< Back Telephone Scam Do not fall for this latest scam threatening arrest for unpaid debts. Previous Next Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada would like to warn residents of a telephone scam targeting Sussex County. Some Sussex County residents have reported receiving telephone calls within the last few days from someone stating they are calling from the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. The caller says that you will be arrested if you do not satisfy a particular debt. They give a case number and a call back number. Do not fall for this latest scam. The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office is not making these calls . If you have received a call threatening arrest by the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, please call the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office at 973.383.1570, ext. 4526.

Triad The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Division of Senior Services and the Sussex County Chiefs of Police, have formed the Sussex County TRIAD. ​ Working together, the goals of this partnership are to reduce the criminal victimization of seniors and enhance the delivery of law enforcement services to this population. The collaboration provides the opportunity for an exchange of information between the three agencies and senior citizens. TRIAD programs and services include the following: ​ senior citizen police academy senior photo ID program senior wristband program making seniors aware of telemarketing fraud various scams played upon seniors (contractor, mail, etc.) personal emergency ID cards (refrigerator cards) talks to seniors on various topics information tables at senior events Senior Photo ID Program The sheriff’s office offers photo identification cards to Sussex County seniors 55 years of age and older. Individual appointments can be scheduled; senior organizations and clubs can also be accommodated, either on-site at our offices or at your location. Senior Wristband Program TRIAD 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 on any of these programs or to schedule an appointment, contact Hilary Manser at 973.579.0850, ext. 2114.

< Back Warrant arrest occurs at Montague residence Arrested: Brian Rush, age 36, of Montague Township, NJ. Previous Next On June 24, 2011, Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty and Sgt. John Gray were assigned to community policing within the Montague Township area. Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty was aware of a Sussex County Superior Court warrant for the arrest of Brian Rush for contempt and was attempting to locate him. Upon receiving information indicating Rush was staying at his parent’s residence, Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty and Sgt. Gray visited the home. After a brief investigation, Rush was located and taken into custody without incident. Rush was lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail.

< Back Probationer arrested after attempting to defraud drug test Arrested: Steven I. Nunes, age 34, of Franklin, NJ. Previous Next On Wednesday, October 24, 2012, Sheriff’s Officer Warren Slahor responded to the Sussex County Probation Department to investigate a report of a probationer attempting to defraud a court ordered drug test. Upon his arrival, Sheriff’s Officer Slahor encountered Steven Nunes. Further investigation revealed Nunes to be in possession of a prescription label that had been altered to include his name. Nunes was immediately placed under arrest and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where he was processed. Nunes was charged with defrauding the administration of a drug test, a third degree crime. He was given a future date to appear in Newton Municipal Court and released. Sheriff’s Officer Mike Yanko assisted in the arrest.

< Back Sheriff’s office arrests 31 in statewide nonsupport sweep The sweep, carried out in most New Jersey counties, tracks down parents with outstanding warrants for failure to pay child support. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada today announced his agency’s recent participation in the New Jersey Statewide Nonsupport Warrant Sweep. The sweep was sponsored by the Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey and was conducted in full cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Family Development, the Office of Child Support Services and the probation divisions of each respective county in the state. Beginning in the early morning hours of Tuesday June, 18, 2013 and continuing through Thursday June 20, 2013, Sussex County sheriff’s officers—with arrest warrants issued by a Superior Court in New Jersey—arrested the following 26 individuals who failed to comply with court-ordered child support payments. An asterisk (*) next to a name denotes that individual has multiple non-support warrants for separate obligations. Defendant Age Residence Amount Owed Melanie Griffiths 36 Vernon $5,263.70 Sereca Thomas 29 Franklin $5,790.26 Jarred Bruce 32 Franklin $18,496.83 Alfred Davidson* 31 Sussex $22,213.28 Frank Mears 46 Newton $8,906.67 Robert Sipila 58 Vernon $3,200.00 Travis Kretzschmar 30 Vernon $3,904.00 Robert Farruggia 51 Netcong $54,043.88 Charles Heddy 41 Allamuchy $24,810.28 Thomas Scherzer 46 Roxbury $51,994.16 Roger Weaver* 45 Roxbury $161,080.58 Michael Burns 46 Sparta $4,124.91 Lisa Ayers 49 Newton $850.34 Vincent Scardino 43 Andover $6,706.76 Daryl Michael 42 Newton $4,311.12 Douglas Potente 27 Vernon $6,086.76 Scott Baker 44 Toms River $2,520.00 David Murphy 50 Branchville $57,347.80 Michael Krajci 43 Franklin $11,884.00 Kevin Smith 58 Sussex $3,364.28 Everett Scott 40 Branchville $649.00 Paula Babcock 52 Hamburg $3,218.17 Maria Brock 48 Vernon $13,796.27 Dustin Storm 39 Sandyston $4,708.74 Brett Hinchman 34 Pequannock $22,259.71 Shannon Cuthbert 26 Atlantic City $2,340.00 An additional five other individuals voluntarily surrendered themselves at the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office during the sweep. In terms of overall collections gathered throughout New Jersey, Sussex County was third in the state. Of the 35 warrants served, a total of $33,756.71 was collected. All persons arrested in the sweep were processed and lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. Those incarcerated were given the opportunity to make a payment of the monies owed in order to be released. If unable to make full payment, they will be rescheduled for a court appearance before a Superior Court judge. At that time, the judge will make a determination regarding the amount of child support that must be paid on a case-by-case basis. Sheriff Strada advises Sussex County residents with an active warrant for nonsupport to be proactive and contact his office to make arrangements for surrender. Additionally, the sheriff asks any member of the public who can provide information that may lead to the arrest of someone who owes child support to contact the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Crime Stoppers toll-free tip line at (888) 973-CRIME. Tips may also be submitted online through the Crime Stoppers Online Anonymous Tip Form. Your information can greatly assist the sheriff’s office in enforcing outstanding warrants. If the information you provide leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.

