PARSIPPANY — A state appeals court ruled on Tuesday that a 17-year sentence will stand for a Parsippany man found guilty of sexually assaulting and beating an 18-year-old woman who was walking home alone at 3 a.m. in Parsippany in 2007. The decision came in the second appeal pursued by Eric Clemente Rangel, now 28, who…
Man Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse and Neglect Charge
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp announces that Robert Esnes, 38, Boonton, entered a guilty plea today before the Honorable Catherine I. Enright, J.S.C. to Child Abuse and Neglect (fourth degree).
In exchange for his guilty plea, at the time of sentencing, the State will recommend probation, and as a condition of probation up to 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Facility, forfeiture of his teaching certificates, follow the recommendations of a psycho-sexual evaluation, and no contact with the victim.
The sentence is scheduled for February 5, 2016.
The prosecution stemmed from the arrest of Esnes on April 15, 2013, after the victim’s father reported that the defendant engaged in inappropriate conduct with his minor child. The victim was interviewed and disclosed an incident that occurred on April 13, 2013, where she and the defendant engaged in sexual conduct when she was less than 16 years of age, and the defendant was more than four years older than her.
Prosecutor Knapp would like to thank the Chatham Township Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit and Hi-Tech Crimes Unit, whose efforts contributed to this result.
Rauchberg Dental Group adds new Dental Associate to Expanding Practice
PARSIPPANY — Rauchberg Dental Group welcomes its newest associate, Dr. Deepa Rupani, to its expanding multi-specialty practice. The office now includes three general and cosmetic dentists, two on-site periodontists for implant placement and treatment of gum disease, an endodontist for root canal care, as well as an orthodontist and an oral surgeon.
Dr. Rupani has extensive experience in all areas of dentistry and is also an Invisalign® provider. Practice owner Dr. Alan Rauchberg says, “We are very excited that Dr. Rupani is joining our team. She is compassionate, patient, and skilled at working with both adults and children.”
Dr. Rupani received her Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DDM) from Rutgers School of Dentistry. She also obtained her masters degree in biomedical sciences from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).
“I am looking forward to providing the utmost care for my patients at Rauchberg Dental Group,” says Dr. Rupani. “And I’m excited to work in this unique environment that offers such a comprehensive range of dental services.”
One of the only multi-specialty practices in northern New Jersey, Rauchberg Dental Group offers state-of-the-art technology, modern comforts and amenities, and a focus on education and dental innovation.
For information, please visit Rauchberg Dental Group at www.rauchberg.com, or call (973) 334-3777 for an appointment.
Rauchberg Dental Group is a member of Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce.
PHS to hold Kwanzaa Feast – event was canceled
PARSIPPANY — ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? The Parsippany High School African American Club is holding their first annual Kwanzaa Feast. Come out and celebrate and learn about this great holiday. It will be a night of soul food, music and great company. All proceeds go to charity.
The event has been cancelled.
Parsippany High School is located at 309 Baldwin Road.
Misconduct count against Jason Campbell is thrown out of court
![Jason Campbell](https://i0.wp.com/parsippanyfocus.com/uploadedmedia/2014/07/jasoncampbell-227x300.jpg?resize=227%2C300&ssl=1)
PARSIPPANY — A judge in Passaic County Superior Court threw out an official misconduct indictment against a suspended Morris County sheriff’s officer, Jason Campbell, stating the charges were the “fruit of a poisonous tree” after he was entrapped by a State Police trooper, according to Bergen Record.
Campbell, 36, was accused of flashing his sheriff’s badge to avoid being ticketed during a traffic stop in March 2012.
Superior Court Judge Raymond Reddin explained his ruling for more than an hour on Monday, December 14. “Those offenses and a subsequent driving-under-the-influence charge against Campbell would be dismissed because the stop was designed to coax the officer into showing his badge,” he stated.
“It was a ruse, it was a pretext, it was no different from racial profiling,” the judge continued, at times becoming animated. “It wasn’t a bona fide pulling over of the vehicle.”
In July 2014, Campbell rejected an amended plea deal that would have put him behind bars for two years.
It was reported, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office had been in contact with an anonymous tipster who said Campbell – who had to turn over his badge and gun while suspended on arson charges – frequently was driving while intoxicated and making trips to Newark to purchase narcotics. The tipster said Campbell had a secondary badge he would use if he was ever pulled over.
About eight to nine members of the county prosecutor’s office had followed Campbell’s vehicle on one such trip, in March 2012, and had instructed a state trooper to pull him over if he found a justification to do so.
The trooper told Campbell that he stopped his 2004 silver Dodge Ram pick-up truck because he was having “a little hard time staying in your lane” and that he was tailgating a vehicle in front of him. Campbell explained that he was “on the job,” after which the trooper repeatedly pressed him to produce his badge. This incident occurred on Route 287 north.
Eventually, the trooper explained that Campbell faced a ticket that would result in five points on his driver’s license before saying, “If you have your ID, that would be spectacular.”
Reddin said Campbell produced the badge only after he was essentially threatened and was clearly entrapped. The stop, he said, amounted to an unwarranted seizure of his vehicle and a violation of his 4th Amendment Constitutional rights.
