Indictments Filed Jan. 12

COURT HOUSE – A Cape May County grand jury handed up the following indictments Jan. 12: 
Derek E. Brant
Derek E. Brant, 24, of Fishing Creek, Lower Township, was indicted for second degree sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, third degree, and promoting prostitution, second degree. The indictment alleges that Brant engaged in prostitution with a person under the age of 18. In this case the victim was a 14-year-old female. The alleged sexual assault took place Sept. 23.
According to the indictment the crime is one in which the perpetrator “selects or requests a child under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity.” Brant was lodged at the Cape May County Correctional Center under $200,000 full cash bail.
James J. Poulterer
In another case of second degree sexual assault of a minor, James Poulterer, 22, of Villas, allegedly assaulted a 14-year-old female during the period from January to February 2015. He was also indicted for endangering the welfare of a child, third degree.
Juan Rivera-Perez, James Rodriguez
In two separate indictments Juan Rivera-Perez and James Rodriguez were each charged in Wildwood with failure to register with local law enforcement, a condition of their release for earlier convictions.
Rivera-Perez was indicted for failure to reregister upon change of address, a third degree offense. He was convicted in Cape May County in 2010 for endangering the welfare of a child.
Rodriguez was indicted for failure to register “as a convicted sex offender.” He was convicted in Florida in 2002 for sexual offense against a child.
Sean Tatem
An earlier offense also caused difficulty for Sean Tatum, of Rio Grande, who was indicted for certain person, fourth degree. The certain person charge is applied to a class of individuals who are forbidden to possess a weapon, usually because of a felony conviction. A 2012 conviction for possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) with intent to distribute means that Tatem was in this category of persons.  He was allegedly carrying a “folding knife.”
Abdul Hamilton
Weapons charges were also brought against Abdul Hamilton, 31, of North Wildwood, who was indicted for possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, third degree, and unlawful possession of a weapon, fourth degree. The weapon in question was a “nine-inch kitchen knife.”
Police responded to a call of an “unwanted guest” in a residence in the late afternoon Nov. 6. According to a police press release, Hamilton was located outside the building holding the knife. Police used a Taser to end the standoff.
Joseph Benigno
Joseph Benigno allegedly used a stolen credit card to obtain merchandise at two local food markets. He was indicted for unlawful use of a credit card, third degree. In New Jersey, conviction for a third degree crime can carry a sentence of three to five years in prison.
David C. Fessler
David Fessler, 34, of Villas, was indicted for possession of controlled dangerous substance, third degree, two counts, and possession with intent to distribute, third degree. The alleged incident occurred in Lower Township, Sept. 29. The drugs in question involved both heroin and cocaine.
Elizabeth Watson
Elizabeth Watson, 21, of Villas, was indicted for hindering apprehension, third degree.  The indictment alleges that Watson gave false information to Lower Township police “with the intent of hindering the apprehension or prosecution of another person.”
Elizabeth Wiggins
Elizabeth Wiggins, 36, of Rio Grande, was indicted for shoplifting, third degree. According to the indictment Wiggins allegedly took merchandise on two different dates from a Middle Township retailer. The value of the merchandise was over $500 which brings the third-degree charge.
Charles Garvey, Juan Ruiz-Perez
Juan Ruiz-Perez, 32, was indicted for possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, a third degree offense. Ruiz-Perez was arrested Nov. 4 in Wildwood. In the same incident, Charles Garvey, 47, of Wildwood, was indicted for possession of a controlled dangerous substance.  The drug in question was heroin.
Joyce E. Weber, Shawn C. Scheuermann
The grand jury indictment alleges that Joyce Weber, 27, of Wildwood, and Shawn Scheuermann conspired to commit the crime of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, third degree, and that they indeed possessed a controlled dangerous substance, also third degree. Scheuermann was also indicted for unlawful possession of a weapon, fourth degree.
Drug Possession
The grand jury also disposed of a number of charges alleging possession of a controlled dangerous substance as it wrestled with drugs in the county.
In addition to the indictments listed above, 15 individuals were indicted for possession in the third degree this week. The charges ranged from Ocean City to Lower Township with the majority nine of 15, being in Wildwood. Drugs in question also varied, but the large majority, 11 of 15, of the indictments was based on heroin possession. Ages of those charged ranged from 20 to 65.
Those indicted were: Michael Freeman, George Flanagan, Ryan Johnson, Kelly Longbottom, Patrick McMichael, Timothy Niebuhr, Kimberley Potter, Amber O’Brien (two counts), Ashley Rudolph, Tyler Spanitz, John Balzer, Carlos Casanova-Rosario, Justin Stewart, Mabel Stewart, and Jessica Balma.
The above individuals are only charged with the offenses and are presumed innocent until proven guilty.