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Crime & Safety

Two Men Indicted In Toms River Home Invasion Robbery

Trenton pair named in September 2012 incident

A pair of Trenton men have been indicted in connection with a September 2012 home invasion robbery in Toms River where a couple were tied up while their home was ransacked.

Alexander Lora, 33, and Christopher L. Upshur, 22, both of Trenton were indicted on one count each of first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree burglary in connection with the Sept. 20 incident by an Ocean County grand jury sitting in Toms River.

According to police reports at the time, three men armed with handguns and wearing ski masks forced open a locked sliding glass door to a bi-level home on Colonial Drive, tied up the husband and wife who lived there and tore the house apart looking for safes. The men took two 2-foot by 2-foot safes, cash, antique jewelry and newer jewelry, police said, and the report said the home may have been targeted because the couple was in the jewelry business.

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Lora was arrested in October in connection with a string of home invasion robberies after evidence at one led police to him, according to an article in the Times of Trenton. Items stolen from a number of homes were found in Lora's home, the report said. Upshur was arrested a day later when Toms River police and Trenton police executing a search warrant at his Trenton home found items connecting him to one of the robberies involving Lora.

Lora posted $250,000 bail, no 10 percent option, on Nov. 11, with no contact with the victims as a condition of bail. Upshur remains in the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, in lieu of $250,000 cash bail.

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Others recently indicted by the grand jury:

Jenifer L. Adams of Toms River, on two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and four counts of possession of a prescription legend drug, on June 7, 2012, in Jackson. She is accused of having Zolpidem, Carisoprodol, Buspirone, Spironolactone, Sucralfate and Metoclopramide in her possession without prescriptions. Adams was released on a summons.

Nicholas S. Mayer, Michael J. Mayer and John P. Hafner, all of Toms River, on robbery and drug charges in connection with incidents on Feb. 14 and March 2 in Toms River. Nicholas Mayer was indicted on counts of robbery in the second degree, attempted distribution of an imitation controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, clonazepam and oxycodone, and forgery for passing three fake $100 bills and one fake $20. Michael Mayer was indicted on one count of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, oxycodone. John P. Hafner was indicted on a charge of attempting to distribute an immitation controlled dangerous substance. Nicholas Mayer was released on $20,000 bail with a 10 percent option on Feb. 2. Michael Mayer also was released on $10,000 bail with a 10 percent option on Feb. 2. Hafner was released on a summons.

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