COURT HOUSE – A Cape May County grand jury handed up 30 indictments Nov. 24.
The abbreviation CDS below stands for controlled dangerous substance.
A “certain person” charge can be brought against individuals whose previous convictions bar them from having weapons.
For many individuals, the indictment is occurring several months after the alleged crime due to the suspension of grand jury sessions following the outbreak of the pandemic.
All individuals listed are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Altalik S. McRae was indicted on two third-degree counts for making terroristic threats and criminal mischief. The victim of the threats, in Lower Township, was a 17-year-old girl.
Silvestre A. Lucas-Mendoza was indicted for sexual assault, second degree, and endangering the welfare of a child, third degree. The indictment states that the incident giving rise to the charges occurred, in Wildwood, in 2019, when the victim was between the ages of 13 and 16.
Jason T. Kepner faces similar counts for second-degree sexual assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The incident occurred, in 2019, in Upper Township.
Derrick Butler faces a first-degree aggravated sexual assault count, along with two counts for second sexual assault and two counts for third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
In this case, the victim was under the age of 13. The indictment is for crimes committed in Wildwood Crest, between December 2017 and June 2018.
Jason D. Fithian was indicted for second-degree sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The victim in the case was a child under the age of 13 and one for whom Fithian has “a legal duty to care.”
Robert A. Sharp was named in a third-degree count for possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, along with two fourth-degree counts for unlawful possession of a weapon and attempted criminal mischief.
The weapon was a knife.
Anthony Tozzi and Alyssa E. Tortis were indicted together for conspiracy to possess a CDS and possession of a CDS, heroin. Both counts were third degree.
The listed individuals were indicted separately and on one count of possession of a CDS:
Stephen Warner, Richard A. Hawthorne, Christopher Clegg, Raul Mendez-Ruiz, Alexander J. Atkinson, and Jamie D. Dole.
Slavcho Atanasovski faces a third-degree count for endangering the welfare of a child in an indictment charging him with possession of child pornography.
Charles L. Markham was named in an indictment for third-degree escape after he “removed himself from detention,” in Lower Township, in May.
Mark A. Turkaly was indicted for third-degree aggravated assault against a female victim.
Zackary J. Thomson was arrested for possession of an “imitation firearm,” in July, in Lower Township. He faces a fourth-degree count for possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.
Terry L. Hickman Jr. faces a third-degree indictment for making terroristic threats. The incident occurred, in Lower Township, in March.
Vincent Kotelnicki was indicted on one count of second-degree aggravated assault, two counts of third-degree aggravated assault, and one count of third-degree resisting arrests.
The indictment states that Kotelnicki assaulted a female victim in a domestic violence incident, resisted arrest, and assaulted a police officer.
Johnathan J. Duerr was named in one count of fourth-degree resisting arrest stemming from an incident, in September, in Middle Township.
Ryan M. McMenamin faces two fourth-degree counts for aggravated assault on two different medical personnel who were in the performance of their duties.
Michael J. Labenz was indicted for burglary and theft related to the illegal entry into a home, on Hand Avenue, in Middle Township. Both counts were in the third degree.
Fabian Colon was named in a single count of third-degree aggravated assault. The incident giving rise to the charge fits the definition of domestic violence.
Brooke M. Levesque was indicted for third-degree receiving stolen property. The property was a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu belonging to Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
Clarissa Shoemaker, of Dennis Township, removed herself from official detention, leading to a third-degree count of escape. She also faces a fourth-degree count of throwing bodily fluids at a state trooper.
Derek R. Paterno faces a fourth-degree count of contempt for violating the terms of a restraining order.
Morris Harden was indicted for bail jumping, fourth degree, for failing to appear at a hearing regarding charges of possession of a CDS.
Jordan D. Shenk was named in an indictment for eluding police, second degree, related to an incident, in Wildwood Crest, in July.
Jonathan B. Santiago faces a seven-count indictment related to an incident, in North Wildwood, in July. Santiago was indicted for first-degree robbery, two counts of employing a juvenile in a crime, both counts second degree, and conspiracy in the second degree.
Also, the indictments contain three third-degree counts for aggravated assault, terroristic threats, and possession of a weapon, a bat, for unlawful purposes. The final count was in the fourth degree for unlawful possession of a weapon.
Kwandel F. Tokley was indicted on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, second degree, eluding police, second degree, criminal restraint, third degree, and unlawful possession of a weapon, fourth degree, a knife.
A 2002 conviction, in Camden County, for aggravated assault led to a count of third-degree certain person not to have a weapon.
