Erica Rivera, 35, of Beachwood, fraudulently used the names of 24 purported former employees of her tax business.

BEACHWOOD -- An Ocean County woman admitted in court Monday to bilking the state out of $345,213 in unemployment insurance money by filing fraudulent claims for almost three years, the state Attorney General's Office announced.

Erica Rivera 

Erica Rivera, 35, of Beachwood, used the names of 24 purported former employees of her defunct tax preparation business, Compassionate Financial Services, to file online applications for unemployment benefits, the office said.

Authorities captured her on surveillance cameras using debit cards connected to the false claims at ATM locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., the office said.

Rivera pleaded guilty to a theft by deception charge before Superior Court Judge Peter E. Warshaw in Mercer County.

Under a plea agreement, state prosecutors will recommend she receives an eight-year prison term when she's sentenced Dec. 2 on the second-degree felony.

Rivera also must agree to pay the $345,213 back to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development as part of the agreement with the Attorney's General's Office.

Man stole $1M from 85-year-old friend

In a statement, the office described Rivera's scheme:

* From September 2012 to June 2015, Rivera filed the false applications online using 24 names, which resulted in 27 unemployment insurance claims, which generated 521 benefit payments totaling $345,213.

* Rivera used the personal information of relatives and acquaintances, and former clients, to pose as people needing unemployment, certifying online each week that they met the eligibility requirements to receive the payments. The people were unaware their information was being used that way.

* She also posed as the people when the state Labor Department telephoned to verify information.

* The office said people who receive unemployment are issued debit cards and receive the money through direct deposit to accounts connected to the cards. Rivera received the cards from her fraudulent filings at a drop box at a postal store - an address she used for most of the filings.

* Rivera then withdrew money at the ATM locations, and was captured by surveillance cameras.

The state Division of Criminal Justice's Specialized Crimes Bureau investigated the case after the Labor Department uncovered the suspicious claims.

"My department shows zero tolerance to fraudsters looking to rob the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund," New Jersey Labor Commissioner Hal Wirths said in the statement.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Ahmad Khan Rahami dropped out of Middlesex County College, was accused of stabbing a relative in the leg and reportedly went to Afghanistan -- only to return a changed man.

Ahmad Khan Rahami, the 28-year-old Elizabeth man suspected of planting homemade bombs in New York City and New Jersey, liked to play basketball, drive souped-up cars and studied criminal justice at a community college.

But the naturalized American citizen also had two previous run-ins with the law and showed noticeable changes in his personality, clothing style and religious devotion after a trip to Afghanistan four years ago.

A deeper portrait of Rahami began to emerge Monday evening, stitched together from court records, a school official and what friends and business patrons told the New York Times about his transformative journey to Afghanistan. 

This undated photo provided by the New Jersey State Police shows Ahmad Khan Rahami, suspected in the recent bombings that rocked the Chelsea neighborhood of New York and the New Jersey shore town Seaside Park. (New Jersey State Police via AP) 

Rahami was apprehended Monday morning after a shootout with police in Linden. The violent confrontation followed a massive nationwide manhunt in the wake of pipe bomb explosions in Seaside Park and Manhattan over the weekend.

Rahami graduated from Edison High School in 2007. One Twitter user remembered Rahami as a "class clown, very funny, nice guy."

He attended Middlesex County College from the fall of 2010 through the fall of 2012, studying criminal justice but falling about 24 credits short of an associate's degree, said college spokesman Patrick Madama.

Rahami voluntarily left the school, Madama said. "He stepped out on his own." 

Legal problems

It remains unclear if Rahami's decision to drop out of college had anything to do with the legal problems he faced several years ago. Court records show Rahami faced criminal charges on two prior occasions, once in 2012 when he was accused of violating a domestic violence restraining order, and the other in 2014, when he was accused of stabbing a relative.

On Aug. 22, 2014, Rahami, who then resided in Perth Amboy, was arrested in Elizabeth and charged with aggravated assault for allegedly stabbing a relative, Nasim Rahami, in the left leg, court records show. In that same incident, Rahami was also charged with possession of firearm that he intended to use against the relative, according to the complaint filed in Superior Court in Elizabeth.

Suspect's family claims anti-Muslim harassment

However, the case was dismissed after a grand jury refused to return an indictment, court records show. It is unclear why there was no indictment.

Two years earlier, on Feb. 10, 2012, Rahami was charged with violating a domestic violence restraining order. That case was later downgraded and transferred to Family Court, according to court records. No details were available about the disposition of the case in Family Court. 

Separately, Rahami was sued for child support in 2008, just a year after his graduation from Edison High School, by the mother of his daughter, now 9, records show.

The mother, an Edison resident, declined to comment Monday. A man who answered the door at the home said the woman had not been in contact with Rahami for at least three years.

During recent years, Rahami had been working at his family's restaurant, First American Fried Chicken, in Elizabeth.

Some customers told the New York Times that Rahami liked to play basketball, race cars with upgraded engines and wear casual American clothes. 

After taking a trip to Afghanistan in recent years, he seemed to be much more serious, dressing in Muslim robes and praying in the back of the chicken store, the Times reported.

A law enforcement official told CNN that Rahami spent several weeks in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2011, including a city known to be a Taliban stronghold. When he was in Pakistan, he reportedly married a Pakistani woman, but it is not clear whether she ever moved to the United States.

Fingerprints at bombing scene 

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that fingerprints and video footage from surveillance cameras helped investigators identify Rahami as the man suspected of setting off the bombs.

The official said Rahami is seen in surveillance footage "clear as day" at the scene of the Saturday night bombing in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. The official said investigators were also able to recover his fingerprints from the scene.

Another law enforcement official said investigators pulled over a car "associated" with Rahami when it appeared headed toward an airport Sunday. The car was occupied by three men and two women.

A third law enforcement official said Rahami was not on any terror or no-fly watch lists but had been interviewed for immigration purposes.

