The Personal Injury Attorney Near Me North Bergen, NJ, You Can Trust

A Bergen County accountant and tax preparer has admitted to running a long-term Ponzi scheme that took in more than $10 million from clients and investors, as well as engaging in a related bank fraud scheme, federal authorities said.

Evangelos Drosos, 51, of Glen Rock, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in federal court in Trenton, admitting to three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of failing to file an individual income tax return, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.

From 2013 through June of last year, Drosos used businesses he controlled to falsely tell clients and other investors that he would manage their money through various investment strategies, authorities said in a statement Feb. 19. Instead of investing, Drosos mixes the money with other accounts, using it to repay earlier investors and to cover personal expenses.

Drosos used the funds to pay for vacations, a luxury vehicle and real estate purchases.

Messages left for his attorney, Maximillian Novel, were not immediately returned.

Prosecutors said he concealed the scheme by providing victims with false account statements. In total, clients and investors gave him more than $10 million, resulting in losses for victims of more than $3 million.

“For years, Evangelos Drosos abused the confidence his clients placed in him, operating a Ponzi scheme that funneled millions of their hard-earned dollars into his own lifestyle instead of legitimate investments,” Philip Lamparello, senior counsel in the U.S. Attorney's Office, said in the statement. “This guilty plea holds him accountable and sends a clear message: Those who run Ponzi schemes and exploit the faith of investors for personal gain will be identified, prosecuted, and brought to justice.”

Authorities said the scheme began to unravel in June 2024 when Drosos no longer had sufficient deposits to repay earlier investors. To cover his losses, he engaged in a check-kiting scheme, writing checks that exceeded the available funds in his bank accounts and then depositing and quickly withdrawing money from other accounts before the checks bounced, prosecutors said.

The scheme netted Drosos nearly $500,000 more from victim banks, authorities said.

Drosos also admitted that he failed to file an individual income tax return for the 2023 tax year, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the total loss suffered by victims or gains by the perpetrator, whichever is greater. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, or twice the gross loss or gain. The tax filing charge carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 23.

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Sorry to break it to you, but after a warmer week that finally started to melt some of the snow left on the ground here in North Jersey, another storm may be coming our way.

Forecasters are currently tracking a storm that has the potential to bring "significant snow" and gusty winds to a large area of the northeastern United States from Sunday into Monday.

The storm could become rather strong, potentially even a nor'easter, according to John Murray, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. However, as of the morning of Feb. 19, the forecast is still highly uncertain.

"There are scenarios in the forecast models that are showing a complete miss," Murray said. "There are some forecast models that are showing to be close enough to the area to give us potentially significant snow."

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"It's a low probability at this point, but it's something we're closely monitoring," Murray said.

As detailed in the most recent forecast from AccuWeather, the storm's impacts hinge on multiple factors, including its track and how cold the air is when and where the storm hits.

Will NJ get snow this weekend? When will the storm hit?

While the storm's outlook is ever-changing, forecasts from AccuWeather and the National Weather Service say that it will arrive in the area on the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 22 and continue into Monday.

How much snow is expected in NJ this weekend?

"There remains a large amount of uncertainty as to how impactful this system will be to the local region, with some guidance suggesting light to moderate snowfall in the New Jersey - Philadelphia metro - Delaware regions, and other guidance showing no snow at all over the entire local area," the National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly Office said Thursday morning.

The probability for 6 inches or more of snow is generally less than 15%, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service's New York office, which covers northeastern New Jersey.

The Weather Channel has a 70% chance of snow in the forecast for Bergen County Sunday night with one to three inches expected.

As Sunday's forecast continues to develop, you can keep an eye out for updates on the National Weather Service's website.

Winter isn't done with us, so gas up the snow blowers and book a snow tubing trip near you, New Jersey and NYC, we could be getting snow Sunday with a potentially significant winter storm this weekend, according to AccuWeather and the National Weather Service.

