Search this site

Richard Gannon vs Lauren Russell < Back Upcoming sheriff's sale of assets Richard Gannon vs Lauren Russell Previous Next Docket #FM 19-39-05 Richard Gannon vs Lauren Russell On Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 11:00 a.m., the following assets will be sold at a public sale on the premises of AA-1 Storage located at 155 Brooks Flat Road, Ogdensburg, NJ: One 1998 Caterpillar 320B Excavator, Vin 4MR00432 One John Deere 450E Dozer, Vin # T0450EC742076 One 1998 Caterpillar 312B, Excavator Vin # 9HR02433 This sale was previously scheduled to take place December 11, 2012, January 8, 2013 and then January 17, 2013. All items are sold in an ‘as is’ condition. Purchaser must pay purchase price at the time of sale in cash or certified check made payable to the Sussex County Sheriff and remove the items following the sale. The sheriff reserves the right to adjourn these sales; the foregoing scheduled dates are subject to change. For more information. contact the Civil Process Unit at 973.579.0850.

Get rid of unused/outdated prescription drugs on Saturday, November 12, 2011. < Back Sussex County Prescription Drug Disposal Day Get rid of unused/outdated prescription drugs on Saturday, November 12, 2011. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada has announced that the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in the Sussex County Prescription Drug Disposal Day in cooperation with the Center for Prevention & Counseling and the Hopatcong Police Department. Unused or outdated prescription drugs will be collected by sheriff’s officers posted at the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA) on Saturday, November 12, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The SCMUA is located at 34 South, Route 94 in Lafayette Township. Residents are encouraged to bring all unused or expired over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs for safe disposal such as: drugs that did not work for you, a family member, or pet drugs that are no longer used or from deceased family members unknown tablets or capsules The Hopatcong Police Department is also participating in the program this Saturday and will have a police officer posted at the Medicine Shoppe located at 50 Hopatchung Road in Hopatcong between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. For more information, please contact the Center for Prevention & Counseling at 973.383.4787.

Training exercises were successfully carried out at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. < Back Sussex County Jail personnel perform evacuation drills Training exercises were successfully carried out at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. Previous Next Three separate rapid evacuation exercises were conducted at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility during the month of June. Designed to simulate conditions that might occur during an actual emergency at the jail, the exercises enhanced the training of all bureau of corrections personnel and prepared them should an actual evacuation become necessary. A different training scenario—ranging from explosives threats to emergent fire and smoke conditions—was carried out during each shift. Inmates were evacuated from their respective housing units, relocated to a safe and secure holding area, secured with wrist restraints and subsequently prepared for possible transport to another housing unit or separate facility. The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections maintains reciprocal agreements with a number of neighboring counties to house inmates in their facilities in the event of an emergency. During an actual emergency, Sussex County inmates may be transferred to correctional facilities in one or more of those counties. All three exercises, each of which lasted approximately 40 minutes, were successful and all inmates were safely evacuated in a timely fashion without any injuries or problems. The evacuations were a cooperative effort between the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement, the New Jersey State Police and the Newton Police Department.

Life Saving Award & Two Letters of Commendation < Back Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce several awards and commendations of his staff Life Saving Award & Two Letters of Commendation Previous Next Press Release Contact: Sheriff Michael F. Strada May 15, 2025 973-579-0850 Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce several awards and commendations of his staff Life Saving Award : Corporal Jennifer VanDerWende and Sheriff’s Officer Kurt Miller were given the Life Saving Award for their actions during a medical emergency. These officers quickly administered first aid and stabilized the individual enough so that EMS could transport the individual to the hospital for advanced care. The quick actions of both officers resulted in a life being saved. (left to right), Sheriff Michael F. Strada, Corporal Jennifer VanDerWende, Sheriff’s Officer Kurt Miller Letter of Commendation: As a result of a Crimestoppers tip, Detective Michael Scott was involved in a three-month investigation that resulted in one of the largest CDS seizures in Sussex County history. His dedication to this case involved reviewing hours of surveillance, the application and execution of a search warrants, working together with other law enforcement agencies and he assisted in interviewing and prosecuting the suspects involved. (left to right), Detective Michael Scott, K9 Ace, Sheriff Michael F. Strada Letter of Commendation: Supervising Public Safety Telecommunicator Stephanie House, Public Safety Telecommunicators Ashley Hebble, Michael Totaro and Travis Finan were given Letters of Commendation for their work involving a high stress critical incident. These individuals demonstrated their professionalism and dedication to duty stepping seamlessly into their role and they executed their responsibilities without hesitation. (left to right) Sheriff Michael F. Strada, Supervising Public Safety Telecommunicator Stephanie House, Public Safety Telecommunicator Travis Finan, Public Safety Telecommunicator Ashley Hebble, Public Safety Telecommunicator Michael Totaro and Director of Communications Eric Muller Sheriff Strada stated, “I am proud of the work that my staff performs every day without hesitation. It was an honor to recognize these outstanding individuals.”

