Drug suspects may be part of larger ring

Hamilton Township Police believe they are steps closer to unearthing a multi-jurisdictional prescription fraud ring after the arrest of two North Jersey residents trying to obtain Oxycodone using a false prescription among various other charges June 9.

Hamilton Township Police were called to Target inside the Consumer Square shopping center on Wrangleboro Road Thursday evening, June 9 for a report of a male suspect with a fraudulent prescription. Police arrived at 6:35 p.m. to arrest Robert King, 50, of Orange, N.J. King first resisted arrest, but was secured shortly after, police said.

On their way to the station, officers located a white Cadillac Escalade driven by Samaiyah Franklin, 30, of Newark who police believed was a partner of King’s. Franklin was stopped with the assistance of Galloway Township police and her vehicle was secured. Police said they seized 119 30-milligram Oxycodone pills from Franklin’s vehicle worth an estimated $3,570.

She was arrested, and charged conspiracy to obtain narcotics with a false prescription, attempt to obtain narcotics with a false prescription and illegal possession of Oxycodone. She was taken to the county jail on $35,000 cash bail.

King was charged with attempting to obtain narcotics with a false prescription, passing a fake prescription, possession of crack cocaine pipe and resisting arrest. He was taken to the county jail on $35,000 cash bail and on a wanted person warrant out of Bergen County.

Two other occupants of the Cadillac, both adults from Newark, were released pending further investigation.

Police said this incident is tied to a multi-jurisdictional prescription fraud ring.

Anyone with more information was asked to call the Hamilton Township Police Department at (609) 625-2700.

2 injured in accident

Two people were injured in a single car crash on Route 50 near Pine Street early Sunday morning, June 12. Hamilton Township Police arrived at 12:51 a.m. to find an overturned vehicle. Police said the 2003 Ford Expedition was being driven by Scott Philpot, 40, of Thorofare when he left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck two utility poles.

Both Philpot and his passenger Karen Schmidt, 29, of Pennsylvania were wearing seatbelts.

Philpot and Schmidt were transported to Atlantic City Regional Medical Center’s city and mainland campuses for evaluation of injuries sustained in the crash.

Hamilton Township Rescue Squad, paramedics and the Laureldale Fire Company assisted at the scene.

Traffic was delayed about 40 minutes while the scene was cleared. The investigation is ongoing.

2 charged in maintenance yard theft

Two local men were arrested for allegedly stealing from a state maintenance yard Friday, June 10. Hamilton Township Police responded to Cedar Avenue at about 2:30 p.m. for a report of a suspicious vehicle. When they arrived, the vehicle was leaving the area and police initiated a motor vehicle stop.

Inside the vehicle, Anthony Palmeri, 31, and Robert Phillips, 27, both of Mays Landing, were found to be in possession of $500 worth of stolen property from the New Jersey maintenance yard on Apple Street, police said.

Both were taken into custody and charged with theft. More charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.

Intersection sees 2 accidents in an hour

Two four-car crashes occurred in just more than one hour at the same busy intersection Wednesday, June 8.

Hamilton Township Police were called to the intersection of Babcock Road and Route 40 at 10:38 a.m. for a multiple car crash. Police said an investigation revealed Oginga Scott, 19, of Blackwood, driving a 2004 Toyota Camry, failed to observe stopped traffic at the intersection and crashed into the back of a 2000 Toyota Sienna driven by Saqib Zaman, 19, of Atlantic City. The force caused Zaman’s car to collide with the rear of a 2005 Ford Explorer driven by Francis Sullivan, 54, of Media, Pa. Sullivan’s car then impacted a 2007 Mazda CX7 driven by Lucille Fuller, 67, of Mays Landing.

Zaman, Scott and a passenger in Scott’s vehicle were taken to Shore Memorial Hospital for evaluation of injuries. All parties were wearing seatbelts. Scott was charged with charged with careless driving. Traffic was delayed for 40 minutes as a result of the crash.

An almost identical crash occurred about an hour earlier at the same intersection where no summonses were issued. At 9:20 a.m. police were called to Route 40 and Babcock Road where they found Leyni Soto-Villar, 25, of Pleasantville had failed to observe the stopped traffic along Route 40 and rear ended a 1997 Chevrolet van driven by Luis Miranda, 57, of Ocean City. Miranda’s vehicle was pushed into the back of a 2005 Honda wagon driven by Alfred Savio, 50, of Northfield. Savio’s vehicle was propelled forward into the rear of a 2004 Acura driven by Christian Valentin, 25, of Mays Landing.

Valentin, Miranda, Soto-Villar and several of the passengers in Soto-Villar’s vehicle were taken to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Division for treatment of injuries.

Traffic was delayed 30 minutes.

3 charged as Craigslist burglars

A report of a suspicious vehicle led to the arrest of three Philadelphia men who were allegedly using craigslist.org to steal dirt bikes. Hamilton Township Police were called to Peach Street in Laureldale at 3:23 a.m. June 9 for a report of a suspicious vehicle in a resident’s driveway.

Upon arrival, three suspects fled into the woods. A search of the area led police to the suspects, Xavier Drayton, 24, Ranson Mavin, 20, and Jerome Tucker, 20, all of Philadelphia trying to escape in a van. Officers said they could see two dirt bikes in the rear of the van they were in.

A subsequent investigation revealed the subjects were allegedly targeting dirt bikes listed for sale on craigslist.org in Hamilton Township and other towns throughout the state. Police say the subjects would contact the victims through the website and then return to the victim’s residence at a later time to steal the dirt bikes.

Drayton, Mavin and Tucker were all charged with burglary and theft and taken to the county jail on $15,000 bail each. The investigation is continuing to identify which other towns were allegedly targeted by the group.

Anyone with information is asked to call Hamilton Township Police at (609) 625-2700.

Man hurt in single-vehicle crash

A 52-year-old Mays Landing man was airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash last Wednesday night.

Thomas J. Forbes was driving his 1998 Chevrolet pickup around 8:35 p.m. June 8 west along Route 40, in the area of Route 552, when he drove off the roadway, onto the westbound shoulder and struck a traffic sign. He then re-entered the roadway traveling south, crossing over both lanes of travel, before striking a tree head-on. There were no passengers in Forbes’ vehicle.

Forbes was flown via Medivac to the hospital where he was treated for unknown injuries. Hamilton Township Police and Rescue Squad, paramedics and the Mays Landing Fire Company assisted at the scene.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.