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NJ TERRORISM SENTENCING-BOSTON

Judge: NJ terror case not influenced by Boston

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A federal judge has refused to reconsider the prison terms of 2 New Jersey men who argued that prosecutors and the courts were improperly influenced by the Boston Marathon bombings.

U.S. District Judge Dickinson Debevoise (DEB-ah-vwahs) in Newark rejected a motion by attorneys for Mohamed Alessa and Carlos Almonte to have their sentences reconsidered.

Both men were sentenced April 15, the day of the Boston bombings, to 22 and 20 years respectively. They each pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges.

Their attorneys claimed prosecutors learned of the bombings during the sentencing hearing and altered their argument to the judge without giving the defendants a chance to ask for a postponement.

Debevoise rejected those arguments in a decision released Tuesday, finding the defense did not present an accurate sequence of events.

MOUNT ARLINGTON SLAYING

North NJ man pleads guilty to killing neighbor

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) - A northern New Jersey man charged with killing his elderly neighbor two years ago has pleaded guilty.

Acting Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp said Tuesday that Danny Cole of Mount Arlington pleaded guilty to felony murder, burglary and obstruction in the February 2011 death of 77-year-old Barbara Wilson. Police found Wilson's body in her home after friends reported that she had failed to show up for a church fundraising event she had helped organize.

DNA evidence recovered from duct tape that was left at the crime scene helped lead investigators to Cole. Police also found some items from Wilson's home in Cole's possession.

Prosecutors will recommend that the 40-year-old Cole be sentenced to 40 years in prison with no chance of parole for 34 years.

HUMAN REMAINS FOUND

Human remains found near NJ industrial complex

WOODBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - Authorities are working to identify human remains that were found this week along the shoreline of the Raritan River at a central New Jersey industrial complex.

Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey says a surveyor working in the area of the Raritan Center complex in Woodbridge Township found the remains around 2 p.m. Monday.

Authorities cordoned off the area and soon recovered the remains, which were taken to the county Medical Examiner's Office for an examination to establish an identity and possible cause of death.

The investigation is ongoing, and further details on the discovery have not been disclosed.

BODY FOUND-TRAIN STATION

Police ID woman found near Newark rail station

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Authorities in Essex County have identified the body of a woman found lying near a rail station in Newark this week.

Newark police and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office say 53-year-old Anna Ithier was discovered next to subway tracks about 100 feet from the Park Avenue station. The cause of death was blunt force trauma.

Authorities said Tuesday that it appears the Passaic resident was struck by a train sometime before 8:20 a.m. Monday. An NJ Transit employee discovered the body.

An investigation is continuing.

GPS STALKER

Man convicted of using secret GPS to stalk ex-wife

WOODBURY, N.J. (AP) - A southern New Jersey man accused of using a secretly installed GPS unit to track his ex-wife's travel has been found guilty of stalking.

A Gloucester County jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Paul Prince on Tuesday. The 48-year-old Mullica Hill man will be sentenced next month.

Prosecutors say the former wife's brother found the GPS connected to her car's electrical system last November, not long after Prince took the vehicle to a repair shop. She grew suspicious when Prince began showing up unexpectedly at places she was at and sent her text messages indicating he knew where she was.

Authorities say the GPS was activated 522 times over the course of a month.

Prince's lawyer said there was no proof Prince installed or monitored the device.

BLACK-DYED MONEY SCAM

2 men in NJ indicted in scam with dyed money

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey man and a Philadelphia resident have been indicted on charges they scammed victims with worthless paper dyed black that was portrayed as real money and sold to people who paid to have the dye removed.

State Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa says the indictment was handed up Tuesday against 38-year-old Nyondah Blay of Trenton and 36-year-old Carl Jenkins. Each is charged with conspiracy and theft.

Authorities say the pair told people they needed several thousand dollars to buy chemicals to extract the dye from the paper. The men said the money was dyed to avoid detection and was smuggled out of Liberia.

The men promised those who paid for the dye would be repaid several times more than what they gave. Instead, they left victims with worthless paper.

IRS-POLITICAL GROUPS-RALLIES-NJ

NJ citizens rally at IRS offices over scrutiny

CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) - Conservative activists have gathered outside Internal Revenue Service offices across New Jersey to protest the agency's scrutiny of conservative groups.

In Cherry Hill, about 30 people showed up Tuesday to try to raise awareness of an issue that they say has not received enough coverage.

One rang a cowbell and some held signs with phrases like "Internal Revenge Service." Others accused President Barack Obama's administration of trying to undermine citizens' rights.

Some protesters declined to give their names, saying they feared that the IRS would target them.

Bill Haney, a leader of the West Jersey Tea Party group, says his organization gave up on seeking nonprofit status more than a year ago due to a request for further information from the IRS that the group found intrusive.

GAMBLING CONFERENCE

Casino leaders meet in AC for annual conference

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Casino industry leaders in the eastern United States are gathering in Atlantic City for an annual conference amid the fast-changing landscape for legalized gambling.

The East Coast Gaming Congress comes as Atlantic City struggles to reinvent itself as a destination resort, not just a slots mecca for day-trippers.

Internet gambling is now legal in three states, including New Jersey, and the state is also trying to overturn a federal ban on sports betting in most places.

The Wednesday meeting comes a day after Revel, the city's newest casino, exited bankruptcy court, and shortly before Resorts opens its Margaritaville complex. The Jimmy Buffett-themed entertainment and gambling section is expected to help the casino and Atlantic City's overall market.

MERCK-STOCK BUYBACK

Merck to repurchase $5B in common stock

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) - Merck & Co Inc. said it will repurchase $5 billion worth of its common stock under an accelerated share repurchase agreement with Goldman Sachs & Co.

Merck, the world's third-largest drugmaker, said the buyback program is part of a previously announced $15 billion share repurchase program.

In the first four months of 2013, Merck repurchased about 17.8 million shares for a total of $772 million.

Shares of Merck & Co Inc. rose $2.12, or 4.7%, to close at $37.33. Shares rose 52 cents to $47.85 in after-hours trading.

OKLAHOMA TORNADO-NJ FLAGS

NJ flags at half-staff to honor Navy officer

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Gov. Chris Christie has ordered flags at all New Jersey state buildings to be flown at half-staff to mourn of the victims of the deadly Oklahoma tornado and the devastation it caused.

The flags will be lowered Wednesday.

Christie issued the directive in an executive order announced Tuesday afternoon.

Noting that New Jersey residents "have experienced firsthand the impact of natural disasters," a reference to Superstorm Sandy, Christie said he took the action to "show unity" with the people of Oklahoma and "mourn their losses."

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