The officials spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the case.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Tom Haydon and Mark Mueller, and the Associated Press, contributed to this report.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Thomas Shannon, known as Cuzzo, was sentenced in federal court in Trenton on Monday, after his conviction on charges he conspired to distribute cocaine and heroin

The U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Paul Fishman, announced a 25-year prison sentence on Monday for a Jersey City man convicted in a cross-country heroin and cocaine distribution ring. AP file photo 

TRENTON - A Jersey City man was sentenced Monday to 25 years in federal prison after being convicted of being part of a cross-country drug ring that sold cocaine and heroin in Monmouth and Ocean counties, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman announced.

Thomas Shannon, 37, is among 22 people charged since 2014 with taking part in a coast-to-coast distribution network that sold heroin and cocaine in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

All but one of them has been convicted, with one of the leaders of the ring, Robert Britt, having been indicted earlier this month, according to Fishman's office.

When the charges were announced two years ago by state and federal authorities,  then-acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni told reporters, "These defendants are responsible for delivering the heroin that has been killing people in record numbers." 

Shannon, who is also known as Cuzzo, was sentenced to 300 months behind bars by Judge Peter G. Sheridan in U.S. District Court in Trenton, Fishman said.

Shannon was found guilty in May of several charges: conspiracy to distribute cocaine and more than a kilogram of heroin; possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and engaging in a transaction involving criminally derived property.

Prosecutors say that between October 2013 and March 2014, Shannon conspired with others to distribute drugs in the two Jersey Shore counties Ocean.

With the help of another conspirator, prosecutors said Shannon received drug shipments from California at an address in Perth Amboy, then packaged the drugs at stash houses in Asbury Park and Long Branch.

Shannon's lawyer, Edward Bertucio, did not respond to a request for comment.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Harinder Bains, owner of Merdie's Tavern on East Elizabeth Avenue, spotted Ahmad Khan Rahami sleeping in a vestibule outside the bar.

LINDEN -- It was a routine day for Harinder Bains, owner of Merdie's Tavern on East Elizabeth Avenue, until he came face-to-face with one of the most wanted suspects in the United States.

Bains was opening the deli he also owns across from Merdie's around 6:30 a.m. when he spotted someone sleeping inside the vestibule in front of the tavern.

"I thought there was a homeless man outside my bar," Bains said. "It's happened before."

This time, the man sleeping was Ahmad Khan Rahami, who was wanted in connection with the bombings in New York City and Seaside Park. Not knowing who the sleeping man was at the time, Bains said he went to confront the man. 

That's when he got a good look at him. But not wanting to stand out in the pouring rain, Bains ran back into the deli. 

"I was watching CNN news, and (Rahami's) photo was on the side of the screen," Bains said. "This guy looks like so much like the photo I saw on the news," Bains said he thought to himself.

Bains pondered what to do next for about 15 to 20 minutes, he said. Bains then ran it by a friend in the store, who also thought the man sleeping outside of the bar looked like Rahami.

Bains called the Linden Police Department, and a gun battled ensued shortly after police approached Rahami. 

"Then everything happened so fast," Bains said.

Hiding in the deli but looking out a window, Bains said he saw Rahami shoot a cop in the stomach. Then Rahami started running on East Elizabeth Avenue towards Roselle Street. Rahami was ducking in between vehicles at an auto-body shop, Bains said.

Two unmarked cars zipped to the scene, and Rahami started shooting at the cars, Bains said.

"He was boxed in," Bains said. "There were cars behind him, there were cars in front of him."

Authorities shot Rahami several times outside the auto repair shop before he was arrested. Rahami was charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. Two Linden police officers suffered injuries that are not life-threatening.

Bains said he is still shaken up from witnessing the shootout with police.   

"It's something you never thought would happen in front of you," he said. "It was all surreal, very scary. I did my part: When you see something, say something. I'm not a hero, the cops are the hero." 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Donald Trump spoke out shortly after Ahmad Khan Rahami was arrested Monday. Watch video

TRENTON -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Monday lamented that the "evil thug" who was arrested for his alleged role in this weekend's New York and New Jersey bombings an "evil thug" will receive "amazing hospitalization" and be represented by an "outstanding lawyer."

Trump also said the U.S. must "use whatever lawful methods are available" to get information from Ahmad Khan Rahami, a 28-year-old Elizabeth resident, "before it's no longer timely."

"These are enemies. These are combatants," the celebrity businessman and former Atlantic City casino magnate said during a rally in Fort Meyers, Fla., hours after Rahami was arrested after a gun battle with police in Linden. "And we have to be tough. And we have to be strong."

Rahami, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan, is suspected by authorities to be connected to  a bombing in Seaside Park on Saturday and another bombing the injured 29 people in New York later that night. 

Rahami underwent surgery for a gunshot wound he sustained during the police shootout. 

A wild day in N.J. as cops nab bombing suspect

"Now we'll give him amazing hospitalization," Trump said at the rally. "He will be taken care of by some of the best doctors in the world. He will be given a fully modern and updated hospital room. And he'll probably even have room service, knowing the way our country is."

"And on top of all that, he will be represented by an outstanding lawyer," the real estate tycoon continued. "His case will go through the various court systems for years. And in the end, people will forget, and his punishment will not be what it once would have been."

"What a sad situation," Trump said. "We must have speedy but fair trials. And we must deliver a just and very harsh punishment to these people."

The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees people charged with a crime the right to a "speedy trial" and "the assistance of counsel."

Trump on Monday used the fallout from the bombings to further push his hard-line stance against terrorism -- especially by restricting immigration and implementing what he calls "extreme vetting" of people trying to enter the country. 

Trump stressed again that the U.S. should admit only immigrants "who love our country." He didn't say how he'd screen for that, but he stressed: "You can't have vetting if you don't look at ideology."

Critics have accused Trump of championing proposals that discriminate against an entire religion.

