Lacey man indicted on charges he threatened Amazon driver’s life in ‘racist’ neighborhood

TOMS RIVER - A Lacey man was indicted Thursday on charges of bias intimidation and making terroristic threats, after authorities said he used his car to stop an Amazon delivery vehicle near his home, then confronted the driver and threatened to shoot him in the head upon asking him if he was aware he had entered a racist neighborhood.

John Vincentini, 62, also questioned the driver as to why was on the cul-de-sac and asked the victim whether he should go back to his car and get his rifle, said Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

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S. Karl Mohel, a Toms River-based defense attorney, who represents Vincentini, said that isn’t what happened.

Mohel explained Friday that his client “told the (Amazon) driver not to race through a residential neighborhood,” not that it was a racist neighborhood.

“I was hoping for an intellectual and realistic analysis by the state, but alas, the state disappoints with a simplistic approach,” Mohel said.

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An investigation into the Sept. 5 incident was conducted by the Bias Crime Unit of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Detective Bureau of the Lacey Police Department.

After the confrontation, the Amazon driver drove away and contacted Lacey Police. Vincentini surrendered to police on Oct. 5 and was released on a summons pending the outcome of the case, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

Senior Assistant Prosecutor Ashley Angelo and Assistant Prosecutor Julie Peterson presented the case to the grand jury.

The location of the cul-de-sac within Lacey has not been released by the Prosecutor’s Office.

Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Lacey NJ man indicted in bias crime against Amazon driver: Prosecutor