bludgeoned a 73-year-old New Jersey lawyer, Joseph Galfy, last week.

In their first interviews since McGillivary’s arrest in Philadelphia Thursday night, the parents told The Star-Ledger their son has long struggled with behavioral problems and spent years in hospitals and treatment homes.

"Caleb had a real tough life," said Gil McGillivary, 57, a former probation officer who lives in Hawkesbury, Ontario. He and Caleb McGillivary’s mother, Shirley, divorced when their son was 4.

"He was in treatment homes until he turned 18 and then they cut him loose and washed their hands of him," Gil McGillivary said. "Caleb made accusations that he was physically and mentally abused at one of the homes. The system let my son down."

The suspect’s mother, who spoke on the condition her last name be withheld, acknowledged her son’s behavior problems but disputed his father’s claim that he has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He graduated from high school, Shirley said, and took college classes. As a little boy, she said, he was a "delight."

She said she hasn’t spoken to her son since last fall. At the time, he was still living in Canada. She said she does not know how or when her son illegally crossed the border to travel around the States.

She wept while watching McGillivary’s notorious television interview, which was uploaded to YouTube in February and swiftly drew several hundred thousand hits. Since the arrest, the number of views has climbed to nearly 4 million.

Shirley, who lives on a farm in St. Paul, Alberta, said her son’s claim his family didn’t care about him isn’t true.

"He has a family that misses him," she said. "He has a family that loves him. There have been some attempts, but we have no way of contacting him. He knows my number. My number hasn’t changed. If he calls and wants our help, we’re there for him."

McGillivary has been in a Pennsylvania jail, held without bail, since he was arrested Thursday at a Philadelphia bus station. The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is seeking to extradite him to New Jersey, where he will face murder charges in the death of Galfy, a Clark resident and partner in a Rahway law firm.

The two met by chance in Times Square May 11, then returned to Galfy’s home, Prosecutor Theodore Romankow has said. McGillivary allegedly beat Galfy to death Sunday evening.

Authorities have not released a motive. In a Facebook post, McGillivary claimed he was drugged and sexually assaulted, but did not provide specifics. Romankow has called the comment "self-serving."

On May 10, McGillivary wrote a disturbing Mother’s Day essay on his Facebook wall in which he alleged that he was beaten by family members from the age of 2 and locked alone in a room for 20 hours a day. When he acted out, according to the essay, he was hit with brooms and pushed into cold showers.

His mother said the claims are untrue and the essay was a manifestation of her son’s mood disorders. She said she did not want to elaborate on the nature of his behavioral health issues.

In a YouTube video posted yesterday by a Kai supporter, there is a montage of archived interview clips in which McGillivary describes his troubled past and states that he was raped at age 17.

Meanwhile, a petition called "Free Kai Caleb Lawrence" has been created on Change.org.

"It’s innocent until proven guilty," Gil McGillivary said about his son. "Where’s the murder weapon? When did it happen? These are the questions that boggle my mind."

He said he was stunned when he first heard his son’s name in connection with the killing.

"I tried to put Caleb on the straight-and-narrow growing up, but this situation here, I can only tell him I still love him. He’s been wandering around lost because he hasn’t given his life to the Lord."

Gil McGillivary said that prior to his divorce, he and his son spent time together camping, attending air shows and going for motorcycle rides.

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

"He loved to play guitar and play the drums at the music stores. He was a really talented musician. That was his dream, I thought, to be a rock star."

Gil McGillivary lost custody of his son after the divorce. He said the boy spent his teen and preteen years hospitalized for behavioral problems.

He said he last saw his son in December 2010. "He showed up to the door unannounced to spend Christmas with us," said the father, who is remarried with two daughters and a son.

"When Caleb came over here, he wanted me to run away with him to have some sort of father-son relationship.

"I believe that Caleb didn’t like the fact that I remarried, that I didn’t rescue him from the treatment home, that I have three kids from my present wife," Gil McGillivary said. "But my children, they love their brother, and they’re shocked at what has happened."

The father said he last spoke to his son in February after the television interview went viral.

"Caleb didn’t want to have anything to do with me," he said. "He thought I was trying to get into the public notoriety of his rise to fame because of being his dad. That wasn’t the way it was going to happen, but I respected his wishes because he’s an adult."

Staff writers Tom Haydon and Mark Mueller contributed to this report.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Famed hitchhiker 'Kai' arrested in Philadelphia, charged in Clark lawyer's murder

• Killing of Clark attorney followed Times Square meet-up with famed hitchhiker 'Kai,' police say

• Authorities rule death of 73-year-old Clark lawyer a homicide

The victims' identities were not immediately released and the officials did not disclose a motive in the killing.