Trump pushed his views Monday despite the fact that Rahami is a naturalized citizen and authorities have not officially declared that this is an act of foreign or foreign-inspired terrorism. But New York officials said it is increasingly looking to be a case of that.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Currently, 16 out of 21 sheriffs take advantage of existing loopholes to draw county salaries while receiving pensions as law enforcement retirees

Retired Washington Township Police Chief Jim-McDonald Jim McDonald is weeks away from hitting a jackpot in New Jersey's election sweepstakes as a new double-dipping county sheriff. In January, he retired as Washington Township police chief at age 54 to draw a $94,000 a year state pension - and run for Warren County sheriff. He is unopposed...

Terror suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami is being held on $5.2 million bail after he was charged with 5 counts of attempted murder. Authorities are now examining his travel to Pakistan. Watch video

• Rahami has been charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and is being held on $5.2 million bail
• The suspect's demeanor reportedly changed after visiting Afghanistan and Pakistan
• Rep. Albio Sires (D-8th Dist.) says Rahami solicited his help in 2014 to bring his pregnant wife to the U.S. from Pakistan
• Hero police officers who confronted Rahami are identified
• Bar owner who helped end worldwide manhunt

Ahmad Khan Rahami was a fixture at his family's chicken-and-burger restaurant in Elizabeth, working daily alongside at least two brothers and his father, all Afghan immigrants who had appeared to achieve some measure of the American dream.

A frequent customer called Rahami, 28, unassuming and a "very friendly guy."

Today, authorities say, that "friendly guy" is the latest in a string of U.S. citizens to sow terror at home.

Rahami, a naturalized citizen who graduated from Edison High School and studied criminal justice at Middlesex County College, was identified Monday as the suspect in a two-day campaign that saw shrapnel-filled bombs detonated or placed in New York and New Jersey.

Linden police officers Angel Padilla, left, and Peter Hammer were injured in the confrontation with terror suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami. (Courtesy Linden Police Department) 

Police officers in Linden took Rahami into custody just before 11 a.m. after a running shootout through the streets. One officer, shot by the suspect in the abdomen, was spared serious injury by his bulletproof vest. A second officer was grazed in the head either by a bullet or by shattered glass, Linden Mayor Derek Armstrong said.

Rahami, shot in the leg and arm, was taken to University Hospital in Newark for treatment. He was later charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer in connection with the shootout. Bail was set at $5.2 million, the Union County Prosecutor's Office announced Monday evening.

Law enforcement and elected officials said they were working to determine if Rahami, who had been living most recently in Elizabeth, had ties to terror groups abroad or if he was inspired by radical Islamic propaganda from afar.

But they were clear they believed Rahami's alleged actions, regardless of motivation, were acts of terrorism.

Ahmad Khan Rahami was arrested in Linden after a shootout with police on Sept. 19, 2016. (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

"Anyone who puts a bomb in a place that can hurt people, that's an act of terrorism," U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said at an afternoon press conference. "To me, that's the essence of terrorism."

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio added at a separate news conference: "We have every reason to believe this was an act of terror."

Travel Abroad

Authorities said they are not seeking additional suspects, but they said they will continue to investigate Rahami, including his online presence and real-world ties.

Two acquaintances told the New York Times Rahami traveled to Afghanistan about four years ago and that, upon his return, he seemed a changed man, less apt to easy laughter and more serious about his Muslim faith.

"It's like he was a completely different person," Flee Jones, a 27-year-old rapper who grew up with Rahami, told the newspaper. "He got serious and completely closed off."

Rahami abandoned his typical Western clothing in favor of traditional Muslim apparel after his return and began regular prayer sessions in the back of the restaurant, First American Fried Chicken, on Elmora Street in Elizabeth, Jones told the newspaper.

Separately, CNN reported Monday evening that Rahami had also traveled to Quetta, Pakistan, in 2011 and again for an extended period in 2013. The news outlet said he returned to the United States in March 2014 after having married overseas. 

Rep. Albio Sires (D-8th Dist.) said on MSNBC Monday night that Rahami reached out to his office in 2014, seeking help in securing permission for him to bring his pregnant wife to the United States. Rahami was in Pakistan at the time, Sires said, and the problem was securing a visa for the unborn child.

Sires said he did not know if the wife ultimately made it to the United States.

Investigators comb Merdie's Tavern in Linden foe evidence. Police were called there for a suspicious person sleeping in a vestibule. (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Later Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported the wife did come to the United States but sought to return to Pakistan in recent days. The Times, citing an unidentified U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation, said the woman was intercepted in the United Arab Emirates. The official said it was not immediately clear if she was aware of her husband's alleged involvement in the bombings.

The suspect appears not to have been active on social media, at least under his own name.

A man believed to be Rahami's brother posted videos celebrating the preaching of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born imam who became highly radicalized and counseled some of the hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks. In 2011, Al-Awlaki was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen.

The brother also posted a video last month suggesting 9/11 was planned and executed by the American government.

The posts were interspersed with more typical social media fare, including selfies, images of cars and photos of gatherings with friends.

Ahmad Rahami, authorities said, lived with his family above the chicken restaurant. He has previously lived in Edison, Union Township and Perth Amboy, records show.

At the Perth Amboy address, in the Harbor Terrace apartment complex, workers Monday were repairing a door that had been forced open by the FBI and other investigators Sunday night, the employees said. They said Rahami had not lived in the apartment for at least six months.

The restaurant in Elizabeth and the upstairs apartment also were searched.

Feud with Elizabeth

The Rahamis have had a long-running feud with the city of Elizabeth over the restaurant, which they purchased in 2006, records show.

Five years later, Rahami's father, Mohammad R. Rahami, and two of his sons, also named Mohammad, filed suit against the city over an ordinance requiring the restaurant to close each night at 10 p.m. because of persistent complaints by neighbors.

