Four cases were heard in Livingston Municipal Court this past week, including two cases of harassment and two cases of receiving stolen property.
False Impersonation Harassment
Heather McCoy, 57, of Cranford, was charged with harassment and false impersonation. McCoy allegedly created an Ashley Madison account in the victim’s name, advertising that the victim was unfaithful to her fiancé and was seeking an affair. The website exists to facility extramarital affairs.
The case was reviewed by the Essex County prosecutor’s office and the false impersonation charge was downgraded to a petty disorderly persons charge of harassment. McCoy pled guilty to the amended charge, and the second charge of harassment was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
McCoy was fined $200 plus $ 3 3 in court costs. She was ordered to have no contact with the victim.
Car Wash Harassment
Jason Vargas, 32, of Rosedale, New York, was charged with harassment for a July 30 incident, according to the complaint. Vargas visited Livingston Circle Car Wash but refused to leave his keys to have his car serviced. Vargas became agitated when he was asked to leave, so he proceeded to remove his shirt and yell at the employees.
Upon leaving the property, Vargas later called the business back and allegedly made threatening remarks. Vargas pled guilty to an amended charge of creating a disturbance, for which he was fined $300 plus $33 in court costs.
Stolen Property
Jahsifs Figueroa, 33, of Newark, was charged with two counts of receiving stolen property in association with a July 18, 2019 incident, as recounted in the complaint. Figueroa was in possession of $130.85 worth of children’s clothing from H&M located in the Livingston Mall. She was also found in possession of a pumice stone, allegedly stolen from Bath and Body Works, valued at $6.50.
Figueroa pled guilty to the first charge of receiving stolen property from H&M, while the second charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. She was fined $350 and ordered to pay $33 in court costs; $75 for the Safe Neighborhoods Fund; and $50 for the Victims of Crimes Compensation Organization (VCCO).
Takiya Garretson, 32, of Newark, faced four charges in association with an event that took place on May 21, 2019. She faced three counts of receiving stolen property and one charge of resisting arrest.
According to the complaint, Garretson was found to be in possession of a Nike jacket and pants from Macy’s, valued at $130.95. She was also in possession of a pink bra from the Pink store, valued at $34.95, and one pair of shoes from American Eagle, valued at $29.97. She was additionally charged with resisting arrest for refusing to exit her vehicle when the police followed her to her car.
The charge of resisting arrest, along with the charges associated with the Pink store and American Eagle, were dropped as part of a plea agreement. Garretson pled guilty to the charge of receiving stolen property from Macy’s, for which she was fined $350. She was also ordered to pay $33 in court costs; $75 for the Safe Neighborhoods Fund; and $50 for the VCCO.
