County Prosecutor

December 18 Joseph Otte, age 27, of Newton, pled guilty to possession of heroin. He is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 16. He admitted to traveling with other individuals to Newark in order to obtain 13 bags of heroin. Amelia Demarest, age 31, of Sussex, pled guilty to possession of cocaine and to motor vehicle tickets for operating while intoxicated and with an expired registration. She is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 16. She admitted to possessing a small amount of cocaine following a motor vehicle stop by Sussex Co. Sheriff Department’s Sgt. John Gray in Sussex Borough on Sept. 27. She also admitted that her motor vehicle registration had expired and that she was driving while under the influence of marijuana. Dennis Ladlee, age 50, formerly of Hopatcong, and entered a guilty plea to an accusation charging him with third degree aggravated assault. Ladlee admitted to the court that on or about Nov. 9, 2005, he had assaulted an adult female during a domestic dispute. The victim received significant bodily injuries as a result of the assault. The case was investigated by Hopatcong Police Department and DSG Donald Peter of the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office. Ladlee is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26. The case was presented to the Grand Jury by Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Reed. Arraignment before the Superior Court in Newton will be within the next six weeks. A Grand Jury indictment is a charge only. The defendant is presumed innocent until guilt may be proven, at a jury trial. December 19 Thomas Ziniewicz, age 34, of Newton, entered a guilty plea to an indictment charging him with one count of a fourth degree charge for a Megan’s Law violation for failure to notify law enforcement that he had moved to a new address. Under the provisions of Megan’s Law, Ziniewicz was required to notify the local police that he was moving to a new address ten days prior to the move. Ziniewicz admitted to the court that between April 22 and May 22 he had resided at a new address in the Town of Newton for 21 days out of a 30-day time period. The case was investigated by Det. Jason Garrigan of the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office and Lt. Michael Richards and Det. Neil Casey of the Newton Police Department. Ziniewicz is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 16. December 20 Matthew Dawson, age 23, of Stockholm, was sentenced to three years drug court probation, 35 days jail time served, intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment, restitution in the amount of $280 and $405 in fines. He pled guilty on Nov. 17 to three counts of fourth degree forgery. Between Sept. 13 and Oct. 5 in Hardyston Township, he took checks from his employer and made them out to himself and/or cash and forged the owner’s signatures to the checks. December 22 Brenton D. Deamley, age 19, of Sussex, , was sentenced to two years probation and must perform fifty (50) hours of community service. He must Pa.y total fines and penalties of $155 and submit a DNA sample at his expense. He pled guilty Oct. 30 to obstruction of justice. On June 17 in Vernon Township, the defendant approached a group of teenagers, began arguing with one of them and, without warning, struck the victim in the face with a closed fist. Frank Fiorvante, age 50, and Kathleen DiMeglio, age 41, both of Hamburg, were sentenced to eight years and four years in state prison respectively. They pled guilty on Oct. 5 to the second degree crime of conspiracy to commit official misconduct. They admitted that on various dales between September 2005 and January 2006, they smuggled cocaine, photographs, magazines, drug paraphernalia, a cell phone and cell phone batteries to Fiorvante while he was incarcerated in the Sussex County jail, and that they did so in agreement with Santino Pronesti, who was employed as a cook at the jail. Ryan A. Johnson, age 30, of Andover, was sentenced to two years probation and was given credit for forty-one (41) days served in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. He must obtain mental health counseling and was ordered not to be in possession of any weapons. He must pay total fines and penalties of $155 and submit a DNA sample at his expense. He pled guilty on Dec. 18 to certain persons not to have weapons. On Nov. 11, State Troopers were called to a location in Green Township in reference to a complaint of shots being fired. Three males were at the location and Johnson was in possession of a black duffel bag containing two loaded firearms. The two other males advised the State Troopers that Johnson was shooting a .22 caliber rifle prior to their arrival.