TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a Paterson man pleaded guilty today to
charges that he acted as a leader of a stolen
car trafficking network and committed various
weapons offenses.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Jose Torres, 36, of Paterson, pleaded
guilty before Superior Court Judge Salem Vincent
Ahto in Morris County to being the leader
of an auto-trafficking network, receiving
stolen property, and two counts of possession
of a weapon by a convicted person. The charges
were contained in a June 11, 2008 Morris County
grand jury indictment.
Judge
Ahto scheduled sentencing for June 19. The
state will recommend that Torres be sentenced
to eight years in state prison, including
five years without possibility of parole.
In
pleading guilty, Torres admitted that between
Nov. 15 and Dec. 6, 2006, he acted as an organizer,
supervisor, financier, and manager of a network
engaged in buying and selling stolen automobiles.
Torres admitted that he knowingly took possession
of eight stolen vehicles: a 2002 BMW 540i,
a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, a 2006 Toyota
Camry, a 2005 Toyota Sequoia, a 2006 Toyota
Corolla LE, a 2004 Toyota Corolla CE, a 2006
Toyota Highlander, and a 2004 Toyota Sienna.
Several of the cars were allegedly stolen
from Crestmont Toyota in Pompton Plains.
Torres
further admitted that he unlawfully possessed
or controlled an Iver Johnson .38 Special
and a Davis Industries Model P380, .38-caliber
handgun, knowing that he was a convicted felon
and therefore prohibited from possessing any
firearm in the State of New Jersey. The guns
were recovered when he sold the weapons to
an undercover detective from the Division
of Criminal Justice.
State
Investigator Vincent Gaeta and Deputy Attorney
General John J. Higgins were assigned to the
investigation. Higgins represented the Division
of Criminal Justice at the guilty plea hearing.
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