Two people were found dead inside their home in the Smoke Rise section of Kinnelon early today. Justin Zaremba/NJ.com 

KINNELON — A man shot and killed his wife then turned the weapon on himself early this morning inside a home in the gated Smoke Rise community, two law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation said.

The victims' identities were not immediately released and the officials did not disclose a motive in the killing. They requested anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the case.

According to property records, the home is owned by John Jones, 74, and his wife Joey Jones, 63.

The attack happened around 8 a.m. on the 200 block of Long Mead Road in Smoke Rise, a wealthy enclave of Kinnelon, officials said. Morris County prosecutors said this afternoon that there was no sign of forced entry.

The county prosecutor's office would not confirm there had been a shooting but issued a statement at about 1 p.m. saying it and other law enforcement agencies are investigating the two deaths.

Kinnelon police arrived at the home just after 8 a.m. and found the bodies, the prosecutor's office said.

As a precaution, the Morris County Sheriff's Office Special Emergency Response Team responded to the scene and cleared the residence, authorities said.

The investigation is being conducted by the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office with the Kinnelon Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Section, and the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Star-Ledger staff writer David Giambusso and NJ.com staff writers Justin Zaremba and Louis Hochman contributed to this report.

RELATED COVERAGE:

• Two found dead at home in Kinnelon gated Smoke Rise community

• Heavy police activity in Kinnelon's gated Smoke Rise community

Four people died on New Jersey roads last Memorial Day weekend - and state police arrested 117 people for driving while intoxicated

Motorists drive past a flashing road sign on Rt. 22 in Mountainside warning them they are approaching a DWI checkpoint in 2003. Such checkpoints will be on roads across the state this holiday weekend - and more patrols will be out looking for any kind of traffic violation, authorities said.Star-Ledger file photo 

Over last year’s long Memorial Day weekend, four people died in New Jersey car crashes. Two of the deaths were attributed to alcohol and drugs, authorities say.

That same weekend, state troopers arrested 117 people for driving while intoxicated on the state’s major highways, authorities say.

The annual crackdown begins again today. Police will be everywhere, from local roads to the state’s major highways. And they will be searching high and low for even the slightest infraction, authorities said.

“Do the right thing – because we’re going to be looking,” said Sgt. Brian Polite, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police. “We all share these roadways.”

About 200 extra state troopers will be on the major thoroughfares, from the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, to Interstate 80 and Interstate 78, said Polite. They will be watching for anything from drunken-driving to swerving through traffic and tailgating, to texting while driving – even down to unfastened seatbelts, Polite said.

There will be vigilance in patrols from 6 p.m. Friday through Tuesday morning, he added.

In addition to the state police patrols, drunk-driving checkpoints will be set up by local police on smaller roads across the state. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said there will be numerous stops throughout the county, as is usual for the unofficial first weekend of summer. But this year authorities have also added two drug recognition experts at each of the checkpoints, looking for people under the influence of narcotics, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

In Linden, checkpoints will be set up again throughout the city as part of the “Click it or Ticket” campaign, said Capt. James Sarnicki. During last year’s two-week campaign, they issued 485 seat-belt summonses – 10th in the state – while also arresting 12 drunk drivers and 26 drug offenders, and towing 17 uninsured cars, Sarnicki added.

Road safety is the primary goal of the crackdown, Polite said. And there is reason for optimism this year on New Jersey roads. The year-to-date numbers of fatalities are down 15 percent from 2012, he said. A total of 218 were killed in 206 crashes at this point last year, compared with 185 killed in 177 accidents this year, Polite said. Part of this is accounted for by the decrease in motorcycle fatalities – with 25 in 2012, compared to seven this year, Polite said.

The crackdown is an annual reminder that there are consequences for being irresponsible on the roads – and not all of them are from law enforcement, Polite said.

“Every year we send this message out – but it just boils down to personal responsibility,” Polite said. “You owe it to everyone in your car – and everyone else on the road.”

RELATED COVERAGE

• Hundreds of N.J. towns to crack down on drivers not wearing seat belts

• N.J. freedoms lacking: state ranks near bottom of the list again

Bomb threats are on the rise in New Jersey's schools. The state's Homeland Security and Preparedness Office says students have been evacuated at least 61 times this school year, a 27 percent increase over last year. There were 19 evacuations in April, with an increase after the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15. Most took place on Mondays and...

