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< Back Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Hires Five New Officers Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the hiring of five new Sheriff’s Officers in the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement. At a ceremony held at the Sheriff’s Emergency Operations Center earlier this week, Sheriff Strada administered the Oath of Office to the following new Sheriff’s Officers. Brian Gallagher A lifelong resident of Sussex County and a 2011 graduate of Wallkill Valley Regional High School, Sheriff’s Officer Gallagher attended both Sussex County Community College and Stockton University where he majored in Criminal Justice. An eight year veteran of the New Jersey Army National Guard where he continues to serve as a Combat Engineer, Officer Gallagher is also a graduate of the 96th Morris County Police Academy Basic Police Class and holds a Baccalaureate degree from Stockton University in Criminal Justice. Following a brief period of field training instruction, Officer Gallagher will be assigned to the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transport Unit. Jesse Bambrick A 2008 graduate of Kittatinny Regional High School, Sheriff’s Officer Bambrick holds an Associates of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Sussex County Community College where he graduated from in 2011. A nine year veteran of the New Jersey Army National Guard where he continues to serve as a team leader of an Infantry Squad, Officer Bambrick is also a graduate of the 96th Morris County Police Academy Basic Police Class. While attending the Police Academy, Officer Bambrick placed 2nd in Marksmanship amongst his fellow recruits. Following a brief period of field training instruction, Officer Bambrick will be assigned to the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transport Unit. Khanai Powell A lifelong resident of Sussex County and a 2014 graduate of the Sussex County Technical School, Sheriff’s Officer Powell attended Montclair University where he studied with a major concentration in Psychology and a minor concentration in Criminal Justice, ultimately earning a Baccalaureate Degree. A New Jersey Army National Guard veteran, Office Powell is also a graduate of the 96th Morris County Police Academy Basic Police Class. While attending the Police Academy, Officer Powell received the Physical Training Award for demonstrating athletic excellence amongst his peers. Following a brief period of field training instruction, Officer Powell will be assigned to the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transport Unit. Mark Bollmann A 2012 graduate of the Sussex County Technical School, Sheriff’s Officer Bollmann also studied at Sussex County Community College. A nine year veteran of the New Jersey Army National Guard where he continues to serve as a Combat Engineer, Officer Bollmann is also a graduate of the 96th Morris County Police Academy Basic Police Class. Following a brief period of field training instruction, Officer Bollmann will be assigned to the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transport Unit. Justin Bellis A lifelong resident of Sussex County and a 2011 graduate of High Point Regional High School, Sheriff’s Officer Bellis also studied at Sussex County Community College. A 10 year veteran of the Frankford Township Volunteer Fire Department where he continues to serve as a Firefighter, Officer Bellis has also previously served as a 911 Operator and Emergency Dispatcher in the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center. Officer Bellis is also a graduate of the 96th Morris County Police Academy Basic Police Class. Following a brief period of field training instruction, Officer Bellis will be assigned to the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transport Unit. Immediately following swearing in the new hires, Sheriff Strada congratulated each of them, welcomed them all to the agency, and wished them success in their careers. Pictured left to right: Sheriff’s Officer Powell, Sheriff’s Officer Bellis, Sheriff Strada, Sheriff’s Officer Bambrick, Sheriff’s Officer Bollmann, Sheriff’s Officer Gallagher

Arrested: Theresa Lavin, age 27, of Sussex Borough, NJ. < Back Woman arrested for attempting to fake drug test Arrested: Theresa Lavin, age 27, of Sussex Borough, NJ. Previous Next On Wednesday, September 28, 2011, while assigned to the Motor Vehicle Commission in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty observed Christina Talmadge operating a motor vehicle. Knowing her driving privileges to be suspended, Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty stopped Talmadge’s vehicle. Further investigation revealed she was also the subject of an outstanding warrant from Frankford Township Municipal Court. Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty immediately took Talmadge into custody and transported her to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where she was processed, given a future court date and released on her own recognizance.

< Back The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office is scheduled for an assessment as part of its program to achieve accreditation by verifying that it meets recognized professional best practices. Previous Next The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office is scheduled for an assessment as part of its program to achieve accreditation by verifying that it meets recognized professional best practices. Administered by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, the accreditation program requires agencies to comply with best practice standards in five basic areas: the administrative function, the personnel function, the operations function, the investigative function, and the arrestee/detainee function. Agency employees and the public are invited to offer comments by calling 973-579-0850 ext. 2107 on Thursday, January 22, 2026 between the hours of 10:00AM and 11:00AM. Comments will be taken by the Assessment Team. Email comments can be sent to the Sheriff’s Office at ccentrelli@sussexcountysheriff.com . Telephone comments are limited to 5 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with the NJSACOP standards. Please contact Sheriff’s Officer Christopher Centrelli at 973-579-0850 ext. 2552 for more information. Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them by email to Harry J Delgado, Ed.S Accreditation Program Director, hdelgado@njsacop.org , or write to the New Jersey State Association of Chief’s of Police, Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 751 Route 73 North, Suite 12, Marlton, N.J. 08053.

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