MEC&F Expert Engineers : 10/18/17

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

NUCLEAR BOMBSHELL: CORRUPT PROSECUTORS AND CORRUPT JUDGES IN PASSAIC COUNTY THROW INNOCENT MAN IN JAIL TO SILENCE HIM! AFTER MORE THAN SIX YEARS, JUDGE CAPOSELA ORDERS THE TRANSFER OF THE CASE OUT OF PASSAIC COUNTY DUE TO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST


Dr. Basilis N. Stephanatos, Ph.D., P.E., J.D., Q.E.D.




STATE V. STEPHANATOS
DOCKET NO.  11002878
Indictment No. 11-09-00810-I
THE SERIOUSLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL CASE OF STATE V. BASILIS STEPHANATOS


Tax foreclosure companies in New Jersey (American Tax Funding, LLC, and others see for example this link: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-new-jersey-investors-plead-guilty-their-roles-bid-rigging-schemes-municipal-tax-lien) failed to follow the Anti-eviction laws and the Summary Dispossess Act and obtained a writ for removal without a hearing before a law-division judge - they basically used a self-certification and fooled the Office of Foreclosure in Trenton that had no jurisdiction over his real estate property as he had objected to the legal proceedings and no issues were ever adjudicated.


American Tax Funding, LLC, Robert Del Vecchio, Esq. and others also lied to the sheriff that he had threatened them with violence if they try to evict him from his home that he fully owned (no mortgage on the home). The sheriff then lied to the grand jurors that he displayed a gun at them and lied that they were injured in their shoulder by falling.  In reality, the fraudulent former Sheriff Officer, Ronald A. Lukas, had been suffering from injury to his shoulder for many years due to heavy weight lifting and by playing the linebacker position with the Pompton Lakes Cardinals-  what a lying piece of shit this "officer of the law".


In any event, six years ago, the grand jury indicts Dr. Stephanatos based on the fraudulent grand jury presentation and the willful failure to disclose to the Grand Jury clearly exculpatory evidence. In 2011, Dr. Stephanatos asked for speedy trial, but that never happened.   At that time, Dr. Stephanatos also filed a motion to change the venue due to several conflicts of interest posed by the employment of his accusers at the Passaic County Court House and the fact that the former Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division, the very corrupt and incompetent Margaret Mary McVeigh was a witness to the proceedings.


What is even worse, a corrupt and lazy "Judge" named Miguel Dela Carrera, failed to transfer the case to another county despite several conflicts of interests: at least two (2) of the involved sheriff employees were employed at the Passaic County Courthouse; the former Presiding Judge of the Chancery Court, Margaret McVeigh, was a major witness in the case.  These two conflicts required the case to be transferred to another venue, but the lazy, incompetent and corrupt De la Carrera failed to reach a decision for at least 3 years (!) and then failed to transfer the case!  What a pathetic moronic "judge" sitting on the bench in Passaic County!


In early 2016, Dr. Stephanatos had been publishing in a blog the proceedings of the meritless criminal case against him. Based on the publishings, a good Samaritan came forward who provided evidence that Dr. Stephanatos was framed by Passaic County sheriff officers Lucas and d'Agostino. In his blog, Dr. Stephanatos has been complaining about the violation of his speedy trial rights: the delay of the case is now at 6.5 years and running!


In March 2016, and in order to prevent the spreading of the truth and the further discovery of exculpatory evidence, the Passaic county prosecutor, Peter Roby, then claimed that Dr. Stephanatos was crazy and that he must be submitted for psychiatric evaluation. He also claimed that the State’s witnesses could be threatened by Dr. Stephanatos.



Dr. Stephanatos' lawyer, Mr. Miles Feinstein, Esq of Clifton, NJ vehemently opposed the incarceration as violative of his first amendment rights, etc. In any event, they locked him up at the Bergen county jail from March 21, 2016 through May 25, 2016. During the last two weeks of his jail time, a state psychologist came and evaluated him. He found him intelligent, sane and competent. When Dr. Stephanatos asked him why it took them two months to show-up at the jail to evaluate him, he said he only got the assignment during the last week of April 2016.



In May 2016, Dr. Stephanatos then filed a complaint against judge de la Carrera (the judge who ordered his incarceration) with the presiding judge Ernest Capossela. Judge Capossela immediately dismissed Judge de la Carrera from the case and started presiding over the case on his own. He said that what de la Carrera and Passaic county prosecutor, Peter Roby, did was illegal and unconstitutional, as no threats were ever made by Dr. Stephanatos against anyone. All this stuff is in on the record. He made these statements and much more in open court on May 26, 2016 when he ordered Dr. Stephanatos' release.




