Hudson County weekly charges: 96 people charged, 9 facing gun counts, including a task force rifle case, Oct. 12–18

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office’s weekly felony complaint list for Oct. 12 to Oct. 18, 2026, shows 96 people facing 285 charges on 115 complaints, according to records Hudson TV obtained under the Open Public Records Act. Nine people face firearm charges, including a Bloomfield man the Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force arrested Oct. 14 in a rifle investigation that began in Kearny. The list also includes robbery charges in Hoboken and Jersey City and a sexual assault charge in Jersey City. No homicide charges appear on it.

Jersey City accounted for 158 of the 285 charges, against 42 people. Hoboken had 13 people charged, Bayonne 10, North Bergen 7 and Kearny 6.

These are charges, not convictions. Everyone named or counted here is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Hudson TV counted every line of the spreadsheet the Prosecutor’s Office released Oct. 21. A charge’s status can change as prosecutors review it.

The most serious charges

Task force rifle case: Members of the Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force arrested Melvin Valentin of Bloomfield on Oct. 14 at about 5 a.m. in Bloomfield, according to three HCPO arrest reports released with the list. The reports say a court-authorized arrest warrant was executed “in relation to a controlled purchase of a rifle on September 2, 2026,” in Kearny. On the Prosecutor’s Office complaint, he is charged with unlawful possession of a rifle or shotgun, having a large-capacity magazine, and a weapons manufacturing, transport and defacement count. Two more warrants listed on the arrest reports add charges including having a handgun without a permit, a defaced firearm, more rifle and large-capacity magazine counts, and receiving stolen property. The reports say he was taken to the Hudson County Correctional Facility to await a first appearance. In screening.

Robbery, Hoboken: Nathen D. Morales of Hoboken is charged with robbery by inflicting bodily injury or using force, and simple assault, on a Hoboken complaint dated Oct. 14. In screening, meaning prosecutors are reviewing the charges.

Robbery, Jersey City: Rashawn J. Johnson of Jersey City is charged with robbery by inflicting bodily injury or using force on a Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 15. The spreadsheet lists no other charges in that complaint. In screening.

Attempted robbery, Jersey City: Markayla M. Smith of Brooklyn is charged with attempted robbery, theft and burglary on a Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 15. In screening.

Sex offenses: Four people face sex-offense charges on this week’s list. A Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 13 charges one person with sexual assault by force or coercion and criminal sexual contact. A Union City complaint dated Oct. 15 charges one person with luring or enticing a child. A Bayonne man was arrested Oct. 13 by the Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children unit on a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, according to an HCPO arrest report; the office announced that charge Oct. 14 (Hudson TV’s report). A Hoboken lewdness complaint dated Oct. 15 was closed at the initial stage. Hudson TV is not naming the defendants in these cases, to protect the victims.

Guns

Nine people face firearm charges, eight of them on Jersey City or Harrison complaints and one on the Prosecutor’s Office complaint above:

• Marvin Jones of Union City: aggravated assault by knowingly pointing a firearm at another person, having a handgun without a permit, possessing a firearm for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief, on a Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 15. A second Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 16 charges him as a person not allowed to have weapons because of a prior conviction, plus making terroristic threats, and a third dated Oct. 16 lists drug distribution charges, including near a school.
• Harold R. Gittens of Jersey City: a person not allowed to have weapons because of a prior conviction, having a firearm without a serial number and having a large-capacity magazine, on a Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 16.
• Sierra V. Wright of Jersey City: having a firearm without a serial number and having a large-capacity magazine, on a Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 16.
• Oscar Bonilla of Jersey City: having a defaced firearm and being a person not allowed to have weapons because of a prior conviction, on a Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 15.
• Nasir Wise of Irvington and Yandel Rivera of Jersey City: each charged with having a handgun without a permit and possessing an imitation firearm for an unlawful purpose, on separate Jersey City complaints dated Oct. 16.
• Haydean Rutan of Bayonne: possessing a firearm for an unlawful purpose, having an air or spring pistol, making terroristic threats, burglary, theft and criminal mischief, on a Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 13.
• Jacob S. Hughes of Harrison: having a handgun without a permit, on a Harrison complaint dated Oct. 13.

Other cases on the list

• Burglaries and thefts in Jersey City: Erik Martinez of Lyndhurst faces 15 charges on eight Jersey City complaints dated Oct. 14, including burglary, residential burglary, theft, possessing burglary tools and criminal mischief. In screening.
• Assaults on officers: Nnamdi Smart-Hutchinson of Jersey City (Jersey City complaint dated Oct. 13) and Jayden M. Lima of Jersey City (Kearny complaint dated Oct. 15) are each charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, along with obstruction counts. A third officer-assault charge, on a Bayonne complaint dated Oct. 13, was closed at the initial stage and listed as simple assault.
• Bus driver assault, Hoboken: Justina Sanchezescarcega of Hoboken is charged with aggravated assault on a bus driver or supervisor and simple assault, on a Hoboken complaint dated Oct. 16. In screening.
• Drug cases: 79 drug charges against 23 people. Isaiah Barber of Jersey City faces 10 drug counts and Anthony King of Jersey City faces eight, including distribution near a school, on Jersey City complaints dated Oct. 15 and Oct. 16. Marquis S. Rivera of Bayonne is charged with maintaining or operating a drug production facility, among six counts on a Bayonne complaint dated Oct. 15.
• Domestic violence: Eight people face charges marked or described as domestic violence, including restraining-order violations, aggravated assault on a domestic violence victim and strangling a domestic violence victim. Under Hudson TV’s policy, we don’t name people in domestic violence cases unless someone died.

By town

Town is where the complaint was filed, not where the person lives. One complaint was filed by the Prosecutor’s Office itself. No one was charged in more than one town this week.

By type of charge

Hudson TV grouped each charge by the New Jersey statute listed as its initial charge. One person can face several types of charges, so the People column doesn’t add up to 96.

What the list shows, and what it doesn’t

The spreadsheet lists criminal complaints by complaint date; this week’s run from Oct. 12 to Oct. 17. It doesn’t show arrest dates or whether someone was held. Most charge lines (242) are marked “screening,” meaning prosecutors are still reviewing them. Forty-one are marked “closed” at the initial stage, which can mean a charge was downgraded or sent to municipal court. It is not a verdict. Two are marked “domestic violence.”

The Prosecutor’s Office said it redacted signatures, personal identifying information such as birth dates and street addresses, and booking photos. The letter lists no record withheld in full. Hudson TV is publishing the spreadsheet with names, home addresses and case numbers removed, along with the office’s response letter (spreadsheet, letter). We are not publishing the arrest reports because they include personal details. Court records for individual cases can be searched through the New Jersey Courts case search.

Hudson TV asks: Where should Hudson County put more effort: Getting illegal guns off the street, or stopping street robberies and burglaries? Share your take in the comments.

Know something about a case? Tips are anonymous. Email info@hudsontv.com or text 862-417-6695.