North Hunterdon High School employees return to the building after a bomb threat in this 2010 file photo.Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger 

Bomb threats are on the rise in New Jersey's schools.

The state's Homeland Security and Preparedness Office says students have been evacuated at least 61 times this school year, a 27 percent increase over last year.

There were 19 evacuations in April, with an increase after the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15. Most took place on Mondays and Thursdays and were usually triggered by a note or graffiti.

Officials estimate it has cost $2 million to respond to the threats, which have turned out to be false.

Montville School Superintendent Paul Fried tells NorthJersey.com he has asked police and parents to talk to children about the severity of false alarms.

RELATED COVERAGE

• After bomb arrest, 'every parent is a nervous wreck,' Edison High School mom says

• Yet another bomb scare at a Montville school, at least sixth in NJ today

According to the complaint, the attorney never placed a majority of the ads and instead deposited the money into his own back account

Federal court in Newark.Christopher P. Collins/The Star-Ledger 

NEWARK — Federal prosecutors in New Jersey say a New York lawyer is accused of charging two international companies hundreds of thousands of dollars for advertisements that were never placed.

Authorities arrested 49-year-old Marijan Cvjeticanin of St. James, N.Y., Wednesday and charged him with one count of mail fraud.

Authorities say the suspect charged two companies $579,000 to place advertisements relating to permanent residency applications for temporary workers from January 2010 to September 2012.

According to the complaint, the attorney never placed a majority of the ads and instead deposited the money into his own back account.

It is not known if he has retained an attorney. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Newark this afternoon.

MORE CRIME NEWS

Sixty-year-old Roberto Rivera was arrested in November after authorities reported finding several weapons at his home, along with large amounts of chemicals that can be used in making explosives

Roberto Rivera, a 60-year-old doctor from Ridgewood, was indicted by a grand jury in Bergen on charges after authorities said they found weapons and large amounts of chemicals used to make explosives.S.P Sullivan/NJ.com 

HACKENSACK — A northern New Jersey physician has been indicted on charges he caused the risk of widespread damage by stashing large amounts of bomb-making materials at his home.

Sixty-year-old Roberto Rivera of Ridgewood also faces weapons charges in the indictment recently handed up by a Bergen County grand jury. He remains jailed on $1 million bail. His lawyer has declined to comment.

Rivera was arrested in November after authorities reported finding several weapons at his home, along with large amounts of chemicals that can be used in making explosives. Police went to the residence after receiving a report that potentially hazardous materials might be there.

Prosecutors haven't said why Rivera had the items or what he planned to do with them.

The state temporarily suspended his medical license in January.

MORE NEWS

Edison police officer Michael Dotro, charged with setting a captain's house on fire, was recently ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation after amassing 11 excessive force complaints

Capt. Mark AnderkoCourtesy Edison Police Department 

The Edison police officer charged this month with torching his captain’s home was recently ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation and transferred to a new shift after receiving his 11th excessive force complaint in a decade, three law enforcement officials with knowledge of the situation said.

Michael Dotro, 35, who has a history of confrontations on and off the job, was summoned to a meeting in late March with Chief Thomas Bryan and Capt. Mark Anderko, who has a role in meting out discipline as commander of the department’s administration bureau.

Dotro was told during the meeting he would be required to submit to a fitness-for-duty evaluation with the department’s psychologist and would be moved from midnights to a day shift, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

Dotro ultimately saw the psychologist and was cleared to return to duty.

Two months after that initial meeting, Anderko’s Monroe Township home was set ablaze with an accelerant before sunrise May 20 as he, his wife, his two young children and his 92-year-old mother slept inside. All escaped unharmed, though the house was heavily damaged.

The personnel actions involving Dotro provide the first hint of a motive in the arson attack, which has led to new calls for state oversight of the troubled department, the subject of a two-part series in The Star-Ledger in December.

The arson attack on the home of an Edison police captain, allegedly at the hands of a fellow officer, has renewed calls for state oversight of the department.Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger 

Dotro, a 10-year veteran, was charged with five counts of attempted murder May 23 after an hours-long search of his Manalapan home. He remains jailed on $5 million cash bail.

Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey, whose office is leading the probe, declined to comment.

Bryan, now in his fifth year as chief, would not discuss the investigation or the actions against Dotro. In a statement, he said he will continue working toward "much-needed reforms" in the department, which has been riven by a vicious internal war and which has produced an inordinate number of officers who misbehave or break the law.

