Arrested: Giuseppe Tedesco, age 27, of Hopatcong, NJ. < Back Convicted murderer faces new charges Arrested: Giuseppe Tedesco, age 27, of Hopatcong, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, January 11, 2013, a Sussex County Superior Court jury convicted Giuseppe Tedesco of murder, and while the jury was being polled by the Honorable Judge N. Peter Conforti, Tedesco was looking at jurors individually, mouthing obscenities. He then turned and made a verbal threat to a member of the victim’s family. Uniformed sheriff’s officers Lt. Ellicott, Cpl. Yanko, Officer Ficacci and Corrections Officer Kimble attempted to gain control and remove Tedesco to a holding cell. Tedesco would not comply with verbal orders and was violently resisting attempts to restrain him. He continued to thrash about and had to be taken to the floor. During the fracas, Officer Kimble sustained a head injury and a fractured right fibula. As a result of this incident, Tedesco was charged with obstruction of a governmental function, aggravated assault on a corrections officer and terroristic threats. Tedesco remains in custody at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility.

With the cold weather upon us, Fire Marshal Joseph Inga provides timely information about staying safe. < Back Winter fire safety With the cold weather upon us, Fire Marshal Joseph Inga provides timely information about staying safe. Previous Next While households are encouraged to be diligent about fire safety year round, it becomes especially important now because home fires are more prevalent in winter than in any other season. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 108,400 residential building fires occur during the winter months each year in the United States. Sheriff Michael F. Strada and the Sussex County Fire Marshal would like to pass along the following tips and suggestions to ensure the safety of county residents and their families. General Cold Weather Fire Safety If your pipes freeze, do not try to thaw them with a blowtorch or other open flame. The pipe could conduct heat and a fire could be started. Try a hand held dryer, hot water or a UL labeled device for thawing. Never use an oven or a range to heat your home. This is a safety hazard and could cause a build-up of carbon monoxide. Be certain that all windows that are used as emergency exits can still be opened in the winter. Practice your escape plan at this time of year. If there is a fire hydrant near your house, help keep it clear of snow and debris. We need to be able to access it in case of a fire. Generator safety information sheet from the National Fire Protection Association Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Never leave a fire unattended! Have your chimney and fireplace inspected annually by a certified chimney sweep. They will check for creosote build-up, cracks, crumbling bricks and obstructions. Make sure the fireplace opening is covered with a sturdy metal screen or heat tempered glass doors. To prevent fires in your flue, burn dry, well-seasoned wood. Never burn trash. Make sure your wood stove burns hot twice a day for 15-30 minutes to reduce the amount of creosote buildup. Never burn charcoal indoors—it can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide. Always be certain the fire in your fireplace is out before going to bed. It is extremely important to never close your damper while there are hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper could cause the fire to flare up again and this will cause toxic carbon monoxide to be released into the house. If you are using synthetic logs, always follow the directions on the package. Never break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fire or use more than one log at a time. Place ashes outdoors in a covered metal container at least three feet away from anything that could burn. Portable Heaters Make sure you have at least 36 inches of empty space between all heaters and everything else, like curtains, furniture, papers and people. Never leave children unattended in rooms with portable heaters. Be sure the heater has a tip-over shut off function. Never use an extension cord with portable electric heaters—it is a common cause of fires. Check the cord on your electric portable heater. If it is cracked, frayed or gets hot, have the heater serviced. Be sure to clean the dust from all heaters. If left to build up, dust and lint can ignite and cause a fire. Be sure to turn portable heaters off when leaving the house or sleeping. Avoid using portable heaters in the bathroom. Furnaces Leave furnace work to experts. Have a qualified technician check and clean your furnace every year. Be sure the emergency shut off and automatic controls are in good condition. Always keep trash, papers, paint, etc. away from the furnace area. Finally, make sure your smoke detectors are functioning properly and that there is one installed on each level of your home. Smoke detectors save lives! Have questions or need more information? Contact Sussex County Fire Marshal Joseph C. Inga at 973.579.0380.