After more than six years on bail, the accuser, Ronald A. Lucas (a sheriff employee) is expected to be convicted for insurance fraud for faking his injury. The judge in Dr. Stephanatos' case is fired by the assignment judge, Ernest Caposela.  The prosecutor in the case, Peter Roby, is also fired and a new prosecutor, Nubar Kasaryan, takes the case in June 2016.  However, this new prosecutor delays the case for 1.5 years and places obstacles in providing discovery.  In fact, this second prosecutor Nubar Kasaryan, claims that there is no more discovery to be provided and that no videos, photos, electronic or other recordings exist!!

Dr. Stephanatos then files a complaint with the New Jersey Supreme Court in September and October 2017.  The NJ Supreme Court intervenes and orders the transfer of the case out of Passaic County due to the many conflicts of interest posed, as explained above.

On  October 17, 2017, a meeting occurs between Judge Caposela, the presiding judge of the criminal division Marilyn Clark, Miles Feinstein and the third prosecutor in the case (Nubar Kasaryan was dismissed from the case!).  Caposela provided the decision to transfer the case to another county due to the conflicts of interest.  Caposela said that he was very upset with "judge" Miguel De la Carrera because he should have transferred the case 6 years ago!  

Now, the State has most likely lost the case, due to the violation of the speedy trial rights of Dr. Stephanatos, among other reasons.

 The new judge is expected to dismiss the case for a number of reasons: violation of speedy trial rights, perjured testimony, failure to provide discovery, misleading the grand jury, prosecutorial misconduct, and so on.


Dr. Stephanatos suffered significant economic and non-economic losses. Many millions in damages.

 
In addition to the loss of his freedom and the loss of his dignity, he also lost income, family time, etc. You can understand.



The criminal case against Dr. Stephanatos is meritless, that is why it has been delayed for 6.5 years and counting. They have not even provided discovery!   And the Passaic County Sheriff, Richard Berdnik, claims that all information about the names of the sheriff's officer's and their telecommunications, emails, phone calls does not exist anymore.  Basically Berdnik has destroyed all the evidence to prevent the conviction of his officers for perjury,  conspiracy to violate civil rights, and many other offenses.  The thugs, who call themselves law enforcement officers, at work in Passaic County, the most corrupt county in New Jersey.



Here are some links regarding Dr. Stephanatos' criminal case:

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2016/03/explosive-bombshell-ronald-lucas.html

https://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2016/03/proofs-that-ron-lucas-was-not-at-scene_17.html

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2015/12/perjured-employees-and-prosecutorial.html

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2016/03/is-passaic-county-sheriff-richard_13.html

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-corrupt-andor-incompetent-chancery.html

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2016/01/walter-dewey-jr-of-passaic-county_14.html

https://sites.google.com/site/metropolitanenvironmental/explosive-bombshell-ronald-a-lucas-defrauded-new-jersey-s-police-and-firemen-system-by-claiming-that-he-suffered-on-the-job-injury
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The Honorable Ernest M. Caposela, A.J.S.C.
Assignment Judge
Passaic County Courthouse
77 Hamilton Street, 6th Floor
Paterson, NJ 07505
Phone: 973-247-8139
Fax: 973-247-8409

RE: STATE V. STEPHANATOS
DOCKET NO.  11002878
Indictment No. 11-09-00810-I

October 11, 2017

Dear Judge Caposela:

I want to apologize for this informal letter and email asking for a status of the case because Mr. Miles Feinstein has not made any progress in obtaining the requested discovery, despite my daily requests for updates.  

After repeated requests for case status, Mr. Feinstein finally called me on September 12, 2017 to tell me that the scheduled hearing on that date has been cancelled.  He provided several of his typical excuses for the adjournment that I will not iterate here.  He then continued to promise me that he will have a meeting with the prosecutor, Mr. Nubar Kasaryan, to go over the file and the discovery request.  He did state that Mr. Nubar Kasaryan told him that the Passaic County Sheriff did not provide with any additional information.  Mr. Feinstein stated that this may very well constitute destruction of evidence among other things.  He also said that he was ordered by you to meet with the prosecutor and if necessary file another motion with this Court.  I have yet to hear anything from him since the September 12, 2017 phone call.

