Category Archives: Crime

Prosecutor’s Office Joins in Search for Missing Teen

From the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office … 

A Neptune City teen missing since Friday is the subject of a massive search after her abandoned vehicle was discovered in the shoulder of the southbound lanes of the Route 35 Bridge in Belmar, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced in a released statement.

“We are asking everyone to keep an eye out for this young woman, and report any possible sightings as soon as possible,” Gramiccioni said.

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Prosecutor: Area Woman Sentenced to 7-Year Prison Term for Hit-and-Run Fatality

A Middletown woman has been sentenced to a seven-year prison term in connection with a fatal 2015 accident that took the life of a 15-year-old girl, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced on Friday.

Toni A. Marletta, 50, of Thompson Avenue in the Leonardo section of Middletown Township, was sentenced by Judge Ronald L. Reisner on the one second-degree count of knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in a fatality, and on third-degree endangering the welfare of a child counts. Marletta also received an additional six-month concurrent prison term for failing to have her motor vehicle insured and a one year loss of license for leaving the scene of a motor vehicle.

Marletta was sentenced after pleading guilty before Judge Reisner on Sept. 16, 2016 in connection with the fatal motor vehicle collision on July 7, 2015 that killed a 15-year-old girl who was crossing Route 36 in the township.

The accident …

Middletown Township Police were dispatched at approximately 8:24 p.m., on July 7, 2015, to Route 36 in the area of Avenue D for a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle. Upon arrival, police immediately located the 15-year-old victim, Marissa Procopio, of Atlantic Highlands. She was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune Township where she died the next day.

An investigation into the fatal collision by Middletown Township police, in cooperation with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team, determined the victim was crossing Route 36 in the area of Avenue D, when she was struck by a motor vehicle driven by Marletta.

Marletta, who had three 16-year-old girls in her car at the time of the collision, fled the scene, but the investigation led police to Marletta’s vehicle later that evening. The vehicle displayed damage consistent with the collision.

Marletta ultimately arrived at the Middletown Township Police Department, but was later released pending further investigation into the collision. The investigation progressed and Marletta was charged on July 15, 2015, with knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in a fatality. Subsequent to the initial charge, the others were lodged and she was convicted.

The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Meghan Doyle. Marletta is represented by Peter M. O’Mara, Esq., of Little Silver.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

Prosecutor: Area Man Found Guilty of Sexual Assault of Young Boys

An area man is facing up to 61 years in NJ state prison on sexual assault charges stemming from incidents spanning 2008 to 2009 involving preying on four young male video-gamers using an X-Box gaming system as a tool to sexually abuse the boys, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced on Monday.

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Prosecutor: Drug Distribution Ring Busted; 42 Arrested

A five-month undercover drug distribution investigation conducted by federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies dubbed Operation Justice Served culminated in the arrest of 42 people within the past  month, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced on Thursday.

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Prosecutor: Monmouth U ‘Gunman’ Arrested, Charged with Armed Robbery

A Monmouth University student is facing an armed robbery charge in connection to an incident on the campus Tuesday night, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced on Wednesday.

Keith L. Williams, 18, of Baltimore, Maryland, a student at the university, has been charged with first-degree armed robbery.

The background … 

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Prosecutor: Major Area Cocaine, Heroin Drug Bust

From the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office … 

Five of eight people charged with the sale of cocaine and heroin at two licensed alcohol establishments in Keansburg have been arrested, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni on Monday. Three remain at large.

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Area Woman Pleads Guilty to 2015 Fatal Hit-and-Run

From the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office … 

A Middletown woman pleaded guilty Friday to leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident and endangering the welfare of her juvenile passengers, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

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Area Man Faces Juvenile Luring Charges

Bryan W. Sanderson Photo/Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office
Bryan W. Sanderson
Photo/Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

A 24-year-old Middletown man has been arrested on charges in connection with the social media luring of a 14-year-old girl as authorities seek to identify other possible victims, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced in a released statement on Thursday.

Bryan W. Sanderson was arrested on Aug. 18 and charged with one count of second-degree luring a juvenile, two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and third-degree violation of parole supervision for life after he allegedly lured the teen girl via the social media meeting site Kik.

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Prosecutor: DNA Evidence Clears Area Man of Rape

The conviction of an area man Long Branch man, released from prison in 1997 after serving four years for the 1988 rape of a 17-year old girl, will be vacated, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced in a press release recently.

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Prosecutor: Four Men Indicted in Red Bank Teacher’s Murder

A Monmouth County grand jury returned a nine-count indictment against four men charged with the 2009 killing of a beloved Red Bank school teacher found dead in her Neptune City apartment, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced on Monday.

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Police: Area Teen Arrested on Burglary, Drug Dealing Charges

An area teen has been arrested on burglary and drug possession and dealing charges in connection with a Tuesday morning burglary at a Middletown home.

Robert Fiore, 18, of Glenwood Avenue in the Leonardo section of Middletown, was arrested by Middletown Police Detectives Daniel Sullivan and Keith Hirschbein following the burglary of a home on Garfield Avenue in the Belford section of Middletown after  recovering valuables allegedly stolen from the home and drugs in Fiore’s possession, a release from Middletown police said.

Fiore was charged with: burglary, theft, criminal mischief, possession of and possession with the intent to distribute 232 tablets of Xanax, possession and possession with the intent to distribute Ecstasy, possession and possession with the intent to distribute MDMA (Molly), and possession and possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of marijuana, according to police.

Fiore was committed to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold and is being held on $62,500 bail.

Area Man Arrested on Cocaine Dealing, Weapons Charges; $100K Bail

A press release from Red Bank police:

On Friday morning, the Red Bank Police Department executed a narcotics search warrant at a South Pearl Street residence.

The search warrant was issued following a month long investigation by Lt.Robert Clayton into sales of narcotics from the home.

Police charged Marcus A. Rice, 32, of South Pearl Street with: possession of CDS (cocaine), possession with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute in a school zone, possession of narcotic paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possession of a handgun while committing a narcotics offense.

Rice was committed to Monmouth County Correctional Institution in lieu of bail set at $101,500.

* An arrest does not constitute a conviction.