Morris County Prosecutor's Office

10/30/2026

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Caroll, Chief Mark Castellano and Sheriff M. James Gannon conducted opening remarks at the first annual Law Enforcement Response to Active Violent Events Tabletop Exercise.

In accordance with Attorney General Directive 2025-2, Law Enforcement Response to Active Violent Events, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Morris County Office of Emergency Management, Morris County Police Chiefs Association, New Jersey State Police and members of various Morris County Law Enforcement agencies participated in the training.

Prosecutor Carroll expressed his appreciation for the continued partnership with the Morris County Sheriff's Office, the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, the Morris County Communications Center, and the Morris County Police Chiefs Association.

Prosecutor Carroll stated, “It is integral to public safety to have a collaborative, proactive, and calculated plan in place to ensure a prompt and productive response to these critical events. These exercises are designed to bring together Morris County law enforcement partners to discuss policies, procedures, training, communications, law enforcement response, and integration with fire & EMS.”

10/28/2026

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Yields 208 Pounds of Surrendered Medications

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Mark Castellano, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Morris Plains Police Chief Mike Koroski, Morris Township Police Chief Robert Shearer, Randolph Township Police Chief Keith Donovan, Hanover Police Chief Michael Loock announce the second National Prescription Drug Take Back Day of 2026 yielded 208 pounds and 15 boxes of surrendered medications.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a semi-annual event coordinated nationally by the United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in which law enforcement agencies at the state, county, and municipal level work collectively to host the program across the nation. The goal of National Prescription Drug Take Back Days is to encourage the public to anonymously turn over unused, unwanted, or expired prescription medicine, which was weighed and properly disposed of by law enforcement officials.

Residents of Morris County were able to bring unused or expired prescription drugs to three designated locations staffed by county law enforcement - Shoprite of Greater Morristown in Cedar Knolls, the ACME Supermarket in Randolph, and Stop and Shop in Morris Plains.

The total weight in materials collected from each location are as follows:
• Shoprite of Greater Morristown: 30 pounds
• Stop and Shop in Morris Plains: 145 pounds
• ACME of Randolph: 33 pounds
Total: 208 pounds

Over the past year, the National Prescription Drug Take Back Days held in spring and autumn in Morris County-staffed locations yielded a combined 481 pounds.

10/23/2026

Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Announces Upcoming DWI Checkpoint in Mount Olive

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Mark Castellano, and Mount Olive Police Chief Michael Cordileone announce the implementation of a joint Driving While Intoxicated checkpoint in Mount Olive, New Jersey for the weekend of October 24 and October 25, 2026.
Law enforcement personnel from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Mount Olive Police Department will be conducting the checkpoint.
Sobriety checkpoints are funded by grants received by the Prosecutor’s Office from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety to conduct checkpoints in conjunction with municipal police departments throughout Morris County.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has coordinated sobriety checks in the past throughout various municipalities in Morris County, and intends to continue to do so in the future with advance public notice.

10/23/2026

Wharton Man Sentenced for 2025 Dover Deli Robbery

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Mark Castellano, and Dover Police Chief Jonathan Delaney announce the sentencing of Dwayne A. Brown, 29, of Wharton, in connection with an armed robbery in Dover, New Jersey, on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

On August 27, 2026, Brown pled guilty to three counts of first degree Robbery before Judge Robert M. Hanna, J.S.C.

On October 16, 2026, Judge Hanna sentenced Brown to an aggregate term of ten (10) years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA), in addition to restitution, no contact with the victims, and the forfeiture of his fi***rm.

On June 28, 2025, at approximately 11 a.m., the Dover Police responded to a deli on Richards Avenue for a reported armed robbery. An employee reported that a man wearing a mask entered the deli, approached a customer who was at the counter, and grabbed his arm while pointing a handgun at him. The suspect then pointed the handgun at the two employees behind the register and demanded money. The employees turned over $360, and the suspect exited the deli. A subsequent investigation revealed the suspect left the area following the robbery in a vehicle.

As a result of further investigation, Brown was taken into custody on June 29, 2025, and was charged in connection with the robbery.

Pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act, Brown has been detained in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending disposition of this case.

Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the law enforcement agencies that participated in this investigation, including the Dover Police Department, Wharton Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Special Operations Division.

10/22/2026

MCPO Anti -Bias/Bullying Presentation Comes to More Schools in the New School Year

Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Anti-Bias/Bullying program, presented by Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri and Sergeant Patrick LaGuerre, continued to visit students around Morris County. They visited Chatham Middle School on September 24, 2026, Morris County School of Technology on September 18, 2026, and Eisenhower Middle School in Roxbury on October 16, 2026.

In past school years, Sgt. LaGuerre and SAP DeNegri have visited public and private schools throughout Morris County and beyond, conducting presentations in Morris, Sussex, Union, and Warren.

SAP DeNegri and Sgt. LaGuerre advised attendees to be mindful of their activities on social media and in digital communications. While not every action could result in a criminal investigation, what you post or share today can live on the internet forever, as present-day social media and technology document everything. During criminal investigations, law enforcement can utilize a data warrant to obtain data from your devices and apps, even material you believed was deleted.

Presenters said while the First Amendment does protect freedom of speech, it does not supersede your school’s code of conduct, especially when it comes to how you treat other students.

Presenters explained Morris County takes a zero-tolerance approach to threats of school violence, and there are consequences and corrective actions that must be taken, even in situations when students claim their comments were intended as a joke or out of frustration.

Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “Our children spend a considerable amount of time communicating with peers and even strangers online. Education is key to helping them understand the consequences of cyberbullying or sharing inappropriate material, with the goal of preventing them from making regrettable choices. I applaud SAP DeNegri and Sgt. LaGuerre for having these important discussions in our schools and for engaging with the students.”

10/21/2026

Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team Earns First at Competition

Members of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) recently earned first place at the 2026 Best of the Best Crisis Negotiation Team competition. The competition was held on October 16, 2026 at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The event was sponsored by the Newark Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) CNT and Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office CNT.

This year, five crisis negotiation teams from throughout New Jersey participated in this friendly competition, allowing teams to network, evaluate operational issues, and challenge each other through scenario-based roleplaying activities. Teams were presented with a variety of crisis scenarios, established a mock Operation Center and worked together to address the situations in a manner that would have resulted in the safest outcome individual at risk, as well as the public as a whole.

Morris County Prosecutor’s Office personnel who participated in the competition included Lieutenant Kristi Bednarski, Detective Supervisor Kerri Griffin, Detective Paul Papamarkos, Detective Lamar Hagans, Detective Thomas Giuliano, Detective Dennis Subrizi, and Detective Sean Verbist.

Chief of Detectives Mark Castellano said, “We are very pleased with the success of the investigative members and their recent first place showing at the 2026 Best of the Best CNT competition. Their first-place finish is an example of their competence, commitment, and stalwart attitude. Congratulations!”

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said, “I thank the Newark FBI and Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office for hosting this important, hands-on competition. By working through these mock scenarios, the MCPO CNT members can demonstrate their skills and experience, as well as learn from the other participating teams. I’m proud that our Team rose to the challenge!”

10/21/2026

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an investigation following an incident on Route 23 in Jefferson Township which occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on October 21. This is an active investigation, and further details cannot be released at this time.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6200.
There is no known threat to the public.

10/16/2026

Morris County Joins National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 24, 2026

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Mark Castellano, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Morris Plains Police Chief Mike Koroski, Morris Township Police Chief Robert Shearer, Randolph Township Police Chief Keith Donovan, Hanover Police Chief Michael Loocke announce that on Saturday, October 24, 2026, they will be participating in the annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day program.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a semi-annual event coordinated nationally by the United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in which law enforcement agencies at the state, county, and municipal level work collectively to host National Prescription Drug Take Back Day across the nation.

The goal of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is to encourage the public to anonymously turn over unused, unwanted, or expired prescription medicine for proper disposal. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has partnered with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, the Morris Plains Borough Police Department, the Morris Township Police Department, and the Randolph Township Police Department in this effort to reduce abuse and misuse of pharmaceutical drugs. At its conclusion, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and Morris County Sheriff’s Office will collect the discarded prescription drugs and properly destroy them in a safe and non-hazardous manner.

During this event, satellite collection sites will be operating from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the following Morris County locations:

Stop and Shop Supermarket
245 Littleton Rd./US 202
Morris Plains, New Jersey 07950

ACME Supermarket
690 Millbrook Ave.
Randolph, New Jersey 07869

Shoprite of Greater Morristown
178 East Hanover Ave.
Cedar Knolls, New Jersey 07927

10/15/2026

MCPO Recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Recognized nationally, the theme is “With Survivors, Always,” focusing on the need for support, action and advocacy for victims of domestic violence. In New Jersey, approximately 30% of men and women experience physical violence, r**e and/or stalking by an intimate partner. Nearly one in four women will be impacted by intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and many will lose their lives to domestic violence homicides. In 2024, New Jersey had 41 domestic violence homicides. The New Jersey Prevention of Domestic Violence Act provides one of the most strict laws across the nation including provisions of mandatory arrest, seizure of fireams and domestic violence restraining orders, helping protect at-risk victims.

This year, JBWS celebrates 50 years of service to survivors of domestic violence. JBWS provides women, men and members of the transgender, non-binary, or gender nonconforming community with services during their most vulnerable times. JBWS helps victims and survivors navigate through the varied legal systems, including Family Court for civil restraining orders, child custody and matrimonial matters and Criminal Court to help individuals understand and manage the criminal justice process. JBWS also provides excellent resources to assist survivors and their families in safety planning, financial resources and counseling services.

Although New Jersey has some of the most powerful laws to combat domestic violence, we continue to strive to find more solutions to help prevent domestic violence.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office congratulates JBWS on their outstanding efforts to advocate for survivors of domestic violence and their families. My office remains committed to providing justice to victims, survivors and their families by holding offenders accountable, and collaborating with JBWS and other community stakeholders to provide community outreach programs to educate the public on the dangers of domestic violence, including teen dating violence, non-fatal strangulation and the use of technology that perpetrates domestic violence.”

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office also continues to partner with the Morris County Family Justice Center. The Morris County Family Justice Center is located at 10 Court Street, 4th Floor, Morristown, New Jersey, and provides a place for victims to receive various services under one roof, including domestic violence counseling, legal representation, housing and access to law enforcement protections.

If you or someone you know is a victim or survivor of domestic violence, the Morris County Family Justice can be reached at 973-829-4050 or via their website at https://ow.ly/WTue50ZY8WU. Help can also be found by responding to or reporting an incident to your local police department or contacting the Domestic Violence Abuse hotline at 1-877-R-U-ABUSED.

10/14/2026