Sussex County Sheriff’s Office K9 Nutmeg has received a donation of body armor. < Back Sheriff’s K9 receives donated vest Sussex County Sheriff’s Office K9 Nutmeg has received a donation of body armor. Previous Next Sussex County Sheriff’s Office K9 Nutmeg has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Thi s specific vest was sponsored by William Haas of Bloomingburg, NY and embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of Petey and Lucky.” Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) charity located in East Taunton, MA whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. over 3,800 U.S. made, custom fitted, NIJ certified protective vests in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a value of $6.9 million dollars. The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate. The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950.00. Each vest has a value between $1,744 - $2,283, and a five-year warranty and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination via its website or mailed to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the following promotion within the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. < Back Sheriff's Office announces new promotion Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the following promotion within the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the following promotion within the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. Detective Corporal Louis Cataldo has been promoted to Sergeant. A United States Army and New Jersey Army National Guard veteran, as well as an 18-year veteran of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office; Sergeant Cataldo began his law enforcement career in 2006 when he was hired as a Sheriff’s Officer in the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Law Enforcement. A certified Field Training Officer (FTO), throughout his career, Sergeant Cataldo has been assigned to several different units including, The Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transportation Unit, the Sheriff’s Detective Bureau, the New Jersey Judiciary Security Management Response Team (JSMART), and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). He has deployed with the military multiple times. Twice to Iraq as part of Operations Enduring Freedom & Iraqi Freedom, once to Louisiana in support of logistic rescue operations immediately following Hurricane Katrina, and to Washington D.C. in support of Operation Resurrection. A 2006 graduate of the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute’s Basic Police Class, Sergeant Cataldo has also attended both Ocean County Community College and the County College of Morris. Among the numerous awards Sergeant Cataldo has received throughout his career are the Hurricane Irene Ribbon, the Armed Forces Ribbon, the Grand Cordon Ribbon, and two letters of commendations for his response to medical emergencies. Following his promotion, he will be assigned to supervise the Prisoner Transportation Unit. Sheriff Strada stated “I congratulate him on his promotion. I have the utmost confidence in his leadership abilities and look forward to working with him in his new role.” pictured left to right Sergeant Cataldo, Louis (Louie) Cataldo (Sgt. Cataldo’s son) and Sheriff Michael Strada

Arrested: Natasha McCoy, age 31, of Hamburg, NJ. < Back Woman arrested in Newton on Paterson warrants Arrested: Natasha McCoy, age 31, of Hamburg, NJ. Previous Next On Friday, September 20, 2013, while assigned to the probation department at the Sussex County Superior Court courthouse in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Joseph Cahill encountered Natasha McCoy. Officer Cahill believed McCoy to be the subject of an outstanding warrant and subsequently detained her. Further investigation revealed McCoy to be the subject of multiple warrants from Paterson Municipal Court. Officer Cahill immediately arrested McCoy and transported her to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Natasha McCoy was lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $1,000 bail.

Arrested: Charity Thompson, age 20 and Kevin J. Curran Jr., age 47, both of Newton, NJ. < Back Sheriff’s detective and officer arrest two in Newton Arrested: Charity Thompson, age 20 and Kevin J. Curran Jr., age 47, both of Newton, NJ. Previous Next On Monday, July 29, 2013, while assigned to fugitive apprehension duties, Sheriff’s Detective William Lunger and Sheriff’s Officer Christopher Megna located Charity Thompson and Kevin J. Curran at separate locations within the town of Newton. Thompson and Curran were both the subjects of outstanding Superior Court warrants. Further investigation revealed Thompson was also the subject of an outstanding municipal warrant from Frankford Township Municipal Court. Both were taken into custody and transported to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility where they were lodged without incident. Charity Thompson remains lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $2,000 bail on the Superior Court warrant and $500 bail on the Frankford Township Municipal warrant. Kevin J. Curran Jr. was released on his own recognizance the following day after appearing before the Hon. N. Peter Conforti, JSC.

Arrested: Daniel J. Marks, age 26, of Wantage Township, NJ. < Back Sheriff's detectives, looking for fugitive, find drugs instead Arrested: Daniel J. Marks, age 26, of Wantage Township, NJ. Previous Next On Wednesday, July 16, 2014, while assigned to fugitive apprehension duties within the Township of Wantage, sheriff’s detectives Matthew Caine and William Ficacci arrived at the suspected residence of a fugitive. Detectives Caine and Ficacci spoke with the owner of that residence who advised them she did not know where the fugitive was located but invited them inside the residence to ask her son. Upon entering the residence to speak with the son, Detective Caine observed several quantities of marijuana as well as packaging materials and other drug paraphernalia. Further investigation revealed the marijuana to belong to Daniel Marks. Marks was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance/marijuana in an amount more than 1 ounce but less than 5 pounds as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. He was issued summonses to appear in court at a future date and released on his own recognizance.

