Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Home
OAG Contact
spacer
Back to News Releases
OAG Home Attorney General's Biography
Attorney General's Biography

spacer spacer spacer
 
spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
For Immediate Release:
For Further Information:
January 15, 2013 

Office of The Attorney General
- Jeffrey S. Chiesa, Attorney General
Division of Criminal Justice  
- Stephen J. Taylor, Director 
Media Inquiries-
Peter Aseltine
609-292-4791


Citizen Inquiries-

609-984-5828
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
State Police Employee Charged with Posing as Inspector to Force Two Vendors to Give Her Free Generator After Hurricane Sandy
Charge filed by New Jersey State Police & Division of Criminal Justice
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
TRENTON – Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced that a civilian employee of the New Jersey State Police was charged today with posing as an inspector to coerce two men from South Carolina into giving her one of the generators they were selling at a roadside location in Burlington County, N.J., after Hurricane Sandy.

Marcella Friedman, 49, of Oaklyn, N.J., who is employed as a State Police communications systems technician, was charged by complaint with third-degree theft by deception.  State Police detectives served a summons on her today.  The charge stems from an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption Bureau and the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau, which will prosecute the case.

It is alleged that on Oct. 31, 2012, Friedman confronted two men from South Carolina who were selling generators at the intersection of Routes 206 and 537 in Springfield, Burlington County. She was wearing a field jacket with the State Police logo and was carrying a handheld police radio. Friedman allegedly falsely represented that she had authority to regulate vendors and shut down those without a permit. She allegedly threatened to fine the men and confiscate their merchandise, but said she would allow them to continue selling generators if they gave her a generator free of charge. It is alleged that the two men gave Friedman an 8,500-watt generator, which she gave to a relative, who then sold it to an unknowing third party. She was on disability leave from the State Police at the time and remains on leave.

“It’s unconscionable that anyone would use their employment with a law enforcement agency or the trappings of that agency to unlawfully obtain a benefit, as alleged here,” said Attorney General Chiesa. “We will not tolerate this type of misconduct, which has the potential to undermine public trust in law enforcement. The State Police swiftly investigated and uncovered this alleged conduct.”

“We will continue to work with the New Jersey State Police to target corruption at all levels of government and send a strong deterrent message to those who would exploit their positions for personal gain,” said Director Stephen J. Taylor of the Division of Criminal Justice.

“Our troopers and civilian employees sacrificed so much in their response to Hurricane Sandy, many working days without ever returning home. To see anyone abusing the State Police name for personal gain in the wake of this disaster is contemptible,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000. The complaint is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Because the charge is an indictable offense, the case will be presented to a state grand jury for potential indictment.

The case was investigated by Lt. Gary Sandes of the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption Bureau and Deputy Attorney General Peter W. Lee of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.

###

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
 
 
Contact OAG About OAG
OAG News OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Library Employment
OAG Grants Proposed Rules
OAG History OAG Services A-Z
OAG Agencies / Programs / Units
Other News Pages Otras Noticias en Español Division of NJ State Police Division of Law News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Gaming Enforcement News
NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News

free PDF plugin

NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement
NJ Home Logo
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
This page is maintained by OAG Communications. Comments/Questions: email or call 609-292-4925
OAG Home OAG Home NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News Click to Enlarge Image Click to Enlarge Image Click to Enlarge Graphic Click to enlarge chart Click to enlarge map