A possible "major" snowstorm coming to NJ this weekend could drop "significant snow" on NJ, NYC, Philadelphia and Boston, as the possibility of a major East Coast snowstorm that could become a nor'easter hinges on the storm's track and the lack of cold air when the winter storm hits, according to NOAA's NWS and AccuWeather's snow storm weather forecast.

The snow storm could come to NJ as early as Sunday, Feb. 22, with the potential to drop "significant" snow in NYC and New Jersey, according to the latest updates from NOAA's NWS weather forecasters at NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly.

The latest winter storm forecast comes amid a prolonged stretch of warmer temperatures in NJ and NYC, coupled with dense fog and light rain, with a chance of ice, snow or freezing rain in NJ, mainly along the I-80 corridor, starting Thursday night, Feb. 19, into Friday morning, Feb. 20, NOAA's weather forecast shows.

It'll be much colder in NJ and NYC early next week behind the potential winter storm this weekend in the Mid-Atlantic region, where snow on Sunday could fall across New Jersey, New York City, and Pennsylvania. Here's what to know about the tentative timing of this weekend's snow storm, when and how much snow will fall in New Jersey, live NJ doppler radar, predicted snowfall amount, and the NJ weather forecast this week.

Is it going to snow this weekend in NJ? Is NJ getting snow on Sunday?

According to the National Weather Service, a potentially significant snowstorm this weekend could hit New Jersey and New York City starting Sunday, Feb. 22 and into Monday, Feb. 23, according to AccuWeather and NOAA's National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly Office. AccuWeather forecasters say how much snow NJ will get, when the snowstorm starts and if it'll become a nor'easter hinges on the winter storm track and how cold it will be in the Northeast — meaning it could be rain, a wintry mix or an all-snow event, dropping major snowfall amounts to the Northeast.

How much snow are we getting this weekend in NJ? How much snow on Sunday?

The latest National Weather Service forecast for NJ shows the potentially significant snowstorm could bring light to moderate snowfall amounts across New Jersey, Philadelphia-metro regions and Delaware on Sunday, Feb. 22, while other guidance shows no snow at all across NJ at all, NOAA said. Several inches could fall in NJ and NYC; however, there still remains a lot of uncertainly in the snow storm forecast, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly forecasters say.

Weather model guidance shows a deepening of the winter storm off the NJ coast Sunday, with NJ and NYC just on the edge of a potential major storm, NOAA said. Will it be a nor'easter and could it drop inches or a foot of snow? Some Euro weather models (not real forecasts) say yes, but the forecast continues to evolve today. Should a major storm hit, it'll likely bring Winter Storm Warnings, so keep an eye on your local forecast this weekend.

When will snow start in NJ, NYC? NJ snow forecast

The next snow storm this weekend in NJ and NYC is expected to start Sunday afternoon, Feb. 22, 2026, according to the National Weather Service. NOAA says any potential snow Sunday in NJ and NYC continues through Monday morning, Feb. 23. While the snow storm forecast remain ever-changing, NOAA and AccuWeather forecast a potentially significant snow storm, should the storm remain close enough to the East Coast and cold air remains in place for snow to fall.

Will major snowstorm hit NYC? See NYC snow forecast

Yes, a potentially "significant" snow storm this weekend could impact NYC and the tri-state region, with around a 10% chance of 6 inches or more possible, although snowfall amounts and how many inches will fall are not yet clear, NOAA's NYC office said. Should NYC see 6 inches of snow fall Sunday, it would trigger a Winter Storm Warning, NOAA said.

The National Weather Service said location, track and timing of the potential winter snowstorm differ across multiple weather models (GFS model, or Global Forecast System, and Canadian models show the storm closer to the coast, with more snow in NJ and NYC).

Planning to travel to NYC this weekend? To see the NYC weather forecast, check AccuWeather or NOAA's New York, NY forecast office.

Will there be a nor'easter Feb 22?

A potential nor'easter Feb. 22, 2026, hitting NJ and NYC is possible; however, NOAA's NWS and AccuWeather forecasters continue to track and time out the snowstorm coming from California, the Rockies, Central states and toward the Northeast, including the Carolinas, Virginia, DC, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey before heading off the Jersey Shore coast.

