New Jersey Man Charged Following Incident at Newark Federal Building
NEWARK, NJ – A New Jersey man has been charged with federal offenses following an incident at the Peter Rodino Federal Building in Newark last week, announced the U.S.Attorney’s Office for the district of New Jersey.
Keith Michael Lisa, 51, of Barnegat, New Jersey, was charged via complaint with possession of a hazardous weapon in a federal facility and depredation of federal property. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte on November 17, 2025, and was ordered detained.
According to court documents, Lisa entered the federal building on November 12, 2025, at approximately 5:00 PM, carrying a full-sized aluminum baseball bat. After being informed by security that the bat was prohibited, Lisa briefly left the building and returned without the weapon. Witnesses reported he appeared visibly agitated and was making threatening statements, including expressing intent to damage the building, while in the U.S. Attorney’s Office reception area.
Lisa afterward damaged federal property by knocking framed items from the walls as he exited the building. Following the incident,law enforcement initiated a search for Lisa,who evaded immediate arrest and went into hiding. A coordinated effort involving multiple agencies ultimately led to his apprehension in the early morning hours of November 15.
The investigation was conducted by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the U.S. Marshals Service,under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos,Jr.; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, led by Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; homeland security Investigations (HSI) New York, led by Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel; the Federal Protective Service, under the direction of director Faron K. Paramore; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel patrick J. Callahan; the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G.Mastronardy; and the Mahwah and Barnegat Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ari B. Fontecchio and Lauren Kober of the Newark Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Defense counsel is Assistant Federal defender Candace Hom, Esq.
###
