TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a Paterson man was sentenced to state
prison today for his role as the leader of
a stolen car trafficking network and for committing
various weapons offenses.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Jose Torres, 36, of Paterson, was ordered
by Superior Court Judge Salem Vincent Ahto
in Morris County to serve seven years in state
prison with five years of parole ineligibility.
The sentence is based on Torres’ guilty
plea 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.
In
pleading guilty on May 12, 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 sentencing.
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