MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker and Mt. Olive Chief of Police Stephen Beecher announce the arrest of Mario Reis, 58, Budd Lake, on Identity Theft, Theft by Deception, Forgery, False Government Documents and Conspiracy related charges. Michael Kurzyna, 70, Netcong, was also arrested on Conspiracy to commit Theft by Deception charges.

On July 1, 2019, the Mount Olive Police Department was contacted by the victim who reported that sometime during 2016, an acquaintance of the victim, Mr. Mario Reis, contacted the victim stating that Mr. Reis was in need of financial assistance regarding his home heating oil company J&M Fuel LLC.  The victim then invested $35,000.00 into Mr. Reis’ company.

In 2019, the victim received a letter in the mail from a company by the name of CAN Financial.  The letter explained that the victim’s request for a loan was denied.  The victim had not applied for any loans and further found that multiple loans had been taken out in the victim’s name that totaled approximately $175,000.00.  As a result, the victim’s personal finances were being frozen for lack of payment and other loan related issues, which the victim believed were caused by Mr. Reis.

The investigation found that approximately $531,120.00 in loans were taken out as a result of Mr. Reis allegedly stealing the identity of the victim.  Mr. Reis allegedly utilized the victim’s information and allegedly completed fraudulent applications for loans, which were deposited into his fuel oil business account and were subsequently spent by Mr. Reis on personal and other expenses. Mr. Reis allegedly conspired with and allegedly utilized Mr. Michael Kurzyna, a loan broker at the time out of Netcong, to pass the fraudulent information to the end lender. Mr. Kurzyna allegedly agreed to broker the loans knowing that Mr. Reis was attempting to circumvent certain criteria/requirements within the loans.  At this time, the amount of the defaulted loans are approximately $281,906.20.

The defendant, Mario Reis, has been charged with the following offenses:

• 1 count of Identity Theft, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-17a(1), a crime of the Second degree;
• 1 count of Theft by Deception, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4c, a crime of the Second degree;
• 1 count of Criminal Attempt to commit Theft by Deception, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1 and 2C:20-4c, a crime of the Second degree;
• 1 count of Conspiracy to commit Theft by Deception, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2a(2) and 2C:20-4c, a crime of the Second degree;
• 1 count of  Forgery, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1a(2), a crime of the Third degree;
• 1 count of  Forgery – Uttering, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1a(3), a crime of the Third degree; and
• 1 count of False Government Documents, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-2.1c, a crime of the Third degree.

The defendant, Michael Kurzyna, has been charged with the following offense:

• 1 count of Conspiracy to commit Theft by Deception, in violation of J.S.A. 2C:5-2a(2) and 2C:20-4c, a crime of the Second degree.

Prosecutor Knapp would like to thank the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Specialized Crimes, Financial Crimes Unit and the Mt. Olive Police Department whose efforts contributed to the investigation of this case.

Editor’s Note: An arrest or the signing of a criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Parsippany Mayor Michael Soriano delivered his “State of the Town” address at a special meeting that he called on Friday, February 7. His speech was filled with doom and gloom which he blamed on everybody but himself. He blamed the Zoning Board, He blamed the Township Council, He blamed the previous administration … He was setting us up for a huge increase in taxes that he will propose in the 2020 budget that he will claim no responsibility for … we made him do it.

In a Mayor’s first term, he inherits many things that he has no control over and so he can blame everything that is not right on the previous Council and Administration. He is, in essence, on his honeymoon. In the Mayor’s second year, that budget is his, he is accountable to the community for Tax increases, Services to the community, and Employee morale. In the Mayor’s third year, we are way past hearing that the Mayor is “digging out of a financial mess that he inherited”.

First, let’s address the Mayor’s criticism of the Zoning Board. He correctly points out that the Township Council appoints all members of the Zoning Board. He fails to mention that he appoints all members of the Planning Board (except me). He claims that the Zoning Board approves too many applications … he insultingly calls them the “Board of Yes”. He has proudly recommended that the Township Council pass a “Development Accountability Ordinance” that would allow any resident to ask the Council to overturn a decision of the Zoning Board. The Mayor’s recommendation is wrong on so many levels.

• First of all, the Zoning Board and the Planning Board are, by law, autonomous bodies. The Mayor and Council cannot interfere with any application that is before them. Both bodies have the benefit of an Attorney, a Planner, and an Engineer to assure that an applicant’s application is sound and assure that the Boards operate within the Land Use Laws and the Township Ordinances. Both Boards consist of Township Residents who are volunteers and who want what is best for our Township.

