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TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor
announced that a suspended detective with
the New Jersey State Police was indicted
today for allegedly holding an unauthorized
full-time job as an investigator for a private
insurance company and performing that job
while on duty for the State Police.
According
to Director Taylor, James A. DeLorenzo,
54, of Blairstown, a 28-year veteran of
the State Police who holds the rank of detective
sergeant first class, was named in an eight-count
state grand jury indictment charging him
with four counts of official misconduct
(2nd degree) and one count each of pattern
of official misconduct (2nd degree), computer
theft (2nd degree), theft by deception (3rd
degree), and tampering with public records
or information (3rd degree).
The
indictment is the result of an investigation
by the State Police Office of Professional
Standards and the Division of Criminal Justice.
Deputy Attorney General Michael A. Monahan
presented the case to the state grand jury
for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau.
DeLorenzo
was suspended without pay by the State Police
in August 2009, after it was learned that
for 18 months, he allegedly had been concurrently
employed full-time as an investigator for
an insurance company without the knowledge
or authorization of the State Police. The
State Police requires members to receive
approval for secondary employment. In his
job application to the insurance company
in January 2008, DeLorenzo indicated he
did not have any other job.
The
indictment alleges that DeLorezo often performed
work for the insurance company – including
witness interviews, telephone calls and
document pickup or delivery – during
his State Police shift. The indictment alleges
that he falsified required electronic time
records of his daily activities for the
State Police to conceal the fact that he
was working for the insurance company while
on duty. In addition, he allegedly used
State Police vehicles while working for
the insurance company, and unlawfully obtained
an investigation report from the State Police
computer system to give to the insurance
company.
It
is further alleged that after uncovering
likely insurance fraud while working for
the insurance company and indicating to
the company that he would report it to the
Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
in the Division of Criminal Justice, DeLorenzo
purposely failed to refer the cases to OIFP
so that he could conceal his secondary employment
from the State Police.
Second-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years
in state prison and a criminal fine of $150,000,
while third-degree crimes carry a maximum
sentence of five years in state prison and
a $15,000 fine. The indictment is merely
an accusation and the defendant is presumed
innocent until proven guilty.
The
indictment was handed up to Superior Court
Judge Pedro J. Jimenez Jr. in Mercer County,
who assigned the case to Essex County, where
DeLorenzo will be ordered to appear in court
at a later date to answer the charges.
A
copy of the indictment is posted with this
release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
Attorney
General Dow credited the State Police Office
of Professional Standards for its investigation.
Deputy Attorney General Monahan was assisted
by staff in the Division of Criminal Justice
Corruption Bureau, including Analyst Kathleen
Ratliff and Michelle Scala.
Attorney
General Dow and Director Taylor noted that
the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau has established a toll-free Corruption
Tipline for the public to report corruption,
financial crime and other illegal activities.
The statewide Corruption Tipline is 1-866-TIPS-4CJ.
Additionally, the public can log on to the
Division of Criminal Justice Web page at
www.njdcj.org
to report suspected wrongdoing. All information
received through the Division of Criminal
Justice Corruption Tipline or Web page will
remain confidential.
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