The Rahamis charged in the suit they were targeted by residents because they are Muslims. The lawsuit was terminated in 2012 after Mohammad Rahami pleaded guilty to blocking police from enforcing the restrictions on the restaurant.

Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage said the city's action had nothing to do with the family's faith.

"It was strictly about neighbors calling about noise," Bollwage said. "It was never ethnicity or religion or beliefs or anything like that."

Ahmad Rahami does not have a criminal record, but he has been arrested at least twice, most recently in August 2014, when he was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly stabbing a relative, Nasim Rahami, in the left leg, according to a complaint filed in Superior Court in Elizabeth.

In that same incident, Ahmad Rahami was charged with possession of firearm he intended to use against the relative, the complaint states.

Prosecutors dismissed the charges after a grand jury declined to indict Rahami. The circumstances of the grand jury's decision could not immediately be determined.

Two years earlier, in February 2012, Rahami was charged with violating a domestic violence restraining order. That case was later downgraded and transferred to family court, records show.

Separately, Rahami was sued for child support in 2008, just a year after his graduation from Edison High School, by the mother of his daughter, now 9, records show.

The mother, an Edison resident, declined to comment Monday. A man who answered the door at the home said the woman had not been in contact with Rahami for at least three years.

Despite the previous arrests, Rahami had not been on law enforcement's radar, and certainly not for terrorism-related activities, said William Sweeney Jr., the FBI's assistant director in New York.

An apartment and an eatery at 104 Elmora Avenue is being searched by the FBI with help from Elizabeth police on Monday morning, Sept. 19, 2016. (Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Terrorism at home

Coming just days after the 15th anniversary of 9/11, the attacks proved a stark reminder to residents of the region -- and the nation -- that the threat of terrorism remains part of the fabric of life in the United States.

President Obama, visiting New York for a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, addressed the attacks in a brief press appearance, saying he was grateful no one was killed and urging Americans not to "give in to fear."

"They are trying to hurt innocent people, but they are also trying to inspire fear in all of us. ... We all have a role to play as citizens in making sure we don't succumb to that fear," Obama said. "And there's no better example of that than the people of New York and New Jersey. Folks around here, they don't get scared."

He credited law enforcement with tracking down a suspect so swiftly, with fewer than 50 hours elapsing between the first bomb blast in Seaside Park Saturday morning and Rahami's arrest in Linden Monday morning.

Law enforcement officials said they obtained clear surveillance footage of Rahami as he placed two bombs in Manhattan Saturday night. One of the devices, a pressure cooker packed with shrapnel, exploded about 8:30 p.m. on West 23rd Street in Chelsea, injuring 29 people.

The second Manhattan device, on West 27th Street, was discovered hours later and did not detonate.

Authorities told the Associated Press a fingerprint on the unexploded device matched one on file for Rahami and that a cell phone connected to the homemade bomb was traced to the suspect's family.

It was not immediately clear if investigators have evidence tying Rahami to the Seaside Park attack, but the New Jersey State Police, citing the FBI, said the events are connected.

As federal, state and local officials began a fevered manhunt for Rahami, the threat of continued violence arose in Elizabeth late Sunday, when five pipe bombs were discovered in a backpack that had been placed in a trash can at the train station.

Two homeless men looking for valuables discovered the bombs and contacted police, authorities said.

One of the devices later detonated as a police robot tried to disarm it. No one was injured.

By Monday morning, New York City police sent out a mass text message seeking help in locating Rahami, linking him to the bombings and warning he was likely armed and dangerous.

The capture

A break came at 10:45 a.m., when the owner of Merdie's Tavern on Elizabeth Avenue in Linden called police to say a man, likely a vagrant, was sleeping in the bar's doorway.

Linden police Capt. James Sarnicki said responding officers recognized Rahami from widely circulated photos and ordered him to put his hands up.

Instead, according to Armstead, Linden's mayor, Rahami pulled out a handgun and started "immediately shooting."

Officer Angel Padilla, a 14-year veteran of the Linden force, was shot in the mid-section, the mayor said.

"Thank God he had his (bulletproof) vest on," Armstead said.

A second bullet pierced the window of a police cruiser where Officer Peter Hammer was sitting. Either the bullet or flying glass grazed the 12-year veteran's head.

Rahami, authorities said, then fled down the street, firing wildly as he ran. Officers returned fire, striking him in the left leg and left arm. The image of him, handcuffed on the ground, has since been circulated around the world.

Padilla's brother, Eddie, a lieutenant with the Perth Amboy Police Department, said he was grateful his brother survived.

"We do our job on a day to day basis, but you never think it's going to hit home," Eddie Padilla said. "When it's your brother, the first thing that came to mind was, 'Is he OK? Is he dead?' It's shocking. It's nerve-racking. But thankfully, he wore his vest. The vest saved his life."

Staff writers Stephen Stirling, Tom Haydon, Len Melisurgo, Jessica Remo, Jessica Mazzola, Alex Napoliello, and Craig McCarthy contributed to this report. Material from the Associated Press also was used.

Mark Mueller may be reached at mmueller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJMueller. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

A look at how each New Jersey native suiting up in the NFL played over the weekend.

Smartphones jolted millions into to looking for bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami Monday morning.

Josh Gottheimer compares the figurative dollar taxpayers send to the federal government and the pennies he says are returned because of Rep. Scott Garrett in Paramus, March 24, 2016. Behind him, Mahwah Mayor Bill Laforet, Oradell Mayor Dianne Didio, Emerson Mayor Louis J. Lamaitina and Norwood Councilman Allen Rapaport. (Myles Ma | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

TRENTON -- Shortly after 7:30 am on Monday morning, smartphone users in the greater New York City area were simultaneously jolted by a simple, text-only message alert:

"WANTED: Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28-yr-old male. See media for pic. Call 9-1-1 if seen."

Moments earlier, investigators started pushing the photo of Rahami's, the man suspected of planting bombs in New York City and New Jersey, onto Twitter so he'd show up in ensuing Google and social media searches.

