New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today praised the Verona Police Department for work that led to the arrest of four individuals who were allegedly responsible for numerous residential burglaries across New Jersey.
The multi-agency investigation that produced the arrests was led by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, New Jersey State Police, VPD, New Milford Police Department, and Teaneck Police Department, and was assisted by may other law enforcement agencies. They investigated 84 burglaries committed from October 2020 through March 2021 in eight New Jersey counties and lower New York state. According to the Attorney General, the burglaries netted more than $500,000 in cash, jewelry, and other valuables.
“This is an outstanding example of law enforcement collaboration,” Attorney General Grewal said in a statement. “We worked with law enforcement agencies across nearly half of New Jersey to identify and arrest the alleged members of this burglary ring, who sought cash, jewelry, and other valuables in the targeted residences, including homes that were occupied during the break-ins. With each burglary in a new town, law enforcement forged a new partnership to address this threat and shut down this major crime spree.”
Verona Police Chief Christopher Kiernan thanked his officers for their work in the investigations. Detective Thomas J Conroy III was lead detective on the case, working under the supervision of Lt. Tim Banta.
“I must applaud Verona Detective TJ Conroy and Detective Lieutenant Timothy Banta who stayed with this case from the day of the Verona burglary in early December. They broke many leads that directly resulted in these arrests. Detective Conroy’s tenacious work was a shining example of Verona Police Department’s dedication to our community. He and Lieutenant Banta never let go and put in countless hours researching an enormous number of cases throughout the state, identifying similarities to Verona’s burglary.” Kiernan also thanked Cedar Grove Police Officer Dominick Buscio for his assistance.
Does this surprise me? Not at all. The Verona Police Department and all that are part of it is a class act.
Thank you to all of you for doing your jobs with the highest level of professionalism!