News & Information

Press Release - Plea of Drew J. Canning

PRESS RELEASE

November 4, 2020

     Sussex County Prosecutor Francis A. Koch announced the entry of a guilty plea to an accusation before the Honorable Louis S. Sceusi, J.S.C. at the Sussex County Virtual Courtroom in Newton on November 4, 2020 by Drew J. Canning.

     Canning, age 30, of Pompton Lakes, pled guilty to five (5) counts third degree Burglary, three (3) counts Receiving Stolen Property, third degree Criminal Mischief, fourth degree Criminal Mischief, two (2) counts fourth degree Theft and fourth degree Unlawful Taking Means of Conveyance.  Sentencing is presently scheduled for November 20, 2020.              

     The defendant admitted he broke into Riverdale Environmental Recycling (RER) in Wantage multiple times between March of 2019 and February, 2020. He broke into the office taking cash during several of the burglaries.  Over the course of the burglaries he took keys from the office so he could use them another time to unlock the main gate and burglarize RER.  He took a truck with a plow attached from RER, drove it to his home, removed the plow to his driveway and then took the truck back to RER.  He took a Chevy Silverado and parked it near his home. When he returned to the truck he scraped all of the signage off, planning to use it as his own, but became nervous and ultimately abandoned it in a Walmart parking lot.  Finally, New Jersey State Police were investigating a possible burglary in process and found Canning operating a tractor at RER, where he was then arrested.

     Canning was represented by Thomas Militano, Esq., and the State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Brent M. Rafuse.

BMR