It marked the first time such an emergency alert broadcast was deployed in a manhunt for a terrorism suspect. And the system has New Jersey roots.

While the emergency alert system was created in 2006 after Congress passed the WARN Act (Warning, Alert, and Response Network) it was actually implemented by Josh Gottheimer, the Democrat who's running against U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5th Dist.).

2 homeless men found bombs, saved lives, Elizabeth mayor says

From 2010 through 2011, Gottheimer was senior counselor to Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski. He told NJ Advance Media on Monday that the emergency alert system was "a huge team effort" by the FCC, FEMA, wireless carriers. But Stu Loeser, who was spokesman for former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, said "Josh Gottheimer was the person who got it done."

The government already had in place an opt-in text alert system for New York metro area residents' smartphones, but it was lacking in both reach and specificity.

"If you had, say, a 917 area code (mobile phone) but were in L.A. that morning, it would make no sense for you to get the alert," said Gottheimer.

But by working with T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, Gottheimer enabled New York area officials to broadcast emergency alerts to those smartphone users in a narrow geographic area.

That meant whether you were a grizzled New Yorker or a tourist visiting from Tulsa, if you were in the three blocks closest to W. 23rd Street and 7th Avenue, you would get a text telling you to avoid a suspicious package.

The system has only been used eight times since its rollout in 2012: Three times during Hurricane Sandy, and the two most recent ones during the Chelsea bombing.

"The idea was to make sure that the government could get you information in 'exigent circumstances'," said Gottheimer. "I would certainly consider going after a lone wolf terrorist to be an 'exigent circumstance.'"

Gottheimer acknowledged it can be a bit jarring to hear it sound, especially since federally-issued alerts cannot be turned off and will sound even if muted.

But, he said, "I am glad the technology is in place, because while we need to act aggressively to ferret out terrorism across the board, we also to make sure that first responders have the tools they need" when it does occur. 

Rahami was charged Monday with trying to kill law enforcement officers, hours after he was captured following a shootout with Linden police, officials said.  

Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

James Bishop left his home around 4:30 p.m. to go to the beach around 100th Street in Long Beach Township.

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP -- A 73-year-old Pennsylvania resident died Sunday evening after he was found in the ocean, authorities said.

James Bishop, of Germantown, Pa., was pulled out of the water in the area of 100th Street in Long Beach Township around 5:40 p.m. by a surfer, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Bishop was taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin where he was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m., Della Fave said.

Bishop, who owns a summer home in Long Beach Township, left to go to the beach around 4:30 p.m. His wife stayed at home and was awaiting Bishop's return for dinner, Della Fave said.

No additional information was available. 

The incident remains under investigation.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The free training will help first responders and citizens know what to do when they come into contact with an addict.

STAFFORD TWP. -- What should an officer say to a criminal who is clearly strung out on some type of drug or alcohol at a traffic stop? 

What can a nurse or doctor say to encourage rehab to a patient suffering from addiction and is ready to go back out on the streets and continue the habit? 

What's a lawyer supposed to do when their client is destined to repeat the same offenses again and again because they haven't gotten the help the need? 

Addiction training will be held at the Stafford Township Arts Center to help first responders, nurses, doctors and lawyers understand what they can do to help people around them struggling with addiction. (Photo provided)Caitlyn Stulpin | For NJ.com 

"Knowing what to do in these situations, it can prevent crime and it can get someone help," said Greg Maurer. "It will create more success stories and prevent loss."

These are all things that 27-year-old Maurer wants to help doctors, lawyers, officers, and the general public understand and learn at an upcoming addiction training seminar for first responders. 

Maurer says knowing these things and having the proper training will make all the difference for the lives of the addicted and the lives of the community. It's something he would know first hand as a recovering addict whose turned his life around.

Since overcoming his own addiction struggles, Maurer, a Woodbury resident, has made a mission out of giving back to the community and trying to make a difference where he can. With the help of outreach professionals, Maurer helped to launch "The Meeting" in West Deptford, a gathering of people dedicated to discussing those who lost their battle with addiction, recognizing those battling and to celebrate the freedoms recovery brings. 

Maurer is a a nationally-certified drug/alcohol interventionist, and he's taking his knowledge, experiences and services throughout the area, including Ocean County when he makes a stop at the Stafford Township Arts Center.  

"It's no secret that there's been a tremendous increase in heroin-related deaths, not just in Ocean County but throughout the state," said Brian Klimakowski, Undersheriff of Ocean County. "We're put together a lot of programs but the death toll is still rising." 

Klimakowski believes this training for first responders will help people know the signs of opiate and drug abuse. Maurer agrees. 

"We have a unique opportunity to get officers and officials the resources they need to change a life and handle things properly," said Maurer. 

"With this kind of training everyone is in a position to help," he added. 

The training will take place on Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The training is free and a catered lunch will be provided for all who attend. 

Topics discussed at the training will include local resources, how to handle a family member in crisis, what do do after Narcan, and what not to do. The training will be lead by Dr. Cali Estes, a well known addiction and recovery coach, who will be bringing new concepts to help combat opiate abuse in New Jersey. 

"Ocean County has seen its share of drug related deaths, overdoses and crimes," said Maurer. "I want everyone to be educated on what they can do. With the Ocean County Sheriff's Office backing this program, I know we can make a huge difference." 

Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Mohammad Rahami, father of bombing suspect father of Ahmad Khan Rahami, talked to reporters outside First American Fried Chicken. Watch video

ELIZABETH -- The father of Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man suspected in planting bombs in New York and New Jersey, told reporters outside his fried chicken restaurant this morning that he called the FBI about his son.

Mohammad Rahami at first came to a side gate outside the First American Fried Chicken restaurant around 10 a.m. and said to reporters, "I called them two years ago," while pointing at authorities, as FBI agents continued to investigate his business and home.