The judge also said it was improper for officers to pat down Campbell’s wife, Jennifer Campbell, during the traffic stop, because she had done nothing wrong until officers recovered pills in her possession.
Jeffrey Patti, Esq. of Sparta, praised the judge’s ruling Monday, saying that it did away with a misconduct charge that carried a mandatory five-year prison term.
Jeffrey Patti, Esq. said “Naturally, we are very pleased with the court’s ruling. In their zeal to settle a political score the Morris County Prosecutor stepped way beyond the bounds of fundamental fairness. The real victor in this is the 4th amendment to our constitution.”
Erika Jones graduates from Coastal Carolina University
PARSIPPANY — Erika Jones, a 2011 graduate of Parsippany High School, was one of 592 candidates for graduation at Coastal Carolina University at ceremonies on December 11 and 12 at the HTC Center. South Carolina State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman was the speaker and received an honorary degree, Doctor of Public Service. She advised the Class of 2015 not to forget their roots as they go forward in their lives and careers.
“Your journey in life may never take you back there to live again,” said Spearman, “but you need to do what you can to support and uplift the people who have made you what you are today. Don’t forget them. So whether you become a teacher, a scientist, a CEO of a company, a health care professional — in later years when you are reminiscing, the relationships you had with the people along the way will be what matters the most.”
Jones graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in management
Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach, S.C. The University offers 70 areas of study toward the baccalaureate degree, and 17 master’s degree programs, plus two educational specialist degrees. The University began offering its first doctoral program – the Ph.D. in marine science: coastal and marine systems science – in Fall 2014. View the full list of Academic Programs.
More than 10,000 students from across the country and the world interact with a world-class faculty, and enjoy a nationally competitive NCAA I athletic program, an inspiring cultural calendar, and a tradition of community interaction that is fueled by more than 180 student clubs and organizations.
Coastal Carolina University was founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College and became an independent state university in 1993.
Menorah Lighting at Town Hall
PARSIPPANY — Chanukah was celebrated at the Parsippany Municipal Building on Thursday, December 10 with the lighting of the menorah, live music, potato latkes, donuts, Chanukah gelt for the kids and fun for the entire family. Rabbi Baumgarten, Chabad Center of Northwest New Jersey emceed the event.
After the Menorah Lighting the crowd moved into the Council Chambers and they listened to Chanukah favorites performed by the children of Adath Shalom and Beth Am.
Parsippany Rescue and Recovery was lighting up the outside area.
Chanukah — the eight-day festival of light that begins on the eve of Kislev 25 – celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality. More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G-d. When they sought to light the Temple’s menorah, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity. To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on till the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled. On Chanukah we also recite Hallel and the Al HaNissim prayer to offer praise and thanksgiving to G-d for “delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few … the wicked into the hands of the righteous.”
Chanukah customs include eating foods fried in oil — latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts); playing with the dreidel (a spinning top on which are inscribed the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, “a great miracle happened there”); and the giving of Chanukah gelt, gifts of money, to children.
The program was video taped by Video-on-the-go.
Santa to visit Parsippany IHOP
PARSIPPANY — Santa Claus will make a visit to the Parsippany IHOP located at 792 Route 46 on Saturday, December 19, Sunday, December 20 and Christmas Day from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Santa will be giving out candy canes and children will have the opportunity to tell Santa what they would like for Christmas! Be sure to bring your camera and take lots of pictures to catch that special time you spend on Santa’s lap!
Man Sentenced for Possession of Weapons Charge
MORRISTOWN — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp announces that Andrew Pfitzenmayer, 27, Peapack, was sentenced today before the Honorable Salem V. Ahto, J.S.C. and received a sentence of three years in New Jersey State Prison, with a one year period of parole ineligibility.
Pfitzenmayer was arrested on July 29, 2015 at approximately 10:00 a.m., when the Morristown Police Department responded to the Headquarter’s Plaza building, located at 19 Speedwell Avenue regarding a male acting suspiciously. Pfitzenmayer was placed under arrest on scene for possession of weapons charges.
On October 27, 2015 Pfitzenmayer pled guilty before the Honorable Salem V. Ahto, J.S.C. to one count of second degree Unlawful Possession of a Handgun. The psychiatric evaluation that was previously ordered by the Honorable Stephen J. Taylor, P.J. Cr., pursuant to a court order, was filed under seal and will not be available to the general public.
Prosecutor Knapp stated: “This case demonstrates how important it is for everyone to be alert to their surroundings at all times. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Headquarters Plaza Security, Morristown Bureau of Police and other law enforcement agencies who acted so quickly to prevent any possible further criminal activity.”
Free gift wrapping service for men at Parsippany library
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library will host “It’s a Wrap! FREE Gift Wrapping for the Man Who Doesn’t Have Time” on Wednesday, December 16, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the main library, located at 449 Halsey Road.
Registration is not required, but doors close at 8:45 p.m.
For more information, call the library at (973) 887-5150 or click here.