A French national and executive of a Secaucus-based pharmaceutical company has admitted making false statements to gain control of the rights to sell a weight-loss drug in the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Alain Bouaziz, a 69-year-old and a French citizen and resident of the United Arab Emirates, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of making false statements to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Bouaziz represented himself to be the chief operating officer of Hexim Pharmaceuticals. Hexim, a company headquartered at 600 Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus, was previously known as Alkopharma USA Inc.

According to the U.S. Attorney, beginning in February 2018 Bouaziz submitted forged documents and made false statements to the FDA to try to gain control of Sanorex, a weight-loss pharmaceutical owned by a major international pharmaceutical company. Bouaziz sent letters and documents by email and in hard copy to the FDA falsely stating that Hexim had purchased the New Drug Application for Sanorex and requesting a meeting about marketing Sanorex in the United States. These representations were false because neither Hexim nor Alkopharma owned the rights to distribute Sanorex.

The count of making false statements is punishable by a maximum term of five years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for December 14.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Fernando P. McMillan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden M. Brockett of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Secaucus Police have arrested and charged a man with bias intimidation after he allegedly yelled racist slurs at an Asian couple earlier in the month, according to Chief Dennis Miller. Alfred Viggiano, 69, was arrested on August 6.

Racist onslaught in Secaucus

On August 1 at 7:51 p.m., police responded to the area of 200 Riverside Station Boulevard on a report of a person driving around the area yelling racial slurs out of his vehicle, Miller said. This is located in the Xchange part of Secaucus, a high-density residential area with a large Asian American population.

Upon arrival, police spoke with a male witness to the interaction outside of 200 Riverside Station Boulevard. According to Miller, the witness stated that he saw a male in black car pull up to an Asian couple, a man and woman walking outside nearby the building.

The witness said the male in the car, later identified as Viggiano, yelled “gook” at the Asian couple before speeding away. The witness said he yelled to Viggiano to slow down, and  Viggiano yelled back at him, “Go back to your country.”

The witness told police that Viggaino pulled up to them, rolled down his window and held up a small sign that read, “F**k you.” Viggiano waited a moment and yelled, “You, f**k you,” while pointing at the couple.

According to Miller, Viggiano then yelled, “Take off your mask and go back to your country.” Viggiano then sped away, the witness told police.

On August 6 at 12:58 p.m., in furtherance of an investigation conducted by the Secaucus Police Detective Division in regards to the bias incident, the police went to Green Valley Court and arrested Viggiano for bias intimidation. He was issued a complaint warrant and was transported to the Hudson County Jail.

Culprit is a repeat offender

This is not Viggiano’s first run in with the law this year.

On March 22 at 4:28 p.m., Secaucus Police responded to Green Valley Court on a report of a theft. During the investigation, the police arrested Viggiano for allegedly receiving stolen property. He was served a complaint summons and was released from police custody.

Additionally, Viggiano had multiple run-ins with the Secaucus Police Department in 2021.

On September 17, 2021 at 1 p.m., in response to a suspicious incident that occurred at Green Valley Court on September 16, police went to Green Valley Court and arrested Viggiano for unlawful possession of weapons, specifically a hammer, and for violation of the regulatory provisions relating to permits to purchase firearms. He was issued his complaint warrant and was subsequently transported to the Hudson County Jail.

Prior to that, on August 8, 2021 at 3:19 p.m., Secaucus police responded to the area of Buchmuller Park located at 150 Plaza Centre Road on a report of a male trespassing on the property. During the investigation, the police arrested Viggiano of Secaucus for defiant trespass, resisting arrest, and resisting arrest by flight. He was issued a complaint summons and was released from police custody.

And on January 14, 2021 at 5:37 p.m., Secaucus police responded to the parking lot of Hudson Wines located at 865 Roosevelt Avenue on a report of a male who had threatened an employee with a knife. During the investigation, the police arrested Viggiano for unlawful possession of a weapon, specifically a small handled axe; unlawful possession of a weapon, specifically a pocket knife; possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose; terroristic threats; and simple assault.

On the same date, at 5:27 p.m., Secaucus police responded to Green Valley Court on a report of harassment. An investigation was conducted and Viggiano was further charged with bias intimidation and harassment. He was served a complaint warrant for both incidents and was subsequently transported to the Hudson County Jail.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Secaucus Police Department detectives have arrested the marketing director of Hudson Regional Hospital. His arrest on August 7 follows an investigation that led to the seizure of multiple firearms and ammunition, according to Police Chief Dennis Miller.

Reuven Alonalayoff, a 46-year-old of Elmwood Park, is charged with Possession of an Assault Firearm, and two counts of Possession of a High Capacity Magazine. Miller said he was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport with assistance from the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

Investigation launched after bomb threat

On July 18, at 3:10 P.M., Hudson Regional Hospital, located at 55 Meadowlands Parkway, received a phone call that a bomb was in the hospital. According to Miller, Secaucus police responded to the hospital along with bomb detection canines from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office and Bayonne Police Department.

During a safety sweep of the hospital, the bomb detection canine gave a positive indication on an unlocked closet within an office, Miller said. Upon entering the closet, police discovered a large cache of rifles, shotguns and handguns, along with assorted ammunition for the firearms.

A total of 11 handguns of various calibers, and 27 rifles and shotguns were discovered. A Kriss Vector .45 caliber semi-automatic rifle with a high-capacity magazine was also recovered and determined to be an assault rifle.

Additionally, a 14-round high-capacity handgun magazine was also seized. The bomb threat was later determined to be a hoax.

“The unsecured storage of a large cache of weaponry, especially in this location, certainly creates a risk to public safety,” said Miller. “I commend the efforts and professionalism of all the police personnel involved in this investigation and am thankful this situation was resolved without anyone being harmed.”

These charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Hudson Regional Hospital addresses situation

On August 9, Hudson Regional Hospital released a statement elaborating on the incident.

“During a search of Hudson Regional Hospital related to a bomb scare hoax, firearms were discovered in a locked office on an administrative floor of the hospital that was occupied by a non-employee consultant,” a spokesperson for Hudson Regional Hospital said. “The items were immediately removed from the site and were impounded by Secaucus Police, who found no other presence of firearms in the building. Law enforcement subsequently has not approached Hudson Regional Hospital at any level regarding any legal issues related to the impounded items. If requested, we will provide further support to law enforcement regarding the continuing investigation into this matter.”

The hospital is now reviewing safety measures to avoid such issues in the future.

“The presence of weapons in a hospital is inexcusable beyond comprehension and contradicts our mission of care and our commitment to the safety of our community of staff, patients and the extended community,” the spokesperson added. “While regrettable, this incident has given us occasion to review security protocols and we have taken steps to assure that it will never happen again.”

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Secaucus is planning to remove a bus stop on Meadowlands Parkway.

The Town Council voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance at its July 26 meeting. Mayor Michael Gonnelli was absent from the meeting, so Third Ward Councilman Bill McKeever chaired the meeting.

The ordinance would remove a superfluous bus stop on Meadowlands Parkway, near the intersection of the street and Harmon Plaza.

Following the introduction of the ordinance, Town Administrator Gary Jeffas explained the crux of the change in an interview with the Hudson Reporter.

There’s a bus stop by Krauszer’s Food and Liquor at 40 Meadowlands Parkway and another by the Harmon Square shopping center at 38 Meadowlands Parkway. The town is consolidating the stops into one.

“We’re eliminating one of the bus stops,” Jeffas said.

According to Jeffas, the reason is that the bus stops are very close to one another on Meadowlands Parkway.

“It’s confusing,” Jeffas said. “They have two bus stops on a corner and on a corner. So we’re just formally deleting the one, so anybody who wants to take the bus knows they can go to one central bus stop.”

The solution to qualm the confusion would not be a major detriment to any riders, since the stops are in close proximity.

“It’s 40 feet away,” Jeffas said. “You basically just cross the street and it’s right there. So that was a kind of a redundancy and there was some confusion about people waiting in various locations.”

The ordinance is up for a public hearing and vote at an upcoming meeting. Gonnelli and the Town Council will meet next on August 23 at 7 p.m. in the first floor council chambers at Town Hall at 1203 Paterson Plank Road. For more information, go to secaucusnj.gov.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., who represents the 9th Congressional District of New Jersey which encompasses Secaucus, has announced $950,000 in federal funds to support the construction of the new senior center in the town.

On July 20, Pascrell hailed the U.S. House of Representatives passage of government appropriations for Fiscal Year 2023 that includes $16,815,000 for local projects he had championed. In sum, the package contains funding for all 11 community projects Pascrell had pursued for North Jersey in these pieces of legislation, including the Secaucus project.

Since Democrats’ resuscitation of community project funding, Pascrell has been aggressive in bringing funding back to North Jersey. In March 2022, Pascrell succeeded in winning over $11 million for 10 projects in the 9th District signed into law.

“The passage of this funding continues one of the most forward-looking actions Congress has taken in many years,” said Rep. Pascrell. “These federal funds we won today in the House are an investment directly into our beautiful communities. The very purpose of good government is to better the daily lives of our neighbors. Today we did that. It is not hyperbole to say that countless lives will be bettered by these projects in the way of better roads, cleaner water, safer housing, and vibrant space for our kids. The Senate should finish the job we just started and sending this funding to President Biden’s desk.”

Federal monies for new senior center

The move to construct a new senior center came after the town realized that oil tanks underneath the old center had been leaking for a number of years. Environmental remediation work needed to be done at the three buildings that composed the old center, but because some of the contamination leached under the foundation, it was cheaper to start from scratch then to remediate the existing center. The old center was demolished before contaminated soil that was formerly beneath the building was removed.

Now plans are in the works for the new center. While the new building will primarily serve as a senior center during the day time, for the rest of the day and evening the facility will serve as a community center for residents to hold events and meetings. When the new senior center opens, it will be larger and more accessible to the handicapped. Amid the ongoing construction, the community center on Front Street is functioning as a makeshift senior center.

In response to the announcement, Town Administrator Gary Jeffas told the Hudson Reporter that Pascrell’s office had been working on appropriations for the project which totals approximately $7.8 million.

“We put everything through appropriations with requests for money for the senior center, and Pascrell was working on that for us,” Jeffas said.

Project still in planning phases

The funds will apply to any needs by the town related to the construction of the senior center. In addition to these funds, town bonds, reserves, grants, and other money will help cover the cost of the project.

“The project is far in excess of that for the overall cost, so we were looking for any sources,” Jeffas said. “This is part of the overall funding for the construction of the new senior center.”

Jeffas said the senior center was still in the planning phases, with the town having hired an architect for the project in late May. Demolition of the old senior center and environmental remediation of the site is complete. The town is awaiting the completion of the design of the building, estimating the project will go out to bid around next Spring.

While the new senior center at 101 Centre Avenue is in the works, the community center at 145 Front Street serves as an interim senior center. In addition to the funds for the senior center, Pascrell also secured $1.75 million for Hudson County roads in the appropriations.

However, the appropriations, although likely, are not locked in yet. They still must pass the U.S. Senate, and then okayed by President Joe Biden. Regardless, the town is still thrilled at the progress.

“We’re over the first hurdle now,” Jeffas said of the funds.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].