| TRENTON - Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that two men pleaded guilty today to conspiring with each other to sell false motor vehicle inspection stickers in Newark. Two other men who independently sold false inspection stickers pleaded guilty previously as a result of arrests that stemmed from the same investigation.
Johnnie Thompson Jr., 70, of Irvington, and Wallace Williams, 64, of Newark, pleaded guilty today before Superior Court Judge Carolyn E. Wright in Essex County to all charges in an Oct. 3, 2014 indictment charging each man with third-degree conspiracy and third-degree forgery. Thompson was charged with two counts of third-degree forgery. Both men entered “open” guilty pleas to the indictment, which means that the state did not agree to recommend a particular sentence. Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison. The indictment was the result of an undercover investigation by the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption Bureau.
In pleading guilty, Thompson and Williams admitted that they operated an illegal enterprise to produce false New Jersey motor vehicle inspection stickers and sell them together out of Thompson’s cars in Newark. They were arrested on April 28, 2014.
Deputy Attorney General Jane Khodarkovsky prosecuted the men and took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Judge Wright scheduled Thompson to be sentenced on June 19, and Williams, on July 10.
On two occasions during the investigation, an undercover State Police detective purchased a false motor vehicle inspection sticker from Thompson for $50 as Thompson sat in his silver Mercedes Benz on West Alpine Street near Badger Avenue in Newark. One sticker was purchased on March 17, 2014 and the second was purchased on March 21. Subsequently, on April 3, the undercover detective purchased a false motor vehicle inspection sticker from Williams, who was seated on a chair near the sidewalk on West Alpine Street across from where Thompson sat in his parked car. Williams retrieved the false sticker from Thompson and sold it to the undercover detective for $60.
During the investigation, the State Police identified two other men who – independent of each other and of Thompson and Williams – also were selling false motor vehicle inspection stickers in the same neighborhood as Thompson and Williams. David Artis, 51, of Newark, and Dennis W. Mason, 51, of Newark, were arrested on the same day as Thompson and Williams. Artis and Mason pleaded guilty on Sept. 19 to third-degree forgery. On Oct. 31, Judge Wright sentenced Artis to three years of probation with 25 hours of community service, and she sentenced Mason to three years of probation with 50 hours of community service.
On the day that Thompson and Williams were arrested, troopers approached Mason’s vehicle and observed fraudulent motor vehicle documents in plain view in the vehicle. Troopers searched the vehicle and seized five fraudulent temporary registrations, 12 fraudulent inspection stickers in various stages of production, numerous sheets of square number stickers, and other materials used to produce the false documents.
As the troopers approached Thompson and Williams, Artis’ vehicle suddenly drove away, after loitering in the area for some time. The vehicle was stopped and troopers saw two square number stickers on the console. After Artis consented to a search of his vehicle, the troopers seized nine false inspection stickers and two bags containing stickers used to produce the inspection stickers.
Deputy Attorney General Jane Khodarkovsky presented the indictment of Thompson and Williams to the state grand jury. She also prosecuted Artis and Mason. The investigation was conducted by members of the State Police Official Corruption Bureau under the supervision of Detective Sgt. Kenneth Lutz and Detective Sgt. David Lysek. Detective Patrick Squitieri, Trooper Martin Halligan and Trooper Thomas Donnelly assisted in the investigation. #### |
