Story by Ethan
On August 16th, 2025, the arrest of Nicholas M. Scarano, age 23, was announced by Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. Nicholas M. Scarano was charged with second-degree bias intimidation, third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree false public alarm, and third-degree computer criminal activity. The arrest and charges against Nicholas M. Scarano were a result of an investigation launched by Chief Matthew Finck of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and Chief Matthew J. Hintze of the Fort Lee Police Department.
According to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, on August 14th, 2025, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office were notified by the Fort Lee Police Department of 411 residents of the Condominium Complex in Fort Lee, New Jersey receiving threatening biased emails. The messages contained explicit language and threats targeted against Jewish and African American individuals, sent from an unknown individual that got access to the building’s online management and communications. An investigation was launched and detectives were able to trace the internet activity back to Nicholas M. Scarano. On August 15th, 2025, Nicholas M. Scarano was located and apprehended, as well as a court-authorized search warrant being executed at his residence. The continued investigation revealed that Nicholas M. Scarano had allegedly used two devices to unlawfully gain access and use the complex’s online management and communication system in order to mass send the threatening messages.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Nicholas M. Scarano are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