That is why I am in the difficult position of writing again to the Court to provide you with the attached DVD OF SHERIFF RADIO TRANSMISSIONS we received two years ago from Peter Roby.  We want all the caller names on that DVD.  These callers are potential important exculpatory witnesses.  This information will also help me determine the location/whereabouts of Ronald A. Lucas and D’Agostino.  As I indicated to the Court from my letters from the Bergen County Jail, an informant told me that the Passaic County Sheriff has been deleting the evidence on this case, after the bombshell revelation that Lucas had a pre-existing injury in his shoulder by playing linebacker position for many years and by lifting heavy weights and that I never threatened Robert Del Vecchio with any violence.  The prosecutor(s) and the Passaic County Sheriff have yet to refute these allegations made by me almost two years ago.  THEY HAVE THE DUTY TO RESPOND WITH CONCRETE EVIDENCE REFUTING THESE ALLEGATIONS, BUT THEY HAVE NOT DONE SO.  THIS SHOULD TELL SOMETHING TO THIS COURT.

THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND EXCULPATORY INFORMATION THAT I MUST HAVE.

You can see from that info in the attached PDF file that the recorder ID is VR-725.  The caller ID has been removed.  We need to know the caller’s ID and the recording made.
I was arrested on June 28, 2011, more than 6.0 years ago using fraudulent charges and false testimony (see our still pending Motion to Dismiss submitted to the Court in 2015) and I still have not received the requested discovery of case evidence.  My speedy trial rights have been clearly violated.  During the Chambers meeting in April 2017 the State signed a Consent Order to provide the requested discovery over a period of 45 days.  That order was also signed by you and Mr. Miles Feinstein.  Yet, more than 6 months later, I have not even received the requested discovery (which discovery I have been begging Feinstein to obtain it since 2012!). 

I am only communicating with the Court due to the significant financial strain that the case delays have caused and continue to place on me.  My wife is threatening to leave me due to the enormous stress placed on the relationship and on her by these wrongful charges.  I cannot find a job because the employers run background checks and they see the arrest record and they deny me a job. 

So, I am pretty desperate for the case to move forward as fast as possible to clear my name.  This is the reason I am writing to the Court and because I have not seen anything from Mr. Feinstein despite my numerous emails and faxes to him.  (I have the record of the email and faxes I sent him asking for progress updates).

Respectfully Submitted,

Basilis N. Stephanatos
(201) 366-4588
(973) 897-8162
Fax: (973) 810-0440





Very Truly Yours,

Basilis (Bill) N. Stephanatos, PhD, PE, JD
Tel.: (201) 366-4588
Tel.: (973) 897-8162
Fax: (973) 810-0440
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FORMER PASSAIC COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICER RONALD A. LUCAS LIED DURING HIS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY WHEN HE CLAIMED THAT HE INJURED HIS LEFT SHOULDER DURING A FALL AT A WAYNE TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY PROPERTY. HE IN FACT HAD PRIOR INJURIES BY PLAYING FOOTBALL FOR MANY YEARS AND LIFTING WEIGHTS

As part of an investigation we have been performing, we discovered that Ronald A. Lucas, a former Passaic County sheriff officer with the Civil Division lied about his on-the-job shoulder injury. Lucas claimed that he fell on the job on June 28, 2011 at 687 Indian Road, Wayne, NJ and that he injured his left shoulder requiring several pins. He then filed a disability claim with the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits (Police and Firemen Retirement System). He was granted disability for one year with subsequent review. After he retired with claimed disability, he obtained a job as part-time security guard at the Pequannock High School.

We discovered that Mr. Lucas suffered shoulder injuries while playing football and lifting heavy weights over his lifetime. He was a linebacker with the Pompton Lakes Cardinals, using his shoulder to hit and tackle his opponents during practice and during football games. We are attaching a picture showing that he was #41 in the Cardinal’s Pompton Lake football team. Lucas has fallen on his shoulder probably thousand times during his athletic and training career.

Everybody knows that linebackers hit and tackle their opponents using their shoulders. These athletes also lift heavy weights and they end-up injuries their shoulders. He even made the All County Team in 1980, showing how hard he was working out. Based on our investigation, we found that weight lifting athletes do suffer shoulder injuries of the type claimed by Lucas.

He also trained his two sons (Dean Lucas and Ronnie Lucas) into playing TE and DE positions also with the Cardinals football team. In fact, linebackers suffer at least 13.5 percent of all football injuries and at least 65 percent of the linebackers end up undergoing surgery.