Winter storm warnings

Live weather radar NJ, NYC

To check live conditions in New Jersey and NYC area, see the live Doppler radar from the NWS below. Hit refresh on your browser for the latest radar loop.

Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.

Frederick Guerrero’s long-awaited return from an injury came too late to create a spot for Barringer in the Essex County Tournament and it won’t change anything about its prospects for a state playoff bid.

But his talented presence is providing slivers of sunshine for an otherwise dismal season and enabling Guerrero to finish out his senior year more on his terms.

The powerful 6-4 forward made his return Jan. 27 to lead the Blue Bears to a 58-53 victory over Newark Lab with 15 points and five rebounds.

After missing the first 16 games with a broken foot, Guerrero was just getting warmed up.

In the six games he has played, Guerrero has averaged 24.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists to help the Blue Bears win four to improve to 7-15. Barringer was unable to crack the 24-team field for the ECT at 3-13 and it will not qualify for the North 2, Group 4 tournament.

But...

“It’s amazing having him back,” head coach Phil Taylor said. “We for sure would have made playoffs with him healthy. He’s a very special kid. Takes AP classes here at Barringer and maintains a 3.7 GPA.

A few recent mammoth scoring efforts - 40 points and also 24 rebounds, 10 assists in a win over New Brunswick; 35 in a win over Eagle Academy - has raised Guerrero’s career total to 847 points, or 153 away from 1,000. With that chase in mind, Barringer has added Woodbridge, Bard, Technology and Dayton to its schedule.

Scroll below for a look at more news and notes from North Jersey’s five conferences - Big North Conference, Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic League, North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, Super Essex Conference

Bergen Jamboree semifinals

Three of the four remaining teams in the Bergen Jamboree hail from the Big North Conference. Top-seeded Bergen Catholic will face fourth-seeded Teaneck on Feb. 15 at FDU.

Second-seeded Tenafly will take on NJIC’s St. Mary (Ruth.) on the other side of the bracket.

Passaic County quarterfinals

The Passaic tourney has eight remaining teams, including five from the Big North. Here are the matchups, all scheduled for Feb. 14 at the higher seed. Bolded teams indicate teams from the Big North:

Ramsey jumps ahead

The Rams lead the Patriot Division with a 7-2 league record after downing Pascack Hills and Indian Hills this past week.

A 15-7 overall record, Charlie Taylor (14.6) and Owen Farley (12.1) lead Ramsey in scoring this winter.

Hunt gets 1,000th point

On Feb. 12, Dwight-Morriw’s X’Zavion Hunt recorded the 1,000th point of his career against Dumont, totaling 13 points in the game. Hunt has gone for 30 or more points three times this winter, averaging 15.9 per contest.

Gomez back for No. 2 St. Peter’s

Senior forward has not contributed big scoring numbers in his three games back from an ankle injury, but his 6-6 presence around the basket has still made a profound difference for the second-ranked Maruders.

After missing 13 games, Gomez returned Feb. 6 and scored one point in limited action in a 71-39 win over Montclair. He then helped St. Peter’s (20-3) roll to lopsided wins against 16th-ranked St. Benedict’s, 69-40, and 11th-ranked Morris Catholic, 54-36, with steady play around the basket.

Gomez scored eight points and hd four rebounds against St. Benedict’s and four points, eight rebounds against Morris Catholic. More importantly, he occupied talented bigs on both opponents, which freed up the likes of teammates Richie Rosa, Mason Santiago and Nick Ferdinand.

Graves still digging away for HC

A Hudson Catholic team that began the season uncharacteristically slow at 3-6 has been heating up nicely behind 6-4 junior transfer Ashton Graves from Archbishop Carroll (D.C.).

In his 11 games, he is a averaging a cool 21.6 points to direct the Hawks to nine wins, including the last five straight heading into Saturday’s cross-conference battle against Watchung Hills.