"Some have helped my (reform) efforts," Bryan said. "Others have resisted my efforts or worked with the wrong elements in my department. On behalf of the citizens of Edison, and the vast majority of the people in our fine department, I ask, in the face of this most recent outrageous act, can anyone doubt that these reforms are deserving of complete support?

"I hope not, as I intend to proceed with my reforms and hope to have the support of all concerned."

The chief said Dotro, who earns $118,000 annually, has been suspended without pay.

Dotro’s lawyer, Lawrence Bitterman, declined comment other than to say he will seek a bail reduction in the days ahead.

Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan, seen here in 2012.Aaron Houston/For The Star-Ledger 

The incident that led to the psychological evaluation and the officer’s transfer occurred March 22, when Dotro participated in the arrest of several juveniles for setting shopping carts on fire, the law enforcement officials said.

When one of the youths fled, Dotro gave chase and caught him. A day or two later, the officials said, the teen’s mother filed an excessive force complaint, citing marks on her son’s neck. An internal affairs inquiry into the arrest continues.

While several officers on the force told The Star-Ledger Dotro did nothing improper during the arrest, the complaint stoked growing concern among commanders about Dotro, who had 10 previous excessive force complaints — two of which resulted in lawsuits — and at least 16 complaints overall, according to the law enforcement officials.

Just months earlier, the married patrolman was accused of harassing a 25-year-old woman who works as a clerk in the department’s violations bureau. After the woman filed a complaint, her tires were slashed, two of the law enforcement officials said.

Dotro also was one of the prime suspects in the 2008 theft of a police car from the department’s parking lot.

Though the theft was believed to have been a prank, it triggered a homeland security alert and drew in the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force because of post-9/11 concerns that police vehicles could be used in terrorist attacks.

According to internal affairs correspondence obtained by The Star-Ledger last year, Dotro and two other officers initially agreed to take responsibility for the theft. They changed their minds when they were told they could not be guaranteed light punishment, the correspondence shows. The investigation remains open.

Assemblyman Peter Barnes III, seen here in February, contends the Attorney General's Office should take over the Edison Police Department's internal affairs unit.Ed Murray/The Star-Ledger 

The same year, Dotro had a fistfight with his 68-year-old neighbor after a dispute about a shed on the officer’s property.

The neighbor, Dennis Sassa, accused Dotro of sucker-punching him and pummeling him repeatedly when he fell to the ground. Dotro, who was 31 at the time, accused the older man of charging him with a brick. Both men were acquitted in municipal court.

Leading up to the fight, as Dotro and Sassa frequently argued, a shed on Sassa’s property was set on fire, with flames spreading to a camper and Sassa’s house. Though no one was charged, detectives investigating the arson at Anderko’s home questioned Sassa anew two weeks ago about the 2008 fire.

Now, with Dotro facing decades behind bars if convicted of the attempted murder counts, officers and lawmakers alike are questioning how he managed to remain on the force for so long given the number and pattern of complaints against him.

Assemblyman Peter Barnes III (D-Middlesex) said the attack on Anderko and his family highlights the need for state monitoring of Edison’s internal affairs unit.

"The way internal affairs complaints have been handled in Edison is part of the problem," Barnes said.

In response to The Star-Ledger series on Edison last year, Barnes and Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) sponsored a bill that would require the state Attorney General’s Office to take over all internal affairs functions of the department for two years.

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like The Star-Ledger on Facebook

• Follow @starledger on Twitter

And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

The bill passed the full Assembly in March by a vote of 46-24, with six abstentions.

State Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) introduced a Senate version of the measure May 13, a week before Anderko’s home was torched. The bill remains in the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.

In January, the Attorney General’s Office stepped up oversight of Edison’s internal affairs unit in conjunction with the county prosecutor’s office, requiring written summaries of every investigation. In a statement, a spokesman for Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa suggested further action was unnecessary.

"Through the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, we have been monitoring the internal affairs function of the Edison Police Department on a case-by-case basis since the start of the year, and there have been strong, objective results indicating stability," said the spokesman, Peter Aseltine. "That monitoring will continue."

Referring to the attack on Anderko, Aseltine added, "This was an extreme and unprecedented act by one officer who is now charged with very serious crimes. This is not an issue of oversight."

RELATED COVERAGE

• Edison cop charged with attempted murder in firebomb attack on supervisor's home

• $20K reward offered following firebombing of Edison cop's home

• Molotov cocktail may have been used to firebomb home of Edison cop, sources say

• Betraying the badge: Edison police produce astonishing record of misconduct

• Law and disorder: Edison's police force plagued by infighting, lawsuits