• Although the Mayor is a member of the Planning Board, he does not attend any of their meetings. He instead, has delegated his responsibility to another. He therefore, has no idea how many applications are approved. Since I have served on the Planning Board for most of the past twenty-five years, I can inform him that the percentages of applications approved by the Planning Board and the Zoning Board are similar (by my estimation). By the way, for the twelve years that Mimi Letts was Mayor, she never missed a Planning Board meeting.

• Bottom Line, the Mayor’s recommendation is foolish and his ordinance should be defeated.

Now let’s address the “Financial Mess” that the Mayor refers to. First of all, the hiring practices of this mayor are outrageous. Additional staff, new political patronage positions at outrageous salaries … some of which have no job descriptions. In the Mayor’s first year, I calculated $550,000 dollars in Salary, Pension and Benefit costs for those positions that I felt were unnecessary.

This Mayor has been critical of the previous Mayor for using surpluses generated by the Sewer Treatment Plant and the Water Department Utilities although he has done the same thing. There is a major difference between what James Barberio did and what Michael Soriano has done. Jamie only took the surplus that could be replenished in the following year. Jamie never allowed the Utility Fund Balance to fall below that critical amount. Michael Soriano has disregarded that Fund Balance to the point that we will need an increase in sewer and water fees.

This Mayor has also been critical of the Township Council for cutting his budget. He is also blaming us for his future tax increases. The bottom line here is Fund Balance for the Current budget and the Utility budgets is the Mayor’s responsibility. When the Township Council cuts some expense items in the budget to lower taxes, those expense items do not affect the Fund Balance.

For many years prior to Mayor Soriano, Parsippany enjoyed many accolades from Money Magazine and others touting Parsippany as the best place to live in New Jersey and 13th in the Nation. We also enjoyed a very good bond rating. What we hear now is gloom and doom mixed with large tax increases. What has changed? We got a new Mayor.

MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio and Senator Michael Testa have introduced legislation that is designed to give parents more information about the vaccines offered to their children and provide improved legal recourse when adverse reactions to vaccinations occur.

“This legislation is intended to improve upon the haphazard approach to vaccinating our children, which often occurs with no warning to parents and little opportunity to make well-informed choices,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “Parents deserve to be told in advance of an appointment about vaccinations that will be recommended, and given information about vaccine ingredients, efficacy, and risk. Vaccines should be treated no differently than any other drugs. They deserve the same scientific scrutiny that we give to all medicines. A parent has a right to know what is being injected into their child’s body and that it has been properly tested.”

The bill, S-1734, requires that health care practitioners provide information to a patient or the patient’s guardian at least 48 hours prior to the administration of a vaccine, including, a copy of the insert for the vaccine produced by the manufacturer for inclusion in the vaccine’s packaging and list of the vaccine ingredients produced by the federal Centers for Disease Control.

The legislation prohibits a doctor from refusing to provide services to a patient or to seek to transfer care or the patient solely on the refusal of the patient or their guardian to receive a vaccine.

“We’re making sure that parents have ample opportunity to understand and ask questions about the purpose and risk profiles of the vaccinations that their children’s doctors are proposing,” said Testa (R-1). “Should parents decline a particular vaccine, doctors would be required to provide a clear explanation of the potential medical risks and impacts on schooling. Ultimately, we want to empower parents with information to make the vaccination choices that are right for their families.”

Additionally, Pennacchio and Testa have drafted a pair of bills that address the rights of patients who experience adverse reactions to vaccinations.

The first measure, S-1791, would make the State strictly liable for damages stemming from certain vaccine-related injuries if the vaccination was mandated by a State law, rule, or regulation as a condition of attendance at a child care center, preschool program, elementary of secondary school, or institution of higher education, or by emergency declaration, at the time of the vaccine’s administration.

The second measure, a Senate Resolution pending introduction, urges the President of the United States and Congress to repeal the federal National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which has shielded vaccine manufacturers from liability, removed economic and legal incentives for companies to develop safe vaccines, and made it difficult for those injured by vaccines to receive compensation.

“Parents quickly find that the deck is stacked against them when they seek legal recourse for an adverse reaction to a vaccine,” said Testa. “Our State, which mandates some vaccines for schooling, is immune from liability under current State law, while vaccine manufacturers are immune under federal law from lawsuits when people claim injury. Our legislation will help those who are injured by vaccines to get the compensation they deserve and provide manufacturers with extra incentives to ensure their products are safe.”

Pennacchio said he hopes the package of legislation creates a dialogue about vaccinations.