Second-seeded Hudson Catholic will then play in the Hudson County Tournament quarterfinals Monday against the winner of Friday’s clash between North Bergen and Hoboken.

McNair finally tames Lions

McNair lost to Lincoln twice during the regular season, though certainly made great use of the intel gathered from those results.

After dropping a 10-point game to Lincoln in December and losing by eight last month, 14th-seeded McNair built a one-point halftime lead Wednesday in the Hudson County Tournament preliminaries and went on to a 49-42 victory against the 11th-seeded Lions.

Sophomore guard Antoine Huet struck for 11 points and 10 rebounds and juniors Jaeden Lumang and James Turingan each had 10 to push McNair into the first round Friday (today) against sixth-seeded Memorial.

Madison’s Randall passes the quarterback

Neil O’Donnell made a name for himself as a Madison football legend who played 14 seasons in the NFL and helped the Pittsburgh Steelers reach Super Bowl XXX in 1995. But the 1985 graduate knew his way around the basketball court, as well.

O’Donnell’s scoring record of 1,510 points had held up for more than 40 years until senior guard Gavin Randall scored 12 points last Saturday against Mendham to surpass O’Donnell at 1,511. His play also guided the second-seeded Dodgers into Saturday’s semifinals against sixth-seeded Chatham at 6 p.m. at County College of Morris.

Randall followed up Saturday’s record-breaking outing with 20 points in a 76-63 loss to No. 11 Morris Catholic and 10 in a 59-52 win over Newark Tech to raise his total to 1,541 points.

MacAniff hits 1,000

Senior guard Michael MacAniff was only his team’s fifth leading scorer last Saturday against Morristown-Beard, but his eight points were enough to help Chatham pull off a Morris County Tournament upset, 69-54, and vault him past 1,000 career points.

MacAniff became the eighth player in program history to reach that milestone, and he has since raised his total to 1,033 points with eight Tuesday in a 68-42 win over Morris Knolls, and 18 Thursday in a 62-51 victory against Montville.

The scoring leaders in the upset against third-seeded Morristown-Beard were Jalen Forehan-Kelly with 14 points, Ryan Leach with 13 and Marco Mannino and Lochlan Mahoney with 11 each.

MCT semifinals schedule

The Morris Catholic Tournament semifinals are scheduled for Saturday evening at County College of Morris in Randolph. Play begins at 6 p.m. with sixth-seeded Chatham taking on second-seeded Madison, followed at 7:45 by fourth-seeded Montville against top-seeded, 11th-ranked and reigning champion Morris Catholic.

2,000-point club

On Feb. 12, Waldwick’s Andrew Del Rey became the 111th player in history, and 15th from Bergen County, to reach 2,000 career points.

He dropped 22 points at Bogota in the win. His 2,000th point was scored on a layup, and the foul just ahead of halftime.

Castellano erupts for 60

On Feb. 10, Harrison’s Angel Castellano exploded for 60 points in the win over University Charter.

This is the most points in a single game from any N.J. player this season. Castellano has also gone off for 30-plus points four times this winter.

NJIC Tournament finals set

St. Mary (Ruth.) and Lyndhurst are set to square off in the NJIC Tournament championship on Feb. 18 at Paterson Charter. St. Mary, the top seed, defeated Secaucus, 67-37 in the semifinals behind Matt Kennedy’s 19 points.

Lyndhurst, the second seed, downed Cresskill, 59-56 in a comeback victory behind Avery Cano’s 18 points. Johnny Chaname and Filoteo Mosca each scored 17 points, too.

St. Mary is also still alive in the Bergen Jamboree. The No. 3 seed, the Gaels will face second-seeded Tenafly in the semifinals at FDU on Feb. 15.

1,000 points for Leo

Dwight-Englewood’s Leo Colosimo recorded the 1,000th point of his career on Feb. 10 against Hackensack. He scored 25 points in that contest, which is his seventh 20-point performance of the season.