Two separate sales are scheduled for December. < Back Upcoming sheriff's sales of assets Two separate sales are scheduled for December. Previous Next Docket #SSX -L-489-10 Tamara and Darrell Russian vs Alessi Moving and Storage Inc., Charles Alessandrini, Highlands Self Storage, LLC, Jonathan Brett (individually and trading as Highlands Self Storage), JFB Enterprises LLC On Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 11:00 a.m., the following property will be sold at a public sale on the premises of D & E Service Center, 726 US Highway 206, Andover, NJ: 2001 Isuzu Box Truck VIN JALE5B14417902663 white in color Docket #FM 19-39-05 Richard Gannon vs Lauren Russell On Tuesday, December 11, 2012 Tuesday, January 8, 2013 Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 10:00 a.m., the following assets will be sold at a public sale on the premises of AA-1 Storage located at 155 Brooks Flat Rd, Ogdensburg, NJ: One 1998 Caterpillar 320B Excavator, Vin 4MR00432 One John Deere 450E Dozer, Vin # T0450EC742076 One 1998 Caterpillar 312B, Excavator Vin # 9HR02433 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.

David Korver and Andrea Wehrenberg were recently promoted. < Back Two promoted at Sussex County 911 Communication Center David Korver and Andrea Wehrenberg were recently promoted. Previous Next Sheriff Michael Strada announced the recent promotions of two public safety telecommunicators at the Sussex County 911 Communication Center. David Korver of Hampton Township was promoted to chief public safety telecommunicator. David, who has eight years of experience after stints as a dispatcher with Hopatcong Borough and Morris County Communications, started working as a public safety telecommunicator for Sussex County in 2011. In 2013 he was promoted to supervisory public safety telecommunicator. Andrea Wehrenberg , also of Hampton Township, was promoted to supervising public safety telecommunicator. Andrea has twenty-two years of experience and previously worked for the Town of Newton as a dispatcher. Both David and Andrea have been instrumental in the opening of the 911 Communication Center. Their experience, dedication and commitment to the sheriff’s organization is clearly evident. They are both well deserving of their promotions. Sheriff Strada stated “We often forget that our telecommunicators are the first ones to receive emergency calls and often times save lives over the phone by giving medical direction to those in need. They all do a terrific job, often times handling extremely stressful emergency calls.” Pictured from left to right: Sheriff Michael F. Strada, David Korver and Andrea Wehrenberg

Sheriff's detectives provided assistance to the Pennsylvania State Police in the investigation of a homicide involving a new born infant. < Back Sheriff's detectives assist PA authorities in homicide investigation Sheriff's detectives provided assistance to the Pennsylvania State Police in the investigation of a homicide involving a new born infant. Previous Next On June 9, 2011, sheriff’s detectives Michael Yanko and Richard Otte were attempting to locate and arrest Ms. Jennifer Barrise, who was the subject of an outstanding Sussex County Superior Court warrant for nonpayment of child support. In the course of their investigation to ascertain Ms. Barrise’s whereabouts, detectives Yanko and Otte paid a visit to the family home of Ms. Barrise’s boyfriend, Christopher Fitzpatrick, in Vernon Township. Based on information acquired from Fitzpatrick’s parents, the detectives learned that Barrise and Fitzpatrick were residing in Lake Ariel, PA. Further investigation led the detectives to suspect Barrise and Fitzpatrick may have been involved in criminal activity related to a newborn child. Detective Yanko immediately contacted investigators at the Honesdale Barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police. The following day, on June 10, as a result of the information furnished by Detective Yanko, the Pennsylvania State Police opened a homicide investigation and subsequently requested investigative assistance within Sussex County from the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s Detective Sergeant Michael Tidaback and detectives from the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office assisted Pennsylvania authorities with their investigation in New Jersey. While the matter remains under investigation in New Jersey and no charges—criminal or otherwise—are pending against either party, both Barrise and Fitzpatrick have been arrested and charged by Pennsylvania State Police. Mr. Fitzpatrick has been charged with criminal homicide, concealing the death of a child and abuse of a corpse. Ms. Barrise has been charged with criminal homicide and concealing the death of a child. Both are being held without bail at the Wayne County Correctional Facility in Texas Township, PA.

Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce a new program being offered to senior citizens in our county. < Back New TRIAD senior wristband program debuts Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce a new program being offered to senior citizens in our county. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce a new program being offered to senior citizens in our county. Upon request, Sussex County TRIAD will now 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. The TRIAD organization will obtain and keep secure the following from the senior citizen: name, address, phone number, emergency contact persons and the senior’s physician information. This information will be available to assist any police, fire and EMS agency by calling the telephone number on the band and giving the dispatcher the registration number. This will assist any first responder in identifying a senior citizen in need who may be unable to communicate with the responder. Several businesses and individual donors have come forward to sponsor the cost of the program. The successful implementation of this program was made possible, in large part, thanks to the generous donations of the following Sussex County businesses: The Senior Quality of Life Foundation (SEQUAL) Smith-McCracken Funeral Home The Morville Agency, a Division of Bollinger Insurance Illiff-Ruggiero Funeral Home The Mitchell Agency If you are interested in learning more about the TRIAD program or are interested in sponsoring the wristband program, please contact Hilary Manser at the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office at 973.579.0850, ext. 2114. From l to r: Louis R. Ruggiero, CEO Iliff-Ruggiero Funeral Home and SEQUAL trustee; Maryann Fox, SEQUAL trustee; Tom Caines, SEQUAL president and trustee; Sussex County Sheriff Michael Strada; Maryanne Klenke, SEQUAL trustee; Lorraine Hentz, SEQUAL trustee; Cindy Peterson, SEQUAL treasurer and trustee; and Denise Minimi, SEQUAL secretary and trustee.

Sheriff’s officer arrests couple at Vernon home < Back Sheriff’s officer arrests couple at Vernon home Sheriff’s officer arrests couple at Vernon home Previous Next On Thursday, June 20, 2013, while assigned to civil process in the Vernon Township area, Sheriff’s Officer John Swords encountered Robbie Carrier and Derek Hall at Carrier’s residence. While speaking with Carrier at her front door, Officer Swords detected an obvious odor of marijuana. He advised Carrier that he suspected she was in possession of a controlled dangerous substance and asked for her consent to search the residence. Carrier allowed Officer Swords inside and consented to a search. Further investigation revealed Hall and Carrier to be in possession of over 282 grams of marijuana, approximately 1,500 pills of phenobarbital and $2,700 in United States currency. Carrier and Hall were both arrested and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Each was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (marijuana) in an amount in excess of 50 grams, possession of a controlled dangerous substance (prescription legend drugs), and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were issued summonses for the violations and given future court dates to appear in Vernon Township Municipal Court. Sheriff’s Sergeant John Gray, Sheriff’s Corporal Dan Storey and detectives from the Vernon Township Police Department assisted in the arrests.

Arrested: Shawn Guerrero, age 28, of Landing, NJ < Back Man arrested at courthouse in Newton Arrested: Shawn Guerrero, age 28, of Landing, NJ Previous Next On Friday, September 6, 2013, while assigned to courtroom security at the Sussex County Superior Court courthouse in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Robert Jacoby observed Shawn Guerrero. Believing Mr. Guerrero to be the subject of an outstanding Superior Court warrant, Officer Jacoby detained Mr. Guerrero until the warrant was confirmed. Upon confirmation, Officer Jacoby arrested Guerrero and transported him to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Guerrero was lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility where he remains incarcerated in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Arrested: Michael Maloney, age 34, of Hamburg, NJ. < Back Man arrested at the Newton MVC for multiple warrants Arrested: Michael Maloney, age 34, of Hamburg, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, April 21, 2011, while assigned to the Motor Vehicle Commission facility in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Samantha Shilling encountered Michael Maloney attempting to obtain an identification card. Further investigation by Sheriff’s Officer Shilling revealed the existence of several outstanding municipal court warrants and a Superior Court warrant for Maloney’s arrest. Sheriff’s Officer Shilling immediately took Maloney into custody. Maloney is currently lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in excess of $12,000 bail.

