TRENTON
- Attorney General Zulima V. Farber announced
that a former Hudson County sheriff’s
officer was sentenced today for devising
an elaborate scheme to cheat on a promotional
exam for the position of sergeant in the
sheriff’s office.
Division
of Criminal Justice Director Gregory A.
Paw said that former Hudson County Sheriff’s
Officer John Ramos, 48, of Bethlehem, Pa.,
was sentenced today to three years in state
prison by Superior Court Judge Edward M.
Neafsey of Monmouth County. Ramos also was
ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and was permanently
barred from future government positions.
Ramos pleaded guilty before Judge Neafsey
on Oct. 31 to second-degree official misconduct.
“This
defendant would stop at nothing to advance
his law enforcement career, including breaking
the laws he had sworn to uphold,”
said Attorney General Farber. “This
sentence sends a strong message that we
will not tolerate those who use their official
positions for corrupt purposes.”
Ramos’
accomplice, Damon P. Basano, 29, of North
Bergen, a former state Department of Human
Services police officer, was sentenced in
April to five years in state prison after
being convicted following a jury trial of
multiple counts of official misconduct,
tampering with public records or information,
and falsifying or tampering with records.
A
Division of Criminal Justice investigation
determined that Ramos made arrangements
to have Bassano impersonate him and take
the sergeants promotional exam in his place
on March 20, 2003. In order to carry out
the scheme, Ramos created numerous fraudulent
documents, including a Hudson County Sheriff’s
Office credential with all of Ramos’
personal information, but bearing Bassano’s
photograph; a fraudulent Hoboken Housing
Authority identification; a duplicate, non-photo
New Jersey driver’s license issued
to Ramos; and a duplicate Social Security
card issued to Ramos that he had Bassano
sign as “John Ramos.” On the
day of the exam, Bassano signed in for the
test as Ramos, but he left before the test
was administered because he recognized other
sheriff’s officers from Hudson County.
In exchange for Bassano taking the test,
Ramos had offered to forgive a debt of $200
to $500 and to assist Bassano in applying
for a position in the Hudson County Sheriff’s
Office.
The investigation was conducted by Detective
Sgt. Myles A. Cappiello, New Jersey State
Police - Official Corruption Unit assigned
to the Division of Criminal Justice - Special
Prosecutions Bureau, and State Investigator
Scott Donlan of the Division of Criminal
Justice - Special Prosecutions Bureau. The
case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General
Anthony Picione of the Special Prosecutions
Bureau. The Hudson County Sheriff’s
Office provided administrative assistance.
Additional
information is available via the Division
of Criminal Justice Web site at www.njdcj.org.
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