Morris
County - Attorney General Peter C. Harvey
announced that a Morris County woman has
been arrested by State Investigators assigned
to the Division of Criminal Justice and
detectives from the Roxbury Township,
Morris County, Police Department, on charges
that she attempted to hire a "hitman"
to murder her estranged husband’s
girlfriend and to physically assault and
intimidate the ex-husband.
According to Criminal Justice Director
Vaughn L. McKoy and Roxbury Township Police
Chief Mark Noll, Paula Seely-Minchala,
42, Ryerson Road, Landing, Roxbury Township,
Morris County, was arrested at approximately
11:30 p.m. last night (Tues., Nov. 15)
at her Ryerson Road residence on charges
of attempted homicide, attempted aggravated
assault, conspiracy to commit homicide,
and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
Seely-Minchala was lodged in the Morris
County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bail
set by Morris County Superior Court Judge
Samuel Ahto. Seely-Minchala was arraigned
before Judge Ahto earlier today (Wed.,
Nov. 16) on the criminal charges.
The arrest warrant and affidavit alleges
that on Oct. 24, the Dover Township Police
Department obtained information that Seely-Minchala
had approached a juvenile in an attempt
to have the juvenile assist in locating
a "hitman" to kill Seely-Minchala’s
estranged husband’s girlfriend and
to assault and harm the husband. The Dover
Township police contacted the Roxbury
Township Police Department to advise of
the alleged criminal plot. Subsequent
investigation by the Roxbury Township
Police Department and the Division of
Criminal Justice - Organized Crime &
Racketeering Bureau, determined that Seely-Minchala
was a resident of Roxbury Township. On
Oct. 26, an undercover Roxbury Township
police officer, acting as a contact person
to the prospective "hitman,"
contacted Seely-Minchala to make arrangements
to locate and hire a "hitman."
On Nov. 1, an undercover State Investigator,
posing as a "hitman" contacted
Seely-Minchala to obtain personal information
about the location, employment, and movements
of the estranged husband and the girlfriend
and to make arrangements regarding payment
for the prospective murder and assault.
On Nov. 14, investigators developed information
that Seely-Minchala had made other arrangements
to "take care of the problem."
Concerned that the girlfriend and estranged
husband were in danger, investigators
and detectives secured an arrest warrant
and located and arrested Seely-Minchala
at her Roxbury Township residence.
The investigation was conducted by Roxbury
Township police detectives Robert Herzog
and Kevin Smith and State Investigator
Richard Nocella assigned to the Division
of Criminal Justice - Organized Crime
& Racketeering Bureau. Supervising
Deputy Attorney General Mark Eliades coordinated
the prosecution. The investigation will
be submitted to a State Grand Jury for
potential indictment.
>>
View
Arrest Warrant (315k pdf) plugin
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