Arrested: Emmet Emery Norman, Jr., age 49, of Newton, NJ. < Back Newton man arrested for bringing marijuana with him to court Arrested: Emmet Emery Norman, Jr., age 49, of Newton, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, February 27, 2014, while assigned to the front door security post at the Sussex County Superior Courthouse, Sheriff’s Officer Warren Slahor encountered Emmit Emery Norman. Mr. Norman placed several items from his pockets on top of a table at the security post. Included in those items was a cigarette package containing a small amount of marijuana. As a result, Officer Slahor placed Norman under arrest and escorted him to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Emmit Emery Norman, Jr. was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (marijuana) in an amount of less than 1/2 ounce. He was issued a summons for that charge, given a future court date to appear in Newton Municipal Court, and subsequently released.

Join the race against crime on September 7, 2013 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. < Back Crime Stoppers 5K/10K Run to be held September 7 Join the race against crime on September 7, 2013 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. Previous Next Join hundreds of runner/walkers and supporters in the race against crime at the Sussex County Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 7, 2013. Pre-register by Tuesday, September 3, and the fee is $25 for either the 5K Run/Walk or 10K Run. After September 3 through race day, the fee is $30 for either race. New this year is “Early Bird” registration—register by July 31, 2013 and pay just $20 for either race. Register for the race at an external web site T-shirts and goody bags will be provided to all 5K and 10K runners/walkers while supplies last. Awards will be given to the top three male and female winners overall, the top three teams and by age groups. Enjoy food, drinks and entertainment after the event. Race proceeds will benefit the Sussex County Sheriff’s Crime Stoppers, a nonprofit corporation funded by contributions from local businesses and citizens at no cost to the taxpayer. Individuals who have information relating to a crime or criminal activity in the Sussex County, New Jersey area can receive up to a $1,000.00 cash reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of criminals. Tips may be submitted anonymously via the Crime Stoppers hotline at 973.300.CRIME or online anonymous tip form. Have questions or need more information about the event? Contact Andy Ball at 973.222.8748. 2013 Supporters and Partners Presented by Thorlabs, Inc. The Alternative Press, LLC Athenia Mason Supply Atlantic Health System Bimbo Bakeries USA Blue Ribbon Restaurant CenturyLink Clear Channel TriState Comet Security CP Engineers, LLC D&H Alternative Risk Solutions Eastern Propane Extreme Energy Solutions, LLC Extreme Off Road, LLC Vanessa Gabriel GBW Insurance Greater Living Foods Hardyston Twp. PBA Local 374 Hoover Truck Centers Iliff-Ruggiero Funeral Home Jersey Gators Swim Team Lakeland Bank Lazer One Lowe’s of Butler Main Street Laundromat Franklin Assemblywoman Alison McHose Montague Tool The Morville Agency New Jersey Herald NewJersey State Police Senator Steven Oroho The Printing Center PSE&G R&T Nautilus Ronetco Supermarkets Royal Buick GMC St. Clare’s Health System Service Electric Cable Skyland Ice World Sound Motors Inc. Sheriff Michael Strada Sussex County Community College Sussex County Fairgrounds Toyota World and Subaru World of Newton Sponsorship opportunities are still available! If you would like to make a financial contribution or partner with us in this fundraiser, please contact Lt. Larry Beller at 973.579.0865, ext. 2501 for all the details.

Arrested: Kurt A. Takach, age 45, of Montague, NJ. < Back DWI arrest in Wantage Arrested: Kurt A. Takach, age 45, of Montague, NJ. Previous Next On Wednesday, September 11, 2013, while assigned to countywide community policing duties, Sheriff’s Officer Johnny Swords observed a 2001 red colored Chevrolet pickup truck, operated by Kurt Takach, failing to maintain his lane and driving in excess of the posted speed limit. Officer Swords pulled the vehicle over and approached to speak with the driver. Upon speaking with Mr. Takach and observing him attempt to perform several basic sobriety tests, Officer Swords determined him to be intoxicated. Takach was subsequently arrested and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Takach was charged with the following offenses: reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, failure to exhibit documents, DWI and speeding. He was given a future court date to appear in Wantage Municipal Court and released to the care of a responsible person. Sheriff’s Officer Samantha Schilling and Sergeant John Gray assisted in the arrest.