"He stabbed my son. He hit my wife and I put him in jail two years ago," he told reporters.

Mohammad Rahami appeared again, moments later, as he was led out of the building by authorities and entered a parked black SUV.

When swarming reporters asking if it was the FBI who he called, Mohammad Rahami responded, "Yes."

Mohammad Rahami then shut the car door and drove off. No one else appeared to be in the SUV.

A federal law enforcement official confirmed to NJ Advance Media that Mohammad Rahami called the FBI and claimed his son was a terrorist two years ago after that incident, initiating a review by federal agents.

"He used the T word," the official said. "It was something to the effect of, 'My son is acting like a terrorist.' He didn't say he was looking up information on internet or building bombs, he just used the T word."

The official said the FBI then began database checks on Rahami and checked with law enforcement, but found "no derogatory information whatsoever." When agents then went back to Mohammad Rahami, he recanted what he had said and the investigation was closed.

Ahmad Khan Rahami was not interviewed by agents, the official said.

"We get leads like this all the time and 99.9 percent of them go nowhere," the official said.

Another official said Ahmad Khan Rahami had a notebook with jihadist writings on him when he was arrested after the shout-out in Linden.

Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said law enforcement officials never told Elizabeth that Ahmad Khan Rahami had been investigated.

"I would imagine the complaint that the father made this morning where he said he called the FBI two years ago to report the activities of his son, there's an awful lot of people at our law enforcement and our citizens who would want to know if that was real and if that's true," Bollwage said. "That information should have been shared with us, or at least, the FBI should have monitored this place more closely, if that's true."

Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, a naturalized citizen from Afghanistan who was living in Elizabeth, was captured in Linden after a shoot-out with police. He has been charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. Other charges are pending. 

His arrest came following a fast-moving manhunt across the region as local, state and federal law enforcement officers searched for Rahami. He is suspected of planting a pipe-bomb style device that detonated near a military charity run in Seaside Park and is linked to pressure-cooker bombs in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood on Saturday. At least 29 people were hurt in the New York City explosion.

Mohammad Rahami yesterday told NBC reporter Kerry Sanders that he had "no idea" his son was allegedly planting bombs.

Correction: This story originally stated that Mohammad Rahami held up two fingers, saying he called the FBI "twice;" however, it was unclear whether he said "twice" or "two years ago."

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A look at the stars from each conference in Week 2 of New Jersey football.

The kids were left for about 19 minutes while their father inquired about a gym membership at Retro Fitness in Berkeley Township, authorities said.

BERKELEY -- Authorities arrested a man Monday after he allegedly left two young children in his car on a sweltering day earlier this month.

Yordy Santanacastillo, a 28-year-old Forked River resident, left his two kids, ages 1 and 3, in his car for about 19 minutes Sept. 9, when temperatures neared 100 degrees, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.

Santanacastillo left his vehicle parked, with the ignition off, in the Retro Fitness parking lot on Route 9 in Berkeley Township around 4:40 p.m. while he inquired about a gym membership, the office said.

Witnesses saw Santanacastillo leave the children in the car, according to authorities.

Santanacastillo was charged with two counts of child abuse, a fourth-degree offense. He was released from police custody with a summons, and will appear in Ocean County Superior Court on a later date. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

It's easy - just send a pic

Update, Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m.: Over a dozen schools sent nomination submissions over Week 2 weekend. We will be processing those nominations as well as adding some more of our own based on what we saw out there.  Check back later for the updated photo gallery.

But there are still many, many schools who haven't joined the party.  Nominations are only open for one more football weekend and close Tuesday, Sept. 27.

Are you ready to nominate your school? You should be - it's a piece of cake. Just snap some pics of your student section - at home or on the road - have a quick look at our "Additional notes" below and upload those pics. You can do it all from your phone at the game.

There's only one sure way to be a part of the fun in the weeks to come, and that's to send in a pic and get your school nominated.

Without fail, one of the best things about HS football is the throng of cheering students pulling for their classmates: The student section.

They're loud. They can get wild. Sometimes, they're super organized, with leaders, coordinated themes and a playbook of chants. The costumes can be elaborate. The rituals can be passed down for decades. Some fan sections even travel well on road games.

So we want to know - which N.J. school has the best student section? Here's how you can tell us. NJ.com is opening up nominations for the best student section. 

Nominating your school is a piece of cake. Just snap a photo of your school's student section, preferably in an excited state. Then upload your photo and answer a few questions using the form below. We'll add your photo to the gallery above and count your school as nominated - but after that, things get interesting.

Contest format:

Nominations will be open through Tuesday, Sept. 27. We will then split the nominations into three N.J. regions - North, Central and South - and launch a poll for each region. Your voting in the regional polls will determine the schools that move on to an elimination bracket, with week-long head-to-head voting matchups to determine regional champs.  Champs from each region will compete in a three-way poll to determine THE best student section in New Jersey football. The whole thing will wrap up right around the beginning of November.

Additional notes:
• The form below will work with your cell phone - you can nominate your school at halftime!
• NJ.com staff will also make nominations with our own photography.
• Only upload photos you have shot or that you personally received permission to use. We can't use photos from other media outlets. Please don't grab and submit photos from other websites.
• Multiple nominations for a school are welcome, but we may not use every photo.
• Submitted photos will be added to the gallery after some processing time; nominations will be compiled and listed on top of this post after the weekend's play.

So start talking and sharing - rally the troops to nominate, vote and make your student section officially the best in N.J.

A bullet grazed Officer Peter Hammer's head during a Monday shootout with suspected bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami. Watch video

NEWARK -- Peter Hammer was cheered as a hero when he exited University Hospital in a wheelchair today.

Lines of applauding colleagues met the Linden police officer as he was discharged from the hospital after being struck by gunfire Monday in a shoot-out with suspected bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami. 

A bullet went through the window of a police car, and the bullet or glass from the window skimmed Hammer's head, officials said. The 12-year veteran of the police force remained in the hospital overnight for observation.

