Category Archives: Criminal Law
NJ Attorney General Forms Special Office to Prosecute White Collar Crimes
New Jersey is devoting additional resources aimed at policing fraud and other white collar crime. The attorney general has created a special office within the Division of Criminal Justice that is tasked with protecting the financial system and securities investors within the state. The newly formed Office of Securities Fraud and Financial Crimes Prosecution (OSFFCP)… Read More »
NJ Legislature Passes a Law Making “Sextortion” a Crime
The internet has become an efficient means of carrying out criminal activity, including extortion. When Threatening to disclose sexual images or videos in order to obtain sexual favors from a victim has been known informally as “sextortion.” Now, New Jersey is adding that crime to the statutes. Following the lead of some other states, New… Read More »
Wide-Scale Fentanyl Prosecutions Continue in New Jersey
Fentanyl is a prescription synthetic opioid that, unfortunately, is also distributed illegally throughout the United States. In response, law enforcement has become aggressive in working to shut down illicit fentanyl supply and distribution chains and to prosecute violators. Zealous efforts like these tend to cast wide nets that can subject anyone in possession of fentanyl… Read More »
Hacking Case Against a Police Officer Shows the Extent of NJ High-Tech Crime Investigations
Invading other people’s privacy by spying on their online data or sharing nude or revealing videos or pictures of them without their consent violates several criminal laws in New Jersey. Convictions can have serious consequences, including prison time, fines and a permanent criminal record. Recently, a former police officer in southern New Jersey was charged… Read More »
When Does Double Jeopardy Forbid a Second Prosecution?
The concept of double jeopardy seems simple on the surface: a person cannot be prosecuted more than once for the same crime. But the word “same” is not as simple as it sounds. There are significant gray areas, particularly when a person is accused of violating different statutes that on their faces are similar to… Read More »
Students Face Terroristic Threat Charges for Comments on Bus and Social Media
Two incidents in Ocean County near the end of the 2022 school year illustrate New Jersey law enforcement’s inclination toward investigating and prosecuting alleged terroristic threats among school students, even if the accused is a minor. In May, a student at Southern Regional Middle School, in Stafford Township, was charged with making terroristic threats using… Read More »
Prescription Fraud Conviction Shows Broad Sweep of Anti-Kickback Statute and Travel Act
The April 2022 conviction of a Gloucester County man for two health insurance fraud scams illustrates how federal prosecutors are using complementary anti-bribery laws to charge people with a litany of offenses against the health care system. Steven Monaco, 40, was a medical sales representative who was charged with two related scams that defrauded public… Read More »
Feds Using Wire Fraud Charges to Prosecute Theft of Pandemic Unemployment Compensation
The May 2022 arrest of a Camden County man on federal wire fraud charges related to pandemic unemployment assistance illustrates how authorities are cracking down on crimes connected to the government’s COVID-19 relief programs. As federal agencies ramp up their investigations and devote more resources to prosecuting this type of fraud, it is crucial that… Read More »
Authorities in New Jersey Step Up Efforts to Prosecute Fentanyl Distributors
A recent spate of arrests and prosecutions related to distribution of fentanyl illustrates how New Jersey and federal authorities are attempting to gain control over an intensifying opioid crisis. As law enforcement ramps up its investigations and prosecutors seek harsh sentences to try to send a message, it is more important than ever for anyone… Read More »
New Jersey Authorities Cracking Down on Opioid Traffickers
As the opioid epidemic continues to rage across the nation, New Jersey authorities are carrying on a multi-track strategy to address the problem. The state attorney general and other law enforcement agencies are pursuing doctors, pharmacists and other professionals who help drive the crisis by issuing improper prescriptions or by otherwise engaging in the illegal… Read More »