< 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, March 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m., the following asset will be sold at a public sale on the premises of AA-1 Storage located at 155 Brooks Flat Road, Ogdensburg, NJ: One 2006 Caterpillar 303.5 Excavator, Vin #VDMY00785 This sale was previously scheduled to take place March 12 and then March 15, 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.

< 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.

CERT Join the Sussex County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and become better prepared to respond to emergency situations right here in your own community. ​ Members of Sussex County’s CERT give critical support to first responders in emergencies, provide immediate assistance to victims, organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts. CERT members receive training in the following areas: ​ disaster preparedness disaster fire suppression medical operations light search and rescue operations disaster psychology and team organization terrorism and CERT disaster simulation ​ Total basic training is usually about 24 hours, scheduled in 2-1/2 hour modules over a period of weeks. Training courses, materials and equipment are provided free of charge. To become a CERT member, you must be at least 18 years of age. ​ For more information, contact CERT coordinator Robert Haffner at 973.579.0380, ext. 2208. ​ New Jersey Office of Emergency Management CERT web site »

< 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.

< Back Drunk driver leaves scene of accident, breaks down Arrested: Joseph S. Selobyt Jr, age 44, of Branchville, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, August 29, 2013, Sergeant John Gray observed a severely damaged vehicle which had broken down in the roadway of CR 633 in Hampton Township. Upon speaking with the driver of the vehicle, Joseph S. Selobyt, and then observing him attempt to perform several sobriety tests, Sgt. Gray determined him to be impaired. Further investigation revealed a trail of fluids and vehicular debris which led to the site of a motor vehicle accident on CR 617 in Stillwater Township which Selobyt had fled from before breaking down. Selobyt was arrested and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. He was charged with the following offenses: reckless driving, driving while suspended, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, failure to report a motor vehicle accident and driving while intoxicated. Selobyt was given a future court date to appear in Wantage-Sussex-Stillwater Joint Municipal Court and released to the care of a responsible person. Sheriff’s Officers Samantha Schilling and Johnny Swords assisted in the arrest.

< Back Sheriff honors CERT members at holiday gathering CERT praised for its efforts during the past year’s disasters. Previous Next On Saturday, December 17, 2011, Sheriff Michael F. Strada attended the Sussex County CERT Team’s holiday party and presented several members of the team with Certificates of Appreciation and Exceptional Service Awards for their efforts during the past year’s disasters. The purpose of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is to train citizens to be better prepared for disasters. The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, Division of Emergency Management adopted the program in 2004. That year, 21 citizens were trained in the core components of the program and the Sussex County CERT was established. Presently, the Sussex County CERT program has approximately 200 members with an active core group of 40 members. The team conducts monthly training and holds one full-scale exercise every year. During Hurricane Irene, CERT assisted in shelter operations in which 22 CERT members covered over 445 hours of those operations, several of whom worked in excess of 51 hours. They also deployed during Tropical Storm Lee and the October 29, 2011 snowstorm to assist in shelter operations for the extended power outages. Sheriff Strada, in praising the volunteers for their hard work, said “these members are volunteers who are dedicated to training and preparedness for the citizens of Sussex County.” He asked for their continued support of the CERT program and issued an open invitation to county residents, saying “we are always looking for volunteers and welcome anyone from the county who would like to join our CERT team.” Interested persons should contact Sgt. George Arnot at 973.579.0875, ext. 2300.

< Back Sergeant named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Sergeant Krista Galante was named the 2018 New Jersey JSMART (Judicial Security Management Response Team) Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Previous Next Recently, Sergeant Krista Galante was named the 2018 New Jersey JSMART (Judicial Security Management Response Team) Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. JSMART is a cooperative effort between the 21 sheriff’s offices of New Jersey, the United States Marshals Service, the New Jersey State Police, and the Court & Judicial Security Unit of the state judiciary which is responsible for the provision of a statewide task force to protect the judiciary and the maintenance of a statewide protective intelligence database. Sgt. Galante has been with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office since 2003, serving in both the Bureau of Corrections and the Bureau of Law Enforcement. Since JSMART’s inception in 2015, Sgt. Galante has been a core committee member, ultimately being named JSMART statewide communications coordinator in 2017, a role in which she still currently serves. Sheriff Strada congratulates Sgt. Galante on her well deserved recognition and wishes her continued success in her career. Sgt. Krista Galante pictured with Robin Morante, State of NJ Superior Court Chief of Court & Judicial Security.