Category : Press Release

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato today announced Robert S. Trella, 42, of Berkeley Township appeared before Judge Patricia B. Roe, J.S.C. this morning and was sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison. Trella had pled guilty to second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for causing his 2 year old child to be an abused or neglected. The defendant was also ordered to have no contact with his other children unless ordered by Division of Child Protection and Permanency.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato is asking media outlets in a number of towns and states listed below to post the attached picture of Jamie Lynn Lawson, age 42, a Super Storm Sandy contractor wanted for fraudulent activity by the Ocean County Prosecutor.  Lawson has been a fugitive since December 14, 2016.  He is currently under indictment for theft and money laundering related to 14 victims of contractor fraud totaling $480,000.  The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office will be superseding that indictment to include 34 victims totaling approximately $1.5 million.  Its alleged Lawson took money from the thirty-four homeowners in Ocean & Monmouth Counties and then did either no work or less than contracted services on their homes. He allegedly used the money for vehicles and personal expenses.

Jamie Lynn Lawson is believed to have been in the following areas since December of 2016:

• Austin, TX
• Dallas, TX
• Addison, TX
• Denton, TX
• Irving, TX
• Houston, TX
• Port Lavaca, TX
• Rowland, NC
• Fairmount, NC
• Lumberton, NC
• Bishopville, SC
• Greenville, TN
• Siloam, GA
• Livingston, AL
• Sedalia, MO
• St. Louis. MO
• Tulsa, OK
• Quapaw, OK
• Mendenhall, MS
• Brandon, MS
• Florence, MS
• Jackson, MS
• Magee, MS

Lawson moved to New Jersey shortly after Superstorm Sandy and made application to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs to be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor.  The State registered Lawson based upon his material misrepresentations on the application including his failure to disclose his prior criminal convictions.  Shortly thereafter, he began taking contracts to perform Sandy related renovations and new home construction.

The specific counts of the original Indictment include Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity (Money Laundering) – Second Degree (more than $75,000), six counts  of Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition – Second Degree (more than $75,000), nine counts of Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition – Third Degree (more than $500 and less than $75,000), Tampering with Public Records for submitting  a fictitious Home Improvement Contractor Application   Third Degree and one count of Unregistered Home Improvement Contracting – Fourth Degree.  Superior Court Judge Patricia B. Roe, J.S.C. set bail on the Indictment Warrant at $150,000, restricted him from engaging in home improvement & building contracts and required him to surrender his passport.

The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted in cooperation with the Brick Police Department, Toms River Police Department, Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs and New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.  Anyone with information regarding Lawson’s whereabouts is asked to contact Sergeant Mark Malinowski of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Economic Crime Unit at 732-929-2027 Ext.4032 or the US Marshals Service by e-mail at:  .

JAMIE LYNN LAWSON

Follow the Office of the Ocean County Prosecutor online at Twitter and Facebook.  The social media links provided are for reference only.  The OCPO does not endorse any non-governmental websites, companies or applications.  For additional information visit our website at oceancountyprosecutor.org.

 

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato today announced the identity of the deceased subject involved in the Toms River Police Involved shooting.  He is identified as Christopher Apostolos, 56, of 109 Edgewood Court in Toms River.  MONOC Unit 212 responded to the scene to provide medical assistance and pronounced Mr. Apostolos deceased at 1:06 pm.

Information released to date regarding the event is as follows:

Yesterday (3/14/17) the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes Unit, along with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI, were dispatched to the Silver Ridge Apartments located at 190 Edgewood Court in Toms River reference a reported police involved shooting.

OCPO’s investigating detectives preliminarily report that at approximately 12:30 pm, two members of the Toms River Police Department were following up on a prior report of a person believed to be in need of professional mental health intervention services.  During the course of their investigation a physical altercation took place after making contact with the 56 year old white male subject.  That altercation lead to the discharge of a service weapon(s).  The male subject was subsequently pronounced deceased.  An autopsy by the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office will be conducted and a full report regarding the cause and manner of death will be included in future investigative findings.

