Crime & Safety
11 for '11: Hopatcong's Biggest Crime Stories
From alleged heroin selling to condom stealing, borough police stayed busy in 2011.
- After months of surveillance, Hopatcong police, in conjunction with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police, said they nabbed the borough’s biggest heroin dealer in mid-November. Karen Tucker, 51, said she made about $6,000 a month selling heroin in Hopatcong after she was caught with five bricks of it while trying to make a sale in Mount Arlington, police said.
- A Hopatcong couple was charged with stealing $15,000 from a borough youth soccer club. Stacey Siegel, 35, and Matt Simon, 37, used the Hopatcong Hawks Soccer Club’s money to fund a vacation to California, police said. The pair rejected a plea deal in September.
- Child porn, ammunition, Nazi uniforms and handcuffs were found in the Andover hotel room of a Hopatcong man while police investigated a bomb scare, police said. Christopher Bootsma, 45, was charged with possession of child pornography, possession of a large capacity magazine and handcuffs.
- A Hopatcong man was arrested twice in a day—first charged with underage drinking, then with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Harry Stickle was then processed and released, police said. Click here for more.
- A drunk Hopatcong man threatened officers and urinated on his jail cell bed, police said. Antonio Nicholas was charged with lewdness, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and possessing alcohol underage.
- A group of male beat a Quick Chek employee, and one hit him with a ratchet, after the employee told them to stop hanging around the store, police said. The man received cuts and bruises but refused medical attention, police said. Harry Stickle, 18, of Hopatcong was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of weapons for unlawful purposes, unlawful possession of weapons and disorderly conduct. Kyle Shalkowski, 23, of Hopatcong was charged with assault and disorderly conduct. Three juveniles were charged with assault.
- A paddle-brandishing man told Quick Chek employees he wanted to give someone a free Jeep, and then threatened to hurt them if they didn't give him four cans of Red Bull, police said. Alexander Lowenstein was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of weapons with a unlawful purpose and more.
- A Hopatcong man tried stealing condoms from Rite Aid, police said. Matt McLaughlin was charged with shoplifting, criminal mischief and resisting arrest.
- A woman kicked an officer in the groin and had pot in her purse, police said. Erin Hopping, 23, of Rockaway, was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and more.
- A Hoaptcong man gagged and coughed up three white glassine folds of heroin and tried stepping on them as officers removed him from the home, police said. Scott August was charged with possession and more. Kristy Jacobellis and Sean Murray each were charged with possession of Xanax and more.
- A man left a bag of pot in the backseat of a Hopatcong patrol car, police said. Goerge Gergatsoulis of Glenn Falls, N.Y., was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
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