The Roundup

A weekly tab of what's going

on in the courts.

By Logan Beck
For BigTrial.net

New Jersey Office of the Attorney General:

Jennifer Pizzuti, 32, of Jackson, New Jersey was indicted on charges of making a false government document, forgery, uttering a forged writing, uttering a false government document, and falsifying or tampering with records.

According to the Attorney General, in 2015 Pizzuti was informed by the Department of Health that she was unable to renew her 2-Year Nurse Aide Certification due to “outstanding issues that could disqualify her application.”

In order to be placed to work at multiple facilities that provide long-term and in-home care for elderly patients, she forged a Nurse Aide Certificate rather than taking the necessary steps to satisfy the requirements necessary for a legitimate certification.

While Pizzuti has not yet been convicted of these charges, she potentially faces between 18 months to 10 years in prison, and and between $10,000 to $150,000 in various fines.

New Jersey Office of the Attorney General:

Four men, aged early to late 20s, were arrested and charged for trafficking a 14-year-old girl in a prostitution ring they allegedly operated in and around Hudson County, New Jersey.

In April 2015, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent the FBI evidence that a photo of the 14-year-old, a runaway from South Jersey, was being used on backpage.com, a classified advertising website, in attempts to promote a “female escort.”

Unfortunately, the 14-year-old shares the fate of many other runaways. According to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, it’s estimated that 1 in 6 endangered runaways are likely to be victims of sex trafficking.

The four men sentenced by Superior Court Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez on various charges include Michael A. McLeod, 25, of Jersey City, New Jersey, Tyree D. Jeter, 28, of Jersey City New Jersey, David Powell Jr., 29, of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Demetrius James Hayward, 20, of Summerville, S.C.

McLeod, as the “leader” of the sex trafficking ring, will receive the highest prison sentence to ensure that he can no longer harm victims.

According to Acting Attorney General Robert Lougy, McLeod was extremely violent with his victims and would threaten to hurt them further, forcing them to submit to sexual acts with men up to 10 times per day. McLeod will spend 18 years in state prison, including four years of parole ineligibility.

Jeter was sentenced to six years in prison, including three years of parole ineligibility after pleading guilty to second-degree conspiracy to facilitate human trafficking and second-degree facilitation of human trafficking. Powell will also spend six years in prison, and Hayward will spend five years in state prison.

Pennsylvania Attorney General:

On Thursday, May 26, a Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge plead guilty in a corruption scheme and is set to be sentenced on September 7. He is one of four Philadelphia judges being accused of corruption.

Joseph O’Neill, 65, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania admitted to making false statements to the FBI during an investigation of the Municipal Court in 2011. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, O’Neill was contacted by then Judge Joseph Waters regarding a small claims case. He told O’Neill to “take a hard look at it,” claiming that the defendant was a close friend of his.

Soon after the conversation took place, O’Neill was questioned by the FBI about the conversation, in which O’Neill denied it ever taking place.

In 2014, Judge Joseph Waters pleaded guilty to wire services fraud and mail fraud in an attempt to influence colleagues’ rulings in favor of his friends and acquaintances.

It is not yet known whether or not O’Neill will be permanently removed from the bench for his actions, but he does potentially face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for his charges.