Police blotter
The information below was provided by police unless otherwise noted.
Trenton
Mom Shot with Rifle: A mother of two was shot early Monday morning inside a house in the 200 block of Home Avenue. The woman, who is in her 20s, was struck twice in the chest by bullets believed to be fired from an assault rifle. Detectives are still investigating whether the shooter rang the bell or knocked on the door prior to shooting, but officials are certain the woman opened the door, at which time the gunman shot her. Police say she then crawled upstairs and screamed for help, as the gunman fled the scene before cops arrived. Officials say other occupants of the house called law enforcement for emergency help. When cops arrived on scene around 1:15 a.m., they found 11 shell casings outside the house and used gauze to slow the bleeding of the victim’s wounds. The woman remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition and is expected to survive. No other injuries were reported. The motive for the shooting is not known at this time and the gunman remains on the run. Jail for Child Porn: A Mercer County man who used a file-sharing network to distribute videos and images of child pornography was sentenced to state prison last week. Robert Kunert, a 25-yearold Hamilton resident who was arrested in 2016 during “Operation Safeguard,” was sentenced Friday to serve three years in state prison. Kunert previously pleaded guilty to a seconddegree charge of child pornography distribution and admitted he knowingly used software to make multiple files containing child pornography available for any other user to download from a designated shared folder on his computer. Investigators found more than 250 suspected files of child pornography on his laptop. Kunert will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.
Military Bribes: A Pennsylvania man admitted Monday that he abused his position as a military employee and pleaded guilty to having a role in two construction project conspiracies at Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst (Ft. Dix) and Picattiny Arsenal (PICA). Kevin Leondi, 57, of Stroudsberg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by soliciting and accepting bribes, and conspiring to steer kickbacks from one conspirator to another. According to prosecutors in the case, Leondi represented the Army in renovation projects at PICA and Ft. Dix. Prosecutors say Leondi solicited and accepted more than $150,000 in bribes from others in return for task orders and other favorable assistance at the bases, and for not denying them future work. Leondi and the conspirators disguised the bribes in the form of legitimate transactions, with Leondi buying vehicles and equipment from the conspirators at cut-rate prices or selling them equipment at inflated prices. Two co-conspirators, George Grassie and James Conway, previously pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the scheme. Leondi also admitted that he conspired to steer at least $48,000 in corporate kickbacks from Grassie to Conway to improperly obtain and reward Conway for his giving subcontracts and other favorable assistance to Grassie relating to Conway’s employer’s contracts with the federal government at PICA and Ft. Dix. The kickbacks included cash payments to help Conway pay his mortgage as well as free construction work at Conway’s home in Pennsylvania.
Bucks County, PA.
Shoplifting: Caprese Foster, 26, and Safera Peques, 25, were arrested for retail theft after they allegedly stole merchandise from Kohl’s department store. Police say Foster stole $265 worth of store property and was released pending a summons. Meanwhile, Peques stole more than $480 worth of merchandise, so she was arraigned and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.