Laying ‘up’ the Law

Junior forward Ryan Law became the 20th player in Glen Ridge history to reach 1,000 career points with a second quarter layup last Friday in a 62-35 victory over Nutley. He finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds to continue a string of outstanding play that began back in his freshman season.

The 6-7 Law followed that up with 25 points and 12 rebounds in a 50-31 victory over Bard, then 19 points, 12 rebounds in a 56-53 loss to North Star Academy. It was his 16th double-double this season and 39th in his career.

Law’s streak of 24 consecutive games with double-digit points came to an end Thursday when he scored six in a 70-50 loss to West Essex. He heads into his next game - Saturday vs. West Orange in the Essex Invitational semifinals - with 1,059 career points, 730 rebounds and 168 blocks.

Semifinal-round action squared

Both the Essex County Tournament and the attendant Essex Invitational will conduct semifinals on Saturday.

In the 79th ECT, an afternoon doubleheader will be held at West Orange, starting with second-seeded and 16th-ranked St. Benedict’s against third-seeded Arts at 3 p.m., followed at 5 by fourth-seeded, 13th-ranked and undefeated Shabazz against top-seeded, 17th-ranked and reigning champion Seton Hall Prep.

The Essex Invitational semis will be played out earlier in the day at the home court of the higher seeds. West Orange, the No. 20 seed, will travel to No. 17 Glen Ridge for an 11 a.m. game, and No. 23 Newark Academy will battle No. 11 Columbia at 11.

The ECT champoionship will be Feb. 21 at West Orange at 3 p.m., and the Essex Invitational final the same day at the higher seed’s court.

Rail service into New York will be reduced for a month as Amtrak shifts train operations from the 110-year-old Portal Bridge to the newly constructed Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River, a key milestone in the Gateway Program.

The “cutover” work, scheduled from Feb. 15 through March 14, will temporarily limit trains to a single track between Newark and Secaucus. As a result, fewer trains will operate into Penn Station New York on weekdays on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line, NJ Transit said.

There will be no weekday Midtown Direct service into Penn Station during the construction period on the Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line. Those trains will instead be diverted to Hoboken.

NJ Transit said the cutover involves deactivating legacy infrastructure on the existing Portal Bridge, activating new track alignments, integrating upgraded signaling, power and communications systems, and testing interlockings and safety systems. Because the systems are interconnected, the work must be completed within specific time windows, requiring temporary service reductions.

A special schedule will take effect Sunday, Feb. 15. Regular service is expected to resume Sunday, March 15, pending completion of safety testing.

During the work, customers can expect modified train schedules, including earlier departures, reduced frequencies on some segments, longer travel times and potential train consolidations or cancellations.

NJ Transit is implementing cross-honoring with PATH trains, New York Waterway ferries and certain NJ Transit bus routes to ease the impact. For example, rail tickets will be accepted on PATH service between Hoboken and 33rd Street, on NY Waterway ferries between Hoboken and Midtown, and on NJ Transit’s No. 126 bus between Hoboken and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

The agency also said rail tickets and passes will be accepted on NJ Transit bus routes in some corridors. Customers traveling from stations such as Perth Amboy may use rail passes on certain bus routes into Manhattan, though additional fares may apply for travel beyond the printed ticket destination.

NJ Transit is advising riders to check schedules before traveling, allow extra time and expect crowding on alternative services. Officials recommend traveling outside peak periods, before 7 or after 9 in the morning and before 4 or after 7 in the evening, or working from home when possible.

Monthly pass holders on Midtown Direct lines are being advised to purchase Hoboken-based passes for February and March. Those passes will be cross-honored for travel into Manhattan during the construction window. One-way ticket customers will need to purchase Hoboken tickets on weekdays during the cutover period.

The Portal North Bridge project is part of the broader Gateway Program, aimed at improving long-term reliability and capacity along the Northeast Corridor, one of the nation’s busiest passenger rail lines. While officials acknowledged the short-term inconvenience, they said the transition is essential for modernizing aging infrastructure and improving future service.