County Prosecutor

October 13 Joseph Selobyt, 36, of Branchville, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month. According to court records, Selobyt admitted to possession of cocaine while he was an inmate at the Sussex County jail on Oct. 30, 2002. The matter was investigated by corrections staff at the jail and Sussex County Sheriff’s Investigator Patrick Higgins. October 14 A 16-year-old from Sussex pleaded guilty to unlawful taking means of conveyance and witness tampering. The youth was sentenced to 60 days in detention as a condition to three years probation and loss of driver’s license for one year. Also as condition of probation he must live at home, attend school, complete 60 hours of community service, submit DNA sample, have no contact with the victims and submit letters of apology to them, obtain evaluation and follow all recommendations and submit to random drug screening. According to police, the teenager took her mother’s vehicle without her consent and while driving at a high rate of speed he failed to negotiate a curve and the car flipped over onto its roof, injuring the passengers. He then gave the passengers $500 in exchange for them not divulging information about the motor vehicle accident. William R. Robbins, 22 of Branchville, was sentenced to 3 years probation and 30 days in county jail. In addition, Robbins must enter and complete a sex offender treatment program, have no contact with the victim and register under Megan’s Law, as well as pay fines totaling $380. Robbins pleaded guilty on Aug 9, to one count of criminal sexual contact and one count of endangering the welfare of a minor. According to court records, between January and February 2004, Robbins provided alcohol to a minor female on multiple occasions and had sexual contact with the minor. October 17 Tymon Hoppe, 19, of Sparta, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of less than one ounce of marijuana. He is scheduled for sentencing in December. Hoppe admitted that on April 2, 2004, he sold a small bag of marijuana to a detective assigned to the Sussex County Narcotics Task Force and another bag of marijuana to an individual cooperating with the Sussex County Narcotics Task Force. Robert McCaulley, 33, of Franklin, entered a guilty plea to a charge of making terroristic threats and resisting arrest. McCaulley admitted to the court that on Sept. 5, he had threatened to kill his wife during a domestic violence incident. McCaulley also admitted he resisted that when Officer Nevin Mattessich attempted to place him under arrest. The case was investigated by the Franklin Borough Police Department, with the assistance of the Hardyston Township Police Department, the Hamburg Police Department and the Ogdensburg Police Department. McCaulley is currently out on a $10,000 bail and is scheduled to be sentenced in December. October 20 Todd A. Caputo, 45, of Vernon, pleaded guilty to joyriding. He is to be sentenced next month. According to police, On Feb. 20, Caputo took a vehicle belonging to his then roommate’s girlfriend after getting into an argument with the roommate. The vehicle was found at the home of the defendant’s mother several days later. October 21 Michael D. Starr, Jr., 26, of Milford, Penn., was sentenced to three years probation and was ordered to serve 98 days in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility, given credit for 98 days served. In addition, his driving privileges were suspended for six months, must pay fines totaling $1,205 and submit a DNA sample at his own expense. Starr pleaded guilty on Sept. 6, to possession of a controlled and dangerous substance. He was found to be in possession of two bags of heroin following a motor vehicle stop on Route 15 by Sparta Police Officer Lewis Brown on June 20. Thomas R. Donnelly, 18, of Hamburg, was sentenced to two years probation and must serve 364 days in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. In addition, he must pay restitution in the amount of $1,241, pay fines totaling $2,280 and submit a DNA sample at his own expense. Donnelly pleaded guilty on Aug. 11, 2005 to 18 counts of burglary. He admitted his part in a crime spree that took place between March 1, and March 31, involving burglaries of vehicles and one home in Hamburg.