We have obtained photos showing Mr. Lucas lifting weights, after his alleged job-ending disability. See for example the attached image that is dated December 2013.

It is obvious to a reasonable and objective person that Lucas (in his mid-50s) took this incident on June 28, 2011 to claim on-the job-injury to be able to repair his previously injured shoulder at taxpayers’ expense and to retire and then blame Basilis Stephanatos for his injuries. After he retired, he started the double dipping. The finest of New Jersey at "work". But he was caught and he will face the consequences.



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 30, 2013
Two New Jersey Investors Plead Guilty for Their Roles in Bid-rigging Schemes at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions
Investigation Has Yielded 14 Guilty Pleas


Two financial investors who purchased municipal tax liens pleaded guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids at auctions conducted by New Jersey municipalities for the sale of those tax liens, the Department of Justice announced.

A felony charge was filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, against Robert U. Del Vecchio Sr., of Hawthorne, N.J. According to the charge, from in or about 2000 until approximately December 2008, Del Vecchio Sr. participated in a conspiracy to rig bids at auctions for the sale of municipal tax liens in New Jersey by agreeing to allocate among certain bidders which liens each would bid on. Additionally, a felony charge was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, against Michael Mastellone, of Cedar Knolls, N.J. for participating in a similar conspiracy from in or about 2000 until approximately February 2009. The department said that Del Vecchio Sr. and Mastellone proceeded to submit bids in accordance with the agreements and purchased tax liens at collusive and non-competitive interest rates.

“By conspiring to rig the bids of municipal tax liens, the conspirators profited at the expense of those already struggling financially,” said Scott D. Hammond, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division’s criminal enforcement program. “Protecting Americans from these types of bid-rigging schemes remains a high priority for the division.”

The department said the primary purpose of the conspiracy was to suppress and restrain competition in order to obtain selected municipal tax liens offered at public auctions at non-competitive interest rates. When the owner of real property fails to pay taxes on that property, the municipality in which the property is located may attach a lien for the amount of the unpaid taxes. If the taxes remain unpaid after a waiting period, the lien may be sold at auction. State law requires that investors bid on the interest rate delinquent property owners will pay upon redemption. By law, the bid opens at 18 percent interest and, through a competitive bidding process, can be driven down to zero percent. If a lien remains unpaid after a certain period of time, the investor who purchased the lien may begin foreclosure proceedings against the property to which the lien is attached.

According to the court documents, Del Vecchio Sr. and Mastellone were involved in the conspiracy with others not to bid against one another at municipal tax lien auctions in New Jersey. Since the conspiracy permitted the conspirators to purchase tax liens with limited competition, each conspirator was able to obtain liens which earned a higher interest rate. Property owners were therefore made to pay higher interest on their tax debts than they would have paid had their liens been purchased in open and honest competition, the department said.

A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for a Sherman Act violation may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims if either amount is greater than the $1 million statutory maximum.

Today’s pleas are the 13th and 14th guilty pleas resulting from an ongoing investigation into bid rigging or fraud related to municipal tax lien auctions. Nine individuals – Isadore H. May, Richard J. Pisciotta Jr., William A. Collins, Robert W. Stein, David M. Farber, Robert E. Rothman, Stephen E. Hruby, David Butler and Norman T. Remick – and three companies – DSBD LLC, Crusader Servicing Corp. and Mercer S.M.E. Inc. – have previously pleaded guilty as part of this investigation.

Today’s charges were brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York Office and the FBI’s Atlantic City, N.J., office. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to municipal tax lien auctions should contact the Antitrust Division’s New York Office at 212-335-8000, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm or contact the Atlantic City Resident Agency of the FBI at 609-677-6400.



Worker with Russel Metals died after being crushed by crane at the Russel Metals Inc. plant on Milwaukee's far south side








Worker at south side plant dies after being crushed while operating a crane


Rick Romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 

 October 18, 2017


A 41-year-old man has died after being crushed at the Russel Metals Inc. plant at 999 W. Armour Ave., on Milwaukee's far south side, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday.

The man was injured Monday afternoon while operating a crane at the factory and died Tuesday night at Froedtert Hospital, the medical examiner said. The office is investigating the death.

The victim's name was not released. He had worked for Russel Metals for 18 years, the company said in a statement.

"We are extremely saddened by this accident," John Reid, president and chief operating officer of Russel Metals, said in the statement. "...and we are focused on assisting the employee's family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time."

The company said its "deepest sympathy and condolences are with the family."