Arrested: Caitlyn McKenzie, age 25, of Hamburg, NJ. < Back Subject of active warrant arrested at county office Arrested: Caitlyn McKenzie, age 25, of Hamburg, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, June 2, 2011, while assigned to the Division of Social Services offices in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Matt Maines observed Caitlyn McKenzie. Knowing her to be the subject of an active outstanding Superior Court warrant, sheriff’s officers Maines and Matt Caine approached her and placed her under arrest. McKenzie was taken into custody, given a date to appear in Superior Court and released on her own recognizance. Sheriff’s Officer Edmund Galinski assisted in the arrest.

Community Programs The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office’s goals in offering our community programs are to reduce the criminal victimization of all of our residents, especially senior citizens and enhance the delivery of law enforcement services. These programs provide the opportunity for an exchange of information between law enforcement and the community. The programs include the following: • Active Shooter Civilian Response • Fire Marshal’s Office Overview • Crimestoppers Overview • Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Overview • Home Burglary Awareness/Prevention • Credit Card Scams • Internet and Telephone Scams • Contractor and Home Healthcare Scams • Project Lifesaver Program • Senior Wristband Program • Senior Identification Cards • Emergency Preparedness for your Home • 911 Communications Center • K9 Demonstrations • Fake News and how to spot it on the internet The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office would be happy to come to your community group to present any of these topics. Please call 973-579-0850 ext 2114 for more information. Senior Photo ID Program Link to the Senior Photo ID form can be found HERE The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office offers photo identification cards to Sussex County seniors over 55 years of age. Please call 973-579-0850 ext 2114 to schedule your appointment. Please note that this is a “low level” form of identification. Senior Wristband Program Link to the Senior Wristband form can be found HERE The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office will provide black and gold silicone wristbands to every senior citizen of Sussex County free of charge. The bands are engraved with “SC Sheriff 973-579-0888” and a registration number. That number will be used to register all participating senior citizens with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office should the senior citizen be unable to communicate with emergency personnel. For more information, please call 973-579-0850 ext 2114.

Arrested: Juvenile, age 17, of Sparta, NJ. < Back Juvenile arrested for possession of LSD in courthouse Arrested: Juvenile, age 17, of Sparta, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, March 31, 2011, while attempting to enter the Sussex County Superior Courthouse in Newton, a juvenile was found to be in possession of LSD, a controlled dangerous substance. Sheriff’s Officer Tim Hecht and Sheriff’s Officer Richard Nicola attempted to place the juvenile under arrest. The juvenile, a 17-year-old male from Sparta Township, physically resisted. After a brief struggle, sheriff’s officers Hecht and Nicola were able to subdue the individual and take him into custody. As a result, he was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and resisting arrest. He is currently lodged in the Morris County Juvenile Detention Center without bail. Sheriff’s officers Hecht and Nicola both sustained minor injuries during the encounter.

Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the arrival of K-9 Kilo. < Back Drug money used to purchase new sheriff’s K-9 Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the arrival of K-9 Kilo. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the arrival of a new officer at the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. This newest member of the sheriff’s office is not only capable of running at speeds upwards of 30 mph, he can scale a seven foot fence in seconds flat and smell drugs secreted in hidden compartments that would be otherwise impossible to detect. He does, however, shed a great deal more hair than a typical sheriff’s officer. K-9 Kilo is a black and tan colored, German shepherd dog. At just 17 months old, he is the youngest of the 4 dogs that currently comprise the sheriff’s office K-9 unit. Kilo was born in Hungary and transported to the United States by a canine vendor who, in turn, sold him to the sheriff’s office. Kilo was purchased using money from the asset forfeiture fund which is maintained by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office. Sussex County Prosecutor David Weaver authorized the expenditure from the fund which is composed, almost exclusively, of money seized during narcotics investigations. The cost of purchasing Kilo was therefore borne, not from the taxpaying citizens of Sussex County, but from narcotics traffickers similar to those that Kilo will ultimately be trained to locate and apprehend. Both Sheriff Strada and Prosecutor Weaver reflected on the irony of obtaining a narcotics detection canine with funds taken predominantly from narcotics traffickers. In thanking Prosecutor Weaver for his assistance the sheriff noted, “This is a win-win for the citizens of Sussex County as well as the sheriff’s office. K-9 Kilo will be a valuable asset to law enforcement agencies throughout Sussex County while bringing no cost to the taxpayers.” “Having a canine trained in narcotics detection and patrol work duties is beneficial both as a tool for law enforcement and to the citizens of Sussex County,” said Prosecutor Weaver. Kilo will be trained in patrol work duties such as criminal apprehension, handler protection, evidence recovery, general obedience and human tracking. Additionally, he will be trained in narcotics detection. He is scheduled to begin training on June 1. From left to right: Sheriff Michael F. Strada, Detective Kieran McMorrow, K-9 Kilo and Sussex County Prosecutor David Weaver.

