Six members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office have been recognized for exceptional performance in 2025 by law enforcement partners and organizations. These awards highlight investigative excellence and efforts made by the HCPO to build a safer community.
“The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office is comprised of some of the finest and most talented law enforcement officers in the nation,” Acting Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello said. “These six investigators are exemplary public servants who have demonstrated their commitment to seeking justice and holding individuals accountable for their actions.”
Det. Katelyn Robertello, assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Det. Josh Skolnick, of the Cybercrimes Unit, are the recipients of the Significant Case Award from the Secret Service for a child sexual abuse material investigation that resulted in the arrest of a Kearny man. Additionally, Skolnick is being recognized by the National Computer Forensics Institute as one of the top-performing forensic investigators in the nation.
Dets. Sean Kennedy and Gregory Bleich, who have both served on the United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, were recognized by the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation for their investigative work on the Hudson/Passaic county team.
The Hudson/Passaic County team has apprehended more than 200 fugitives this year, including a suspect wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Jersey City in 2024. Kennedy was also presented an award for Case of the Year by the United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force relating to the apprehension of a man wanted in connection with a homicide in Jersey City in 2025.
Kennedy currently serves in an on-loan capacity with the United States Marshals Service.
Lt. Nicole Bradley and Det. Michael Patti, both assigned to the Gang Task Force, were recognized by the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation as Investigators of the Year for their participation in a multi-jurisdiction investigation that led to the arrest of 19. The investigation also resulted in the recovery of seven firearms and various narcotics.
“These well-deserved recognitions reflect our commitment as an Office to serving the residents of Hudson County,” Chief of Detectives Matthew Gasiorowski said. “I commend each of these individuals for a job well done and look forward to their continued professional success in the New Year.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.