A second officer, 14-year department member Angel Padilla, was shot in the mid-section while wearing a bulletproof vest, authorities said. He was released from Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Rahway on Monday night. 

Outside his home, Hammer answered reporters who asked how he was feeling.

"I'm feeling like I got shot in the head," he said. "I'm glad to be alive. I'm glad to be home. ... I appreciate all the concern. I spoke to the President, the director of the FBI. Everybody's concern is overwhelming to me."

Officers Angel Padilla (left) and Peter Hammer (right) were injured apprehending suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office asked reporters to respect the officers' privacy as they recover. 

"The entire law enforcement community here in Union County is deeply touched by the immense outpouring of support from across the country for the efforts of all five responding officers, who exhibited tremendous courage in an extremely volatile situation," the office said in a statement. 

Rahami faces five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and related weapons charges. Bail is set at $5.2 million.

His capture marked the end of an hours-long manhunt for the 28-year-old Afghanistan native, who officials suspect of planting a pipe-bomb device that exploded near a military charity run in Seaside Park and putting other bombs in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The New York City detonation injured at least 29 people. 

Officials also found five bombs late Sunday near the Elizabeth train station, about a mile from Rahami's home. 

Rahami, who was living above his family's fried chicken restaurant in Elizabeth, is also expected to face federal terrorism charges. 

Hammer and Padilla responded Monday morning to a call about a person sleeping outside an East Elizabeth Street bar after owner Harinder Bains recognized the man as a wanted suspect from media reports. 

When the officers approached the man, who turned out to be Rahami, he immediately started shooting, police said. 

Authorities arrested Rahami after a gunshot wound to the leg took him down. He underwent surgery at University Hospital on Monday and stayed there overnight. An FBI spokesman said Rahami was not seriously injured.

Staff reporter Jessica Remo contributed to this report.

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Trenton attorney Robin Lord represents the family of Deja Farrior-Quinones, the 22-year-old killed in a Sept. 12 crash.

TRENTON -- An attorney for the family of a woman killed last week in a collision with a vehicle that had been pursued by the New Jersey State Police said she's filed an internal complaint with the agency, questioning the role they played in her death.

Deja Farrior-Quinones was killed Sept. 12 at a Hamilton intersection when a vehicle driven by Chandler Heaviside, 22, of Jackson, ran a red light and t-boned her turning vehicle.

Deja Farrior 

Troopers had pursued Heaviside's vehicle following a suspected drug transaction in the west side of Trenton and along two highways, but the officers cut off the chase at the Whitehorse circle on South Broad Street, authorities have said.

Heaviside continued driving north, though, and is charged with death by auto and related crimes for allegedly sailing through the intersection while high on heroin.

Farrior-Quinones' family said she was driving to her nieces' house to kiss them goodnight.

Last Thursday, following a court appearance for Heaviside, lawyer Robin Lord called the state police's internal affairs unit, called the Office of Professional Standards and filed a complaint, she said Tuesday.

"We indicated that we wanted them to investigate the propriety of the high-speed chase for any criminal wrongdoing," Lord said.

Prosecutor seeks $1M bail for man charged in fatal crash after cop chase

She said she had not heard back from the state police as of Tuesday.

Lord said last week she doubts whether troopers actually stopped the chase where authorities claimed it ended.

And she said several witnesses in the area that night had seen three unmarked police cars, two with lights on, still following Heaviside's car on South Broad Street. She also questioned why police decided to follow Heaviside for so long for a drug investigation.

Chandler Heaviside 

State police spokesman Capt. Stephen Jones said Tuesday that every police pursuit in which troopers engage is examined by an agency pursuit review board.

He added, "All complaints filed with the Office of Professional Standards are fully investigated and reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General," Jones said.

During his first court appearance last week, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office asked for Heaviside's bail on multiple charges be increased to $1 million.

A judge - citing cited the seriousness of the crime and Heaviside's history of drug offenses - raised it from $572,500 to $650,000. 

- Reporter Kevin Shea contributed to this story

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman. 

Rahami is charged with possessing weapons of mass destruction, bombing, destruction of property, and use of a destructive device.

NEW YORK -- Federal charges have been filed against Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man suspected of planting bombs in New York and New Jersey.

Rahami, 28, is charged with using weapons of mass destruction, bombing, destruction of property, and use of a destructive device in the New York incidents, according to the complaint filed by the Southern District of New York.

A federal law enforcement source tells NJ Advance Media that the U.S. District Court in New Jersey will file charges in the Seaside and Elizabeth bomb-plantings shortly.

According to the complaint, a family member of Rahami had a cell phone video of him igniting an explosive in the immediate vicinity of his Elizabeth hom. The video was taken two days before the Chelsea bombing, the complaint says.

"The video depicts Rahami in a backyard ... the lighting of the fuse, a loud noise and flames, followed by billowing smoke and laughter," the complaint says.

The complaint also says Rahami bought several bomb components on eBay.

Rahami, a naturalized citizen from Afghanistan who was living in Elizabeth, was captured in Linden after a shoot-out with police. He has been charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer in Union County.

Rahami's father, Mohammad Rahami, told reporters outside his fried chicken restaurant this morning that he called the FBI about his son.

"I called them two years ago," he said, while pointing at authorities, as FBI agents continued to investigate his business and home. "He stabbed my son. He hit my wife and I put him in jail two years ago."

A federal law enforcement official confirmed to NJ Advance Media that Mohammad Rahami called the FBI and claimed his son was a terrorist two years ago after that incident, initiating a review by federal agents.

"He used the T word," the official said. "It was something to the effect of, 'My son is acting like a terrorist.' He didn't say he was looking up information on internet or building bombs, he just used the T word."

The official said the FBI then began database checks on Rahami and checked with law enforcement, but found "no derogatory information whatsoever." When agents then went back to Mohammad Rahami, he recanted what he had said and the investigation was closed.