At this time the investigation and scene processing are the priority.  When all the facts and circumstances surrounding the event are definitively confirmed a full account will be issued to the press by our office.  This will not take place today.  We ask for your patience and willingness to refrain from soliciting unofficial sources in an effort to rush to judgement.

Follow the Office of the Ocean County Prosecutor online at Twitter and Facebook.  The social media links provided are for reference only.  The OCPO does not endorse any non-governmental websites, companies or applications.  For additional information visit our website at oceancountyprosecutor.org.

Today (3/14/17) the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes Unit, along with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI, were dispatched to the Silver Ridge Apartments located at 109 Edgewood Court in Toms River reference a reported police involved shooting.

OCPO’s investigating detectives preliminarily report that at approximately 12:30 pm, two members of the Toms River Police Department were following up on a prior report of a person believed to be in need of professional mental health intervention services. During the course of their investigation a physical altercation took place after making contact with the 56 year old white male subject. That altercation lead to the discharge of a service weapon(s). The male subject was subsequently pronounced deceased. An autopsy by the Ocean County Medical Examiners Office will be conducted and a full report regarding the cause and manner of death will be included in future investigative findings.

Child Break – Dates Now Available for April & May 2017

Dates are filling up quickly! Most of our calendar has been filled for March. We are now scheduling presentations for April (Alcohol Awareness Month) and May. Please call now or click here to schedule your Child Break.

The 2017 revised Child Break includes our free child break program, a one-hour multimedia presentation that encourages and empowers parents and other adult caregivers to effectively communicate with children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. In addition to covering underage drinking, marijuana use, and other drugs, we also include information on the abuse of prescription drugs and the current heroin/opiate addiction crisis we are facing throughout New Jersey. The program is presented free of charge. The program is for adults only. There are limited April and May dates. Professional Development Credit 1.5
To register for the free presentation please click here, call, or email .

Bill Lillis
Programs Coordinator
Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey
973.467.2100

Answers to frequently asked questions:

• A PDFNJ Parent Educator will come to your community
• The Child Break is a PowerPoint presentation
• The presentation is a solid hour
• The presentation is for adults only
• Parents/educators/caregivers with children of all ages can benefit
• The presentation can be opened to the entire community
• Surveys are administered to all attendees
• Resource materials are given to all attendees
• Promotional Materials are provided to help host promote the presentation

Visit www.drugfreenj.org to view all of PDFNJ’s programs or call 973-467-2100

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) is a private 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that promotes prevention of substance abuse throughout the state through media campaigns, school-based programs and community and workplace initiatives. PDFNJ programs are made possible by support from the  Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the New Jersey Department of Human Services, and funding from corporations and foundations. All PDFNJ programs and services are offered free of charge to NJ residents and businesses.

On March 9, 2017 at approximately 7:43 pm, the Lakewood Police Department responded to the intersection of Hillside Blvd and Rt.528 for a pedestrian struck in the roadway.

The subsequent investigation by Lakewood PD, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI found that a 2015 Kia Sportage being driven by Michael Wood Jr., 30, of Lakehurst was traveling east on Rt.528 when he struck Perets Schinerman, 61, of Lakewood just east of the Hillside Blvd crosswalk with the front passenger side of his vehicle.  Mr. Schinerman was pronounced deceased at 8:11 pm by Dr. Zipangan of Kimball Medical Center.

A statement, blood draw and forensic cell phone review will all be part of the continuing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.  The vehicle was removed from the scene and transported to OC Sheriff’s Department-CSI, pending a search warrant.

Follow the Office of the Ocean County Prosecutor online at Twitter and Facebook.  The social media links provided are for reference only.  The OCPO does not endorse any non-governmental websites, companies or applications.  For additional information visit our website at oceancountyprosecutor.org.