Insurance Fraud May Cost Hillsborough Woman $39K

East Brookside Lane resident pleads guilty to lying on car insurance applications for 13 years.

A Hillsborough woman pleaded guilty Friday to insurance fraud after lying on her car insurance applications for 13 years, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. Maria Demeter, 42, of East Brookside Lane, agreed in front of Superior Court Judge Julie M. Marino, sitting in Somerville, to make restitution to the New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance, and was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and be placed on non-custodial probation. Demeter, also known as Maria Schebece, was charged in August with insurance fraud for lying on her applications with NJM since 1999, claiming to be living alone when she was married and living with her husband, who did not qualify for the company's insurance, the prosecutor's office said in a …

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Death of Man Missing Since '73 Under Investigation

Prosecutor's office says DNA match was made of man reported missing to Bridgewater police.

Man Shot Girlfriend, Killed Self at Franklin Apartment, Prosecutor Says

Authorities are calling Tuesday's shooting a murder-suicide.

The Tuesday shooting at a Franklin apartment complex that took the life of a man and a woman was a murder-suicide, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's office. Manuel Rodriguez, 50, shot his live-in girlfriend of nine years, Wilma Diaz, 34, inside their apartment before taking his own life, Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano said. Diaz, who had been transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in critical condition earlier on Tuesday subsequently died, according to Soriano. An investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Squad and Crime Scene Investigations and Forensics Unit found that Rodriguez notified a family member to call police and come over to the apartment to pick up his 14-…

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Man Dead, Woman Critical in Franklin Apartment Shooting

Somerset County Prosecutor said the two were living together.

A 50-year-old man was found dead and 35-year-old woman was discovered with a wound to the head at the Hempstead Gardens apartments in Franklin Tuesday morning after police received a call reporting gunshots at the location, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. Franklin police received a call at 11:38 a.m. Tuesday reporting gunshots fired at the apartment complex in the Somerset section of town, the prosecutor's office said. The prosecutor's office said authorities found the two, who were living together, upon arrival. The woman was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition, the prosecutor's office said. The incident is currently under investigation.

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Award Offered in Franklin Shooting

Prosecutor says information leading to an arrest, indictment could bring $2,500.

A reward is being offered in connection to a shooting authorities said critically injured one man and wounded another early Sunday morning outside of a restaurant in Franklin Township. Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano said Tuesday a reward of up to $2,500 is being offered by Somerset County Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the individual or individuals responsible for the shooting.  Soriano said the shooting took place outside of the restaurant at approximately 2:02 a.m. Sunday on Franklin Boulevard in the Somerset section of Franklin.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or www.scpo.net…

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Prosecutor Offering Reward in Vandalism Case

The vandalism occurred Aug. 21 and Aug. 22.

The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office is offering a $1,000 reward for information in the investigation of 17 cases of vandalism to vehicles between Aug. 21 and Aug. 22 in Raritan. According to Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano, the investigation is continuing on the vandalism of 17 vehicles that were parked on First Street in Raritan on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22. Soriano said that Crime Stoppers of Somerset County Inc. is offering the reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible for the vandalism. Anyone who saw suspicious activity or anyone in the area of the crime at the specific time should contact the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS or go online to 888577tips.org. All calls concerning the …

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Woman Lied to Get Cheaper Auto Insurance, Prosecutor Says

Authorities said Hillsborough resident was married, even though she put she was single.

A Hillsborough woman has been charged with insurance fraud after misrepresenting information to obtain a cheaper auto policy, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano said Maria Demeter, 42, obtained two motor vehicle policies since 1999 from New Jersey Manufacturer's as a single woman in a household with no residents, when she was in fact married and living with her husband, who was a registered New Jersey driver. The company sent a referral to the prosecutor's office in April indicating that Demeter recently disclosed that she had made material misrepresentations in obtaining the insurance. Soriano said Demeter's false information led to her receiving a policy with lower rates than she …

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Family Accused of Beating Cops Indicted

Trio due in court in connection with alleged altercation with police.

A Mountain View Road father, son and daughter have been indicted on aggravated assault charges in connection with an alleged confrontation in May when police said they punched and wrestled with officers.  George Teeple, 68, Danielle Teeple, 31, and Kevin Teeple, 36, are scheduled to appear before Superior Court Judge Paul Armstrong at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 7 for an arraignment and status conference on third-degree aggravated assault charges. The family members were indicted by a Somerset County Grand Jury on July 26. Presenting the case for the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office is Assistant Prosecutor Robert Hawkes. Michael Rogers will represent George Teeple, while James Wronko will defend Danielle Teeple and Victor Rotolo will represent …

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Two Charged with Selling 'Large Quantity' of Heroin in Somerville

Somerville and Easton, Pa., residents accused of selling bags near Cliff Street and park.

Two men have been charged with the distribution and possession of what authorities called a "large quantity" of heroin, after allegedly arranging to sell an undercover agent hundreds of bags of the substance in the Cliff Street area of Somerville on Tuesday afternoon. Jedrick Dennis, 32, of West Cliff Street in Somerville, and of Joseph Manna, 32, of Freedom Terrace in Easton, were arrested following an investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office and Somerville Police Department. Authorities also said they seized heroin with an estimated street value of $6,000.   Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano said an undercover agent allegedly made arrangements with Dennis to purchase the heroin and negotiated the sale while …

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Hillsborough Man Gets 16 Years for Sexual Assault of Girl

Edward C. Forsthoffer was convicted in February of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

A Hillsborough man was sentenced Friday to 16 years in prison for the sexual assault of a child, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said. Edward C. Forsthoffer, 41, of Eves Drive, must serve 85 percent of his term in New Jersey State Prison before being eligible for parole, Judge Julie M. Marino ruled in Somerville. Forsthoffer was convicted in February of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Forsthoffer was arrested in Montgomery in September 2009 after the victim told authorities she was sexually assaulted by Forsthoffer between September 2008 and June 2009, according to NJ.com. Editor's note: Forsthoffer is not the former Hillsborough Schools superintendent by the same name.

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Curt Carnes

1:44 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012

I very rarely agree with you VCL, but I agree, this story given the coincidences of names, could have been better written. Then again, it appears the writer of this story wasn’t even living in this area during Ed’s Tenure, so how could he have known? At the end of the day, it is always up to the reader to makes heads, or tails of a story! Anyway – Thanks for cleaning that up VCL   more ›