Ahmad Khan Rahami was not interviewed by agents, the official said.

"We get leads like this all the time and 99.9 percent of them go nowhere," the official said.

Another official said Ahmad Khan Rahami had a notebook with jihadist writings on him when he was arrested after the shout-out in Linden.

The mother of Ahmad Khan Rahami's daughter yesterday filed for full custody of the girl.

"(Rahami) has been charged with police attempted murder, and is currently under protective services after possible terrorist related activity in NYC 9/17/16," the mother stated in her handwritten message on the application.

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Mike Drewniak, a member of Christie's inner circle, said he hates me and wants to whack me with a lead pipe. Want a peak at the administration's culture. Look no farther. Watch video

Gov. Chris Christie with his former press secretary Michael Drewniak following a one-on-one interview with The Star-Ledger in his inner office at the Statehouse on Jan. 13, 2013. (Star-Ledger file photo) 

It was still dark when I arrived at the federal courthouse in Newark Monday morning, but I wanted to be sure to get a good seat for the start of the Bridgegate trial. This was going to be delicious.

The judge was a stickler about bringing in popcorn, it turned out. But my spirits picked up when prosecutors charged for the first time that our black-hearted governor has indeed been lying to us all this time, that he knew about this insane stunt from the start.

And then, a surprise: My name came up. And not in a gentle loving way.

One of the defense attorneys in the case read aloud from an e-mail about me sent by Mike Drewniak, the governor's press secretary.

"Hate that f...er," Drewniak wrote to David Wildstein, the chief Bridgegate conspirator. "I want to beat him with a lead pipe...That would put everyone on notice."

Okay then. You may have heard about the sordid culture of the Christie administration. Well, there it is.

"I don't even recall writing it," Drewniak said when I called him later. "You and I had our fights, but they weren't always...I mean, sometimes they were actually constructive. We swore a lot, but so what?"

Let me break that down.

We did curse at each other a lot, and we cursed together about other people, too. I have no objection to that. I use the f-word a lot when I drive, especially in Boston, and when I try to fix my printer.

If the f-word rattles you, you can't cover Jersey politics. You have to go to Minnesota.

The lead pipe bit veered into stranger territory. I recalled the time that Gov. Chris Christie, during an argument over pension benefits, suggested that reporters should use a baseball bat to clobber Sen. Loretta Weinberg, who was 76.

"He needs a little domestic violence training," Weinberg said at the time.

Weinberg's granddaughter, then 11, fired off a letter to the governor that was a model of brevity: "Dear Chris Christie: I want you to stop bullying everybody."

The senator was at the trial, in the row in front of me, and when we talked later about Drewniak she reacted just as you'd expect a grandmother to.

"If you said something like that in a school yard, your parents would be called in, and they'd be told that their child needs therapy," she said.

For Drewniak, that advice comes free of charge. He should probably also work through the text he sent about Wildstein after their friendship soured: "I could claw his eyes out, pour gasoline in the sockets, and light him up."

But if you want an insight into the Christie culture, it comes at the very end of his e-mail.

Drewniak didn't want to beat me with a lead pipe just for the fun of it. He wanted to send a message to other journalists. "That would put everyone on notice," he wrote.

Now we are well into creepy territory. That's the way this administration behaved. That's the culture, arrogant and bullying.

And that explains the Bridgegate scandal in a nutshell.

They went nuts when the mayor of Fort Lee, Mark Sokolich, refused to endorse the governor, as if he had an obligation to obey their imperial commands.

Keep in mind that the gridlock they created came after he refused to endorse. This wasn't an attempt to pressure him; it was punishment. And it was standard practice.

That's why defense attorney Michael Critchley read Drewniak's e-mail. He wanted the jury to know about the sick culture of this administration, to spread the blame. And he had about 100 examples like this.

Granted, I was disappointed when I shared this story with my six sisters, and two of them sided with Drewniak. But that's family, right?

I've known Drewniak for many years, since his days as a so-so reporter at the Star-Ledger. And beyond that insult, I can't gin up hard feelings about the guy.

Yes, he was consistently obnoxious to reporters, and almost all of us hated dealing with him. And yes, when he left the press job, the governor fixed him up with a high-paying job at NJ Transit for which he is wholly unqualified.

But he would never, ever hit me with a lead pipe... I'm pretty sure.

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Men and women at A Country Place in Lakewood are only allowed in the pool together for two hours on weekdays and all day Saturday.

LAKEWOOD - Residents of an age-restricted condominium complex have filed a lawsuit alleging that rules regulating mixed-gender swimming times is discriminatory, the Asbury Park Press reported.

The 376-home community A Country Place in Lakewood recently changed the rules for its outdoor swimming pool to cater to the Orthodox Jewish beliefs of a majority of its residents.

Under the rules, men and women are only allowed in the pool together from 1 to 3 p.m. weekdays and all day Saturday because Jewish law prohibits mixed-gender swimming. Orthodox Jewish residents make up a majority of the community's residents.

Two non-Orthodox homeowners in the community - Marie Curto and Steve Lusardi - were each issued a $50 fine for violating policy this summer after they refused to get out of the pool when co-ed swimming hours ended.

When Curto and Lusardi protested, they were sent letters from the board condemning their arguments.

"It is you that is unfair to the vast majority of our residents. ... The vast majority of people would abolish any mixed swimming, because that is the will of the majority," the Asbury Park Press quoted from a letter sent by the condo association's board to Curto.

As a result, Curto and Lusardi, as well as his wife, Diana, have filed a lawsuit in Superior Court alleging the pool policy violates the anti-discrimination provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the newspaper reported.

The Lusardis claim they have been "harassed, intimidated and have received threats of violence within their community due to their complaints regarding the pool," the newspaper reported.

A hearing is set for Nov. 4 in Toms River, while the Lusardis reportedly listed their home for sale on Aug. 15.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.