WOODCLIFF LAKE—A former Woodcliff Lake man was convicted of aggravated sexual assault and related charges in connection with the assault of a child under the age of 13, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced on Nov. 6.
Marcelo Velez, 59, was found guilty by a Bergen County jury on Oct. 29 after a three-week trial. The trial, which began earlier in October, was presided over by Judge James X. Sattely in Bergen County Superior Court. Velez was convicted of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of sexual contact, and endangering the welfare of a child. Sentencing is set for Jan. 24, 2025, and Velez faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole under New Jersey’s Lunsford Act.
The investigation began on Jan. 3, 2021, when the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit received a report from the Woodcliff Lake Police Department regarding an alleged sexual assault. Prosecutors said the investigation revealed that Velez had engaged in sexual acts with a child at his home in Woodcliff Lake. He was arrested soon after by detectives from the Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Woodcliff Lake Police Department.
Assistant Prosecutors Natalie Candela and Bethany Ventola led the case for the state, with support from Detectives James Paolozzi of the Major Crimes Unit and Diane DaSilva of the Special Victims Unit. Victim Advocate Angi Mejia-Valerio also provided assistance. Velez was represented by attorneys Brian Neary, Danielle Ciniello, and Maury Winkler.
Prosecutor Musella praised the work of his team, including Candela and Ventola, for their advocacy on behalf of the victim. He also commended Detectives Paolozzi and DaSilva, along with the Woodcliff Lake Police Department, for their professionalism in the investigation.
This conviction underscores the commitment of Bergen County law enforcement to pursuing justice for victims of sexual assault, Musella said.