“It’s important for policymakers and the public to engage in an open dialogue about vaccinations and parental rights, and to try to apply reason-based unbiased science to this important issue,” added Pennacchio. “Given the political realities in Trenton, it may be an uphill battle to advance this legislation, but we should at least have the discussion. It’s the right thing to do.”

MORRIS COUNTY — Rain is actually on the smaller size coming in at just 35 lbs. She is super sweet and very playful. Rain is very smart and knows ALL her commands! She is also professionally trained!!!

Rain’s ideal home would be one with a yard to play in and a family to love on. She can live with children 10+ and other male dogs!

Rain loves playing fetch, going for hikes, meeting new people, and giving a ton of hugs and kisses–she’s super affectionate! Her foster dads say that after a nice walk, she loves a good nap on the couch with them. She’s fun and always happy and will bring so much joy into your life.

If you’re looking for a young, happy girl to be your new dog-child, apply to adopt Rain today!

If you are interested in adopting Rain, please fill out an application by clicking here.

Follow Wise Animal Rescue on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Wise Animal Rescue on Facebook by clicking here.

PARSIPPANY — Assemblyman Jay Webber announced he will introduce legislation that would require local school districts to implement best practices and expand the authority of the state auditor to ensure safeguards against fraud and abuse in New Jersey’s education system.

The results of recent state auditor assessments of school districts in Pemberton and Ridgefield Park highlight the importance of the legislation.

“Our school children, parents, taxpayers, and educators all have great stakes in the best and most efficient use of  our educational resources,” said Webber (R-Morris). “The state auditor consistently finds, however, that through carelessness or worse, school districts all too often waste that money. Laptop computers disappear. Health insurance bought for the wrong people. Failures to perform basic criminal background checks. New Jersey needs to beef up its ability to review and monitor our schools, and we need to do it now.”

The investigation of Pemberton schools revealed that administrators purchased 703 extra Chromebooks beyond the total teacher and student population, costing taxpayers $313,000. In addition, district administrators could not account for where they went. In Ridgefield Park, the auditor uncovered $3.6 million in unnecessary health insurance liabilities and multiple conflicts of interest on the part of school board members.

The New Jersey state auditor, an independent agency within the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services, conducts random, in-depth performance audits of school districts. A performance audit targets and analyzes how well a government institution is allocating resources and then prescribes corrective action for identified failures.

“A performance audit may be the only current vehicle that evaluates the actual performance of government institutions, and we should be looking to expand it for that very reason,” continued Webber. “It is a more powerful tool to identify waste and fraud than routine fiscal audits. Students and taxpayers are the ultimate beneficiaries of the corrective actions from these audits.”

Assemblyman Webber’s legislation will direct the state auditor’s office to release a compendium report based on past audits. The report will include a collection of past problems identified in school districts, as well as the best practices to avoid problems encountered in other districts. Each school district will have to affirmatively certify that they are in compliance with those best practices, and the state auditor’s office will have the authority to conduct further audits on school districts to ensure all are in compliance.

PARSIPPANY — Sons of Italy Lodge 2561 is once again proud to announce that their own great Italian American chefs will be on-hand preparing a great Pasta Dinner in support of Parsippany Wrestling. The guys really do enjoy volunteering their time and culinary skills by participating in this fun and lively event every year, as well as to offer our continuing support for another valuable cause supporting the youth in our community.

The Pasta Dinner Fundraiser is the biggest fundraiser of the season. It will be held at the Parsippany PAL, 33 Baldwin Road on Saturday, February 29 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. All families are encouraged to bring as many guests as possible to make the evening a huge success.

Every year wrestler’s families and friends get together for an informal night where they enjoy games, win great prizes and have a delicious dinner prepared by the Sons of Italy of pasta, meatballs, meatless/vegetarian pasta sauce…Salad and desserts are also available.

MOUNTAIN LAKES — This Saturday, February 15 the Y is sponsoring a trip to the Community Food Bank in Hillside to help sort and package food for the homeless.

Bus transportation is being provided and we will depart from the Y at 10:30 a.m. sharp. They will be working from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

This is the perfect opportunity for adults, seniors and teens (12-17 years old along with their parent) to share quality time helping others. The event is free but please register by clicking here.

Lakeland Hills Family YMCA is located at 100 Fanny Road, Mountain Lakes.

PARSIPPANY — The funeral of Cecile (née Storch) Mosberg was held on Tuesday, February 11 at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston. Mrs. Mosberg was born on July 2, 1927 in Krakow, Lesser Poland and passed away on February 9, 2020 in Morristown. She was 92.

PARSIPPANY — Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th, has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg for president, praising his commitment to reducing gun violence, protecting the environment and rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.