Russel Metals is a publicly traded firm based in Mississauga, Ontario. It describes itself as one of the largest metals distribution companies in North America.

The firm said it is working with authorities to determine the cause of the accident.

Carpenter Peter Martorana, of Point Pleasant, 39, died after he fell 30 feet from the roof of an elementary school under construction in Somerset County






FRANKLIN, NJ -- A 39-year-old man working on the roof of an elementary school under construction in Somerset County died after falling 30-feet off the building, authorities said.

Peter Martorana, of Point Pleasant, was unconscious when police and EMS workers arrived at the 125 Claremont Road School just after 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Franklin police said in a statement.

Martorana was brought to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating. 


Mantorana was member of the Carpenters Local 254. 
Carpenters Local 254 is one of New Jersey’s largest building-trades unions, with nearly a four thousand members in the construction and wood-products industries.
We are leveraging our 130-year history to prepare for tomorrow by training, educating, and representing the next generation of construction professionals. Our mission is to stand strong for our signatory contractors and help them succeed in today’s marketplace by supplying them with motivated, knowledgeable crews that demonstrate skills, productivity, and a strong work ethic every day. 



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Construction workers at the Claremont Road School site are ruffling the feathers of some of their neighbors.

Two Marion Avenue residents appeared at the July 27 Board of Education meeting to ask the board members’ help with some issues with the workers.

The residents were introduced by Lakeside Avenue resident Daryl Kipnis, an attorney who is challenging state Sen. Robert Smith (D-17) in the November election.

Among the residents’ grievances, Kipnis said, was that one worker “did not make use the facilities and chose to do so in a very improper manner.”

“When some of these issues were brought to the board’s attention, they stopped,” he said, but they later resumed.

Marion Avenue resident Kim Winter told the board that some workers park their personal vehicles on the street “because they don’t want to get their tires dirty.”

“Also, today, there were three dump trucks with trailers attached to them parked in front of my yard.”

The trucks, she said, could make it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass if needed.

“It’s awesome that the school is here but my quality of life has been diminished because of it,” she said. “I wish someone could contact the companies who are there and tell them to be mindful of the people who live there. I don’t want to come home and have a trailer parked in front of my house. I take care of my house, I would like to keep it that way.”

Winter’s neighbor, Linda Breunig, said that she can’t get her dog to go outside to go to the bathroom because of the noise from the construction work.

“I can’t go into my pool because I could have 30 construction men looking into my backyard,” she said. “There’s no privacy on our street.”

“We have to put cones into our driveway to prevent cars from turning around in our driveway,” she said. “I want you all to know, every time you look at that school, how much that school has impacted our life, and it’s not for the good.”

The two also complained about the work starting at 7 a.m.

“This is very concerning,” board president Ed Potosnak said. “Thank you for coming out and sharing that.”

Schools Superintendent John Ravally said the district would contact its construction manager to remind the workers that “the road should not be used as a private parking area, that they should be parking on-site.”

Ravally said union construction workers generally do start between 7 and 7:30 a.m., but “as far as those other inconveniences, we can instruct them to be more conscientious about the neighbors.”

Ravally said if the neighbors continue to have issues, to contact him.

“We want to be good neighbors, that’s our goal,” he said. “We want to work with the neighbors, not against them.”

“It is really important to us to get along well with the neighbors,” Potosnak said. “The construction will pass within a year or so. We invested another $35,000 in vegetation at the request of your neighbors. We’re trying to do the best we can.”

The Claremont Road School is slated to be open for the 2018-19 school year.

California OSHA issued two serious citations and $80,000 in penalties to HBuilt Inc. in Oakland for exposing workers to fall hazards

California
California Cites Construction Company for Fall Protection Violations
California OSHA issued two serious citations and $80,000 in penalties to HBuilt Inc. in Oakland for exposing workers to fall hazards. Inspectors determined that the company failed to provide handrails, scaffolding, guardrails, and personal fall protection systems.


Dennis Harrison

Archived Record Discovery Bay, CA Previous President for Hbuilt, Inc


Wyoming Cites Contractor for Exposing Workers to Trenching and Excavation Hazards
Wyoming
Wyoming OSHA issued five citations and $111,796 in penalties to Simon Contractors in Cheyenne for exposing workers to trenching and excavation hazards. Inspectors concluded that the company failed to provide: a competent person to inspect the worksite; cave-in protection and form of egress; and protection against hazards produced by an excavator digging near workers in a trench.