Three men indicted in wake of Jackson resident’s murder

JACKSON – Three men allegedly linked to the April murder of Jackson resident Payman Sanandaji, 34, have been indicted by a state Superior Court Grand Jury after an investigation into the crime revealed an alleged murder plot.

According to the Dec. 10 indictment, Daniele G. Romeodisantillo, 28, of Manalapan, offered to pay Hector Calderon, 48, of Freehold Borough, to kill Sanandaji.

The indictment does not indicate why Romeodisantillo allegedly wanted Sanandaji killed. Romeodisantillo and Calderon were both indicted in connection with Sanandaji’s death.

A third individual, Eric Prosniewski, was indicted on a count of allegedly hindering the apprehension or prosecution of Romeodisantillo. Prosniewski is a suspended Jackson police officer.

Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Al Della Fave said the indictment was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Jackson police and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigation unit.

Sanandaji was shot to death in the closed Casanova Ristorante in Romeo’s Plaza, South New Prospect and Bennetts Mills roads, Jackson, just before 11 p.m. April 9. Officials have not said why Sanandaji and his killers were in the restaurant, which had been closed for some time.

Della Fave said in a press release following the indictments that the murder allegedly took place during an altercation between Sanandaji and Calderon.

On April 10, law enforcement personnel arrested Calderon at his home in Freehold Borough. Romeodisantillo surrendered to police on April 17.

According to the indictment, Romeodisantillo and Calderon were charged with first degree murder because of the allegedly premeditated nature of the killing.

The two men were also charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose after the investigation revealed they were in possession of a .380 Micro Desert Eagle handgun.

Romeodisantillo was also charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a handgun (a .357 Magnum) and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose.

The Grand Jury also indicted Romeodisantillo on a count of financial facilitation of criminal activity for allegedly working to “direct, organize, finance, plan, manage, supervise” the transportation or transaction of property valued between $75,000 and $500,000 in relation to the killing.

According to the indictment, those efforts allegedly took place between July 15, 2014 and Jan. 17, 2015 and occurred in Jackson, Freehold Borough, Manalapan, Englishtown, Marlboro, Old Bridge, Plainsboro and Sayreville.

Romeodisantillo was also indicted on a count of theft by deception for allegedly obtaining at least $75,000 worth of property from Sanandaji from July 15, 2014 to April 9, 2015 in those same locations.

Authorities allege Romeodisantillo was obtaining the property by “reinforcing the false impression he was using the monies … in furtherance of their business purposes.” What those “business purposes” were have not been disclosed.

Romeodisantillo and Prosniewski were indicted on counts of hindering apprehension or prosecution for allegedly providing false information to law enforcement authorities.

Prosniewski, 46, of Jackson, was an officer who had been employed with the Jackson Police Department for more than 11 years when he was taken into custody on May 14. He was charged with hindering the investigation into Sanandaji’s murder and suspended from his job without pay.

According to the indictment, Romeodisantillo allegedly lied to police on April 9 and April 10. In one instance, officials said, he told a law enforcement officer he called Prosniewski to inform him someone had been injured at Romeo’s Pizza.

Prosniewski, officials said, allegedly attempted to hinder the investigation by telling investigators Romeodisantillo did not say anything about the murder during a telephone conversation following the incident.

Prosniewski also allegedly stated that he never contacted an individual on April 8 who knew Sanandaji to “determine what type of person Sanandaji was and to communicate that information to Romeodisantillo.”