Arrested: Alec S. Bloom, age 19, of Andover Township, NJ. < Back Andover Township man arrested at DMV Arrested: Alec S. Bloom, age 19, of Andover Township, NJ. Previous Next At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Friday, September 7, 2012, while assigned to the Motor Vehicle Commission in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty observed Alec S. Bloom. Believing Bloom to be the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant, Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty began to question him. While they were speaking, Sheriff’s Officer John Swords arrived to assist. Further investigation revealed the existence of three separate municipal court warrants for Bloom’s arrest originating from Hopatcong and Roxbury. Officer Swords immediately took Bloom into custody and transported him to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility where he was lodged in lieu of $2,750 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: Cheryl E. Semiz, age 19, of Hopatcong, NJ. < Back Hopatcong woman arrested for faking urine test Arrested: Cheryl E. Semiz, age 19, of Hopatcong, NJ. Previous Next On Monday, May 21, 2012, Sheriff’s Officer Matt Maines was advised by probation officers that a female probationer had attempted to fake a urine test after reporting for probation. Sheriff’s Officer Maines located Ms. Cheryl Semiz in the Sussex County Probation Department and, after a brief investigation, arrested her and transported her to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. Semiz was charged with defrauding the administration of a court ordered drug test. She was issued a summons to appear at a future date in Newton Municipal Court and released.

Seniors are invited to attend this free event in Branchville on September 21, 2012. < Back TRIAD law enforcement seminar to be held in September Seniors are invited to attend this free event in Branchville on September 21, 2012. Previous Next On Friday, September 21, 2012, Sussex County TRIAD will be hosting a law enforcement seminar for seniors at Selective Insurance, 40 Wantage Avenue in the Borough of Branchville from 8 a.m. to 12 noon with a free continental breakfast included. The seminar will include classes on home security and computer safety and a demonstration by the Sussex County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit. Seniors will have the opportunity to meet with law enforcement officers and county personnel to gather information on current crimes affecting seniors, facts to combat unwarranted fear of crime, problems faced by seniors and programs that are offered by the Sussex County Division of Senior Services. Admission is free but pre-registration is required. To register, please contact Terry Kelemen, TRIAD coordinator at 973.579.0888, ext. 2508.

A total of twenty-three individuals were arrested over the course of the three-day sweep. < Back Statewide nonsupport sweep final tally A total of twenty-three individuals were arrested over the course of the three-day sweep. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada today announced the final tally of arrests resulting from last week’s statewide child support sweep. All told, twenty-three individuals were arrested for non-payment of child support obligations during the three day operation. Previous news article about the sweep » Arrested Age Residence Dennis Tibus 43 Newton Thomas Scherzer 45 Stanhope Miguel Matos 28 Sussex Anthony Waldron 38 Frankford Eric Budinger 34 Hopatcong Thomas Steines 56 Newfoundland Robert Fernley 33 Ogdensburg Anthony Pakulnniewicz 43 Lake Hopatcong Daniel Biccum 53 Montague Douglas Deltufo 49 Budd Lake Alfred Davidson 30 Sussex Eric Bodle 35 Ogdensburg Robin Vance 50 Sussex Travis Kretzschmar 29 Sussex Kyle Davis 23 Green Michael Moeller 49 Hamburg William Demarest 42 Branchville Daniel Shaw 48 Franklin Richard Menagh 51 Morristown Stephen Rotella 53 Hewitt Larry Vansplinter 50 Haskell Bryan Kay 49 Landing Paul Alex, Sr. 52 Newton

This scam involves a threat of arrest for not appearing for jury duty as summoned. < Back Sheriff’s Office warns of jury duty telephone scam This scam involves a threat of arrest for not appearing for jury duty as summoned. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada announced that a long running telephone scam seeking payment for false warrants and overdue payment to the IRS has taken a new twist. This new twist involves a threat of arrest for not appearing for jury duty as summoned. The scam involves a caller stating that he or she is with the sheriff’s office, will give an officer’s name, and has a warrant for that person’s arrest. The imposter then goes on to say that it can be handled either “civilly” or “criminally” but if they elect to pay a civil fine, there will be no arrest. The caller will give instructions on using a pre-paid debit card from a major bank or a Green Dot card. The caller will go so far as to give stores where these pre-paid cards can be purchased. Sheriff Strada stated that this is the latest variation to the false warrant scam and the Internal Revenue Service scam demanding overdue tax payments in the same manner. The caller will provide a call back phone number where payment can be made. The phone number is then answered falsely identifying it as the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Strada stressed that legitimate law enforcement agencies will not tell people to provide money card information to avoid arrest. It is further warned that even if the caller has some name or knowledge, the receiver of the call should not provide any personal information such as date of birth or social security information. You should not engage with the caller and instead, simply hang up.

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: Tonja Stupke, age 47, of Saylorsburg, PA. < Back PA woman arrested for DWI in Frankford Township Arrested: Tonja Stupke, age 47, of Saylorsburg, PA. Previous Next On Monday, March 12, 2012, while assigned to community policing in Frankford Township, Sheriff’s Sergeant John Gray observed a motor vehicle being operated by Tonja Stupke traveling in excess of the posted speed limit. Sergeant Gray stopped the vehicle and, after observing Stupke attempt to perform several field sobriety tests, determined her to be intoxicated. Stupke was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Additionally, she was issued summonses for reckless driving and speeding. She was given a date to appear in Frankford Township Municipal Court and released.