County Prosecutor
Jan. 10 A juvenile pled guilty on Jan.10, to third degree burglary. He was adjudicated a juvenile delinquent by the court. The juvenile, age 17, was sentenced to continue current probation. As conditions of this probation he must pay restitution totaling $485.00, complete 30 hours community service and submit a DNA sample. The juvenile broke into a vehicle and removed several items of electronic equipment. Jan.11 Troy R. Green, 27, of Stockholm, was sentenced to three years probation. He must perform 100 hours of community service, maintain employment, submit to random urine monitoring, attend AA/NA three times per week, pay restitution in the amount of $896.66, pay total fines and penalties of $155 and submit a DNA sample at his expense. He pled guilty on Nov. 5, 2007 to theft, a third degree crime. He had previously been enrolled in the PreTrial Intervention Program with respect to the charge but was terminated from the program for non-compliance prior to the entry of his guilty plea. He admitted to taking a 37” television from Wal-Mart in Franklin on December 24, 2007. Michael R. Knaust, 21, of Frankford, was sentenced to two years probation. He was ordered to serve two days in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional facility and was given credit for two days served. He must perform 150 hours of community service, continue counseling, submit to random urine monitoring, pay total fines and penalties of $155 and submit a DNA sample at his expense. His bail was exonerated. He pled guilty on Dec. 3, 2007 to unlawful possession of a weapon, a 3rd degree crime. He admitted to police that he took a handgun from a neighbor’s home on July 5, 2007 and later sold it to someone else. Jan. 7 Christopher Caufield. 21, of Wantage, pled guilty to the third degree crime of burglary. He is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 28. He admitted breaking into the family drug shop in Branchville on Sept. 25, 2007 in order to steal drugs. The matter was investigated by the New Jersey State Police. Gregory Babcock, 32, of Hamburg, was sentenced to five years drug court probation, inpatient substance abuse treatment, 202 days jail credit, $3,680 in fines and a six month loss of driver’s license. He pled guilty on Dec.10, 2007, to the third degree crimes of burglary, two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and prescription fraud. He admitted to entering a home in Franklin on May 19, 2006 with the intent to steal property inside of it. He also admitted to possessing heroin on April 3, 2007 and June 23, 2007 in Sparta and Franklin, respectively. Finally, he admitted to obtaining a prescription by fraud by phoning in a prescription in Hamburg on or about March 19, 2007 without authorization. Stephen Lupyak, 42, of Franklin, was sentenced to four years drug court probation, inpatient substance abuse treatment, $1,205 in fines and a 12-month loss of driver’s license. He pled guilty on Sept. 17, 2007, to the third degree crime of possession of heroin. He admitted to being in possession of three bags of heroin on July 6, 2007 in Newton after having been arrested on suspicion of burglary. The matter was investigated by Newton Police Officer D. Smifourth. Martin Kiely. 27, of Mount Arlington, pled guilty to the third degree crime of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and driving while intoxicated. He is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 11. He admitted to possessing seven Oxycodone pills on Sept. 8, 2007 in Stanhope Borough following a motor vehicle stop for driving while intoxicated by Stanhope Police Officer Christopher Bork. Jan. 14 Debra Pittenger, 40, of Newton, was sentenced to four years drug court probation, 270 days in the county jail, loss of driver’s license 24 months and $1,205 in fines. She pled guilty on Dec.17, 2007, to the third degree crime of possession of heroin. She admitted to possessing 20 bags of heroin in Newton on Aug. 28, 2007. The matter was investigated by the Sussex County Narcotics Task Force and the Newton Police Department. Catherine Babcock, 32, of Franklin, pled guilty to third degree obtaining a controlled dangerous substance by fraud, and the disorderly persons offenses of theft of movable property and hindering the apprehension of another She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 11. She admitted to obtaining a prescription for Tussionex from a pharmacy in Hamburg that she knew had been fraudulently ordered on March 19, 2007. She also admitted to stealing a ring in Franklin on Sept. 23, 2007 that she later sold at a jewelry store and to lying to the police in Franklin regarding the whereabouts of her husband, Gregory Babcock, when they sought to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. Matthew Morley, 26, of Vernon, was sentenced to five years drug court probation, 129 days jail, inpatient substance abuse treatment, restitution in the amount of $609, $1,263 in fines and a six month loss of driver’s license. He pled guilty on Dec. 13, 2007, to third degree burglary, third degree theft on a third degree forgery and third degree uttering a forged instrument. He admitted that on Sept. 7, 2007, he burglarized a motor vehicle in Vernon Township, took a check from inside it, forged it and cashed it at the Lakeland Bank. The matter was investigated by Vernon Police Officer D. Young. John Quinn, 23, of Hopatcong, pled guilty to the fourth degree crime of theft of movable property. He is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 11, 2008. He admitted to stealing an X Box 360 game from a member of him family and subsequently selling it in order to obtain money. Heather Sullivan, 32, of Highland Lakes, pled guilty to the third degree crime of attempted prescription fraud. She is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 11, 2008. She admitted that on Nov. 15, 2007, she submitted a forged prescription for Oxycontin in Vernon Township. The matter was investigated by Vernon Police Officer D. Young. Jan. 17 An indictment charges Albert C. Wester, 29, of Hardwick, with robbery, a crime of the second degree and hindering apprehension, a crime of the third degree. The indictment alleges that on April 3, 2007 in Fredon Township, Wester entered the Lakeland Bank and demanded money. The case was presented to the Grand Jury by Assistant Prosecutor Michael Briegel. 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 proved at a jury trial. A juvenile pled guilty to third degree criminal mischief and fourth degree trespass. He was adjudicated a juvenile delinquent by the court. The juvenile, age 16, was sentenced to two years probation on condition he serve 30 days in the Juvenile Detention Center (24 days credit, balance suspended). Other conditions of probation are to pay restitution to the victim , attend school every day and follow all home and school rules, have no contact with the victim or co-defendants, perform 100 hours community service, follow all recommendations of CEC evaluation, submit DNA sample, undergo random drug testing, testify truthfully against all co-defendants and pay fines of $75. The juvenile, was present when an adult co-defendant and juvenile co-defendant broke into a home undergoing renovation, poured gasoline throughout and ignited the gas. The inside of the building suffered damage.