Friday, January 23, 2009

MORRISTOWN: A man pleaded guilty today to burglary and sexual assault charges for sneaking into a 5-year-old girl's bedroom and sexually assaulting her.

Timothy Iberer, 28, of Bloomingdale, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted aggravated sexual assault. He faces up to 18 years in prison when Superior Court Judge Salem Vincent Ahto sentences him Feb. 27.

Iberer, who is a sex offender and did not know the family or child, initially targeted the house at random. He must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence before being eligible for parole.


Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said, "I applaud the extraordinarily dedicated and professional detective work of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office in conjunction with the Pequannock Police detectives. They, along with our assistant prosecutors, worked around the clock for many weeks attempting to solve this horrific and vile crime. To no fault of their own, this victim's family was targeted by this predator."

The prosecutor noted special credit to Detective Sgt. Robert McDermott who developed the profile of this suspect.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez and investigated by the prosecutor's sex crime/child endangerment unit, Pequannock detectives, the county sheriff's crime investigation section and state police. The case detective was Kristi Allegretta.

Iberer was indicted on charges that he snuck into the child's first-floor room at least three times between Aug. 1, 2007 and Sept. 10. During one of his break-ins, the child's mother walked into the room and saw Iberer sitting on the bed.

Fingerprints and partial palm prints led to his arrest. He pleaded guilty to two break-ins.

The girl told police the man shined a flashlight in her eyes and touched her, according to the arrest affidavit.

In 2002, Iberer was sentenced to four years in prison for a sex assault in Clifton. He served most of the sentence at a state treatment facility for sex offenders until his release in June 2006.

Friday, January 16, 2009

MORRISTOWN: A Boonton police officer charged with theft by deception and insurance fraud admitted today in a Morristown courtroom to lying about an off-duty knee injury in order to be covered under workers' compensation.

After making his fraudulent injury claim, Officer John J. Hagen was out of work for about four months and was paid $28,214 in his police salary and awarded an additional $16,864 as the result of a workers' compensation claim that he filed. The Morris County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund, which is the insurance provider for Boonton paid $12,739 for his medical expenses, $9,279.13 for salary reimbursement and $3,876.99 for legal expenses, Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said.

Hagen, however, wasn't injured on the job. Although he claimed he slipped off a curb while working Oct. 27, 2006 he really suffered the injury while playing basketball at a local YMCA. He later concocted the story to secure workers' compensation coverage and get paid while out of work, the prosecutor said.

He mentioned his scheme to others and later tried to get them to lie to investigators when he became aware that a probe was underway, authorities said. Besides theft by deception and insurance fraud, Hagen also admitted in Superior Court Judge Thomas Manahan's courtroom to a charge of harassment stemming from an unrelated matter.

"We are making sure the taxpayers do not have to bear the economic responsibility for his illegal actions," Bianchi said. "As a police officer he is not only supposed to enforce the law, but also follow the law."

When law enforcement officers violate the law, they sully an honorable profession, he said, applauding the actions of Boonton police for addressing the matter. "I believe law enforcement officers must be held to a higher standard ethically and legally. I have complete confidence and faith in the Boonton police. They had the integrity to shine a light of truth on the problem, not sweep it under the carpet."

Hagen will be sentenced March 20, 2009.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

MARYLAND: The missing East Hanover mother who was located with her two children and arrested Sunday will be heading back to New Jersey after waiving extradition in Maryland court today.

Patricia Schafer appeared before Judge Nancy Purpura of the District Court of Maryland and waived extradition at 1:10 p.m., Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said.

"Mrs. Schafer is currently being housed at the Baltimore County Detention Center located in Towson, Maryland pending her return to New Jersey," Bianchi said.

Patricia Schafer, 38, and her children, Jessica, 3, and John, 13, were stopped in their vehicle by Baltimore County police as they exited the Towson Town Center Mall and approached the Baltimore Beltway Interloop at 6:25 p.m.

Detectives from the East Hanover Police Department and Morris County Prosecutor's Office determined that she was in the mall complex, prompting the call to mall security and the Baltimore County police. Mall security followed the vehicle until the Baltimore County police arrived.

Patricia Schafer was charged with interfering with the custody of the children.

Bianchi said that detectives from the Missing Persons Unit and the prosecutor's and sheriff's joint Fugitive Task Force will pick up Schafer in Maryland and return her to the Morris County Jail" as soon as she waived extradition.

She and the children were last seen at the family's home Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. by her husband, Douglas Schafer.

Despite these pending charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt following a jury trial at which the defendant has all of his rights guaranteed by the U.S. and New Jersey Constitutions and relevant state law.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

MARYLAND: A missing mother and her two children last seen Thursday were found tonight in a mall in Maryland nearly 200 miles away from their East Hanover home, Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi announced tonight.

Patricia Schafer, 38, and her children, Jessica, 3, and John, 13, were stopped in their vehicle by Baltimore County police as they exited the Towson Town Center Mall and approached the Baltimore Beltway Interloop at 6:25 p.m. Detectives from the East Hanover Police Department and Morris County Prosecutor's Office determined that she was in the mall complex, prompting the call to mall security and the Baltimore County police. Mall security followed the vehicle until the Baltimore County police arrived.

"The children are in good health and their father is on his way to pick them up and bring them home," Bianchi said, crediting his office's Missing Persons Unit and the East Hanover detectives with the successful conclusion.

"This successful outcome is the result of a lot of dedicated detectives working around the clock. Anytime children go missing with a parent there is a sense of urgency to find them."

Patricia Schafer is being charged with interfering with the custody of the children, and will remain behind bars in Maryland pending an extradition hearing this week.

Bianchi said that detectives from the Missing Persons Unit and the prosecutor's and sheriff's joint Fugitive Task Force will pick up Schafer in Maryland and return her to the Morris County Jail" as soon as she waives extradition. "If Schafer fails to waive extradition, we will pursue a governor's warrant," Bianchi said.

She and the children were last seen at the family's home Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. by her husband, Douglas Schafer.

The 5-foot-tall mother is thin, weighing about 85 pounds, and was believed to be driving a metallic 2003 Saturn Wagon, with New Jersey license plates PFZ-77A.

Despite these pending charges every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt following a jury trial at which the defendant has all of his or her rights guaranteed by the U.S. and New Jersey Constitution and relevant state law.