Arrested: John C. McCurdy, age 35, of Dover, NJ. < Back Sheriff's officer arrests man at courthouse Arrested: John C. McCurdy, age 35, of Dover, NJ. Previous Next On Monday, December 10, 2012, while assigned to courthouse security at the Superior Court in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Joseph Cahill encountered John C. McCurdy. Believing him to be the subject of an outstanding municipal court warrant, Officer Cahill detained McCurdy and confirmed the existence of three separate municipal court warrants for his arrest. Officer Cahill immediately placed McCurdy under arrest and transported him to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. McCurdy was processed and lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility until such time as he could be transported to the Morris County Jail.

Arrested: Stacy Spencer, age 48, of Newton, NJ. < Back Warrant arrest in Newton Arrested: Stacy Spencer, age 48, of Newton, NJ. Previous Next On Wednesday, October 24, 2012, while off-duty, Sheriff’s Officer Mike Yanko observed Stacy Spencer in the Town of Newton. Knowing Spencer to be the subject of an outstanding Superior Court arrest warrant, Yanko notified Sheriff’s Communications which verified the warrant and dispatched two officers to apprehend Spencer. Sheriff’s officers Kieran McMorrow and Darrin McDowell encountered Spencer a short time later and immediately placed him under arrest. Spencer was transported to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility where he is currently lodged without bail.

Four members of the Bureau of Corrections were recently honored for exceptional and meritorious service. < Back Four honored for service Four members of the Bureau of Corrections were recently honored for exceptional and meritorious service. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada honored several corrections officers for exceptional and meritorious service in a ceremony held at the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office last Wednesday. Sergeant George Arnot was awarded the Exceptional Duty Medal in recognition of his tireless dedication and professionalism while serving as county coordinator for the Sussex County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) . In addition to those duties, Sgt. Arnot also serves as the deputy emergency management coordinator for the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections as well as being an incident management team member in the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The Exceptional Duty Medal is awarded to those sheriff’s personnel who, as a result of training, devotion to duty, or service to the public, bring acclaim to themselves, the office, or the police profession. Sergeant Arnot has served in the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office since 1989. He is currently the Bureau of Corrections chief training officer. Corporal Walter Chadwick was awarded the Meritorious Service Award in recognition of his actions during a residential structure fire in Stillwater Township on October 14, 2011. Cpl. Chadwick’s efforts to evacuate civilians in nearby residences, in complete disregard of his own personal safety, potentially saved the lives of multiple residents. His alertness and rapid response ensured those residents’ safety. The Meritorious Service Award is awarded to any sheriff’s personnel who succeed in a highly unusual accomplishment under adverse conditions with some degree of hazard of life and limb or where death or injury to a third party is prevented. A certified hazardous materials technician and member of the Sussex County Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT), Cpl. Chadwick has served in the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office since 1997. He is currently assigned to supervise the Sheriff’s Work Assistance and Labor Assistance programs . Corrections Officer Nicholas Pampanin and Corrections Officer Michael Scuzzese were awarded the Honorable Service Award in recognition of their successful efforts to prevent an inmate from harming himself during an attempted suicide on October 14, 2011. Officers Pampanin and Scuzzese, through their alertness and decisive actions, prevented the further harm and possible death of that inmate. Corrections Officer Pampanin has served in the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office since 2009; Corrections Officer Scuzzese has served since 2010. Both are currently assigned to the 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift. Sheriff Strada congratulates each of the above named personnel for their accomplishments and thanks them for their continued service.