| TRENTON
- Attorney General Zulima V. Farber today
announced that a former Human Services Police
Officer convicted for participating in a
scheme to cheat on a 2003 Department of
Personnel promotional examination testing
for the position of Hudson County Sheriff’s
Office Sergeant has been sentenced to five
years in state prison. The sentence was
imposed by Monmouth County Superior Court
Judge Bette E. Uhrmacher following the March
2 conviction..
“This is a significant sentence which
sends a loud and clear message that individuals
who use their official position for corrupt
purposes will be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of the law and will serve hard time
in jail,” said Attorney General Farber.
Division of Criminal Justice Director Gregory
A. Paw said that former Human Services Police
Officer Damon P. Bassano, 28, North Bergen,
Hudson County, was sentenced to five years
in state prison, ordered to pay a $2,000
fine and was permanently barred from future
government positions. Judge Urmacher revoked
bail. Bassano was immediately remanded to
jail.
Director paw noted that following a week-long
jury trial, Bassano was convicted of multiple
counts of official misconduct, tampering
with public records or information, and
falsifying or tampering with records. The
jury acquitted Bassano of one count of impersonation
- identity theft. Bassano was formerly employed
as a campus police officer at the Stevens
Institute of Technology and later as a Human
Services Police Officer. Bassano resigned
his position as a Human Services Police
Officer in June, 2005.
Director Paw noted that Bassano was charged
via a Sept. 21, 2005 state grand jury indictment.
The indictment resulted from a Division
of Criminal Justice investigation targeting
alleged cheating on a promotional examination
by former Hudson County Sheriff’s
Officer John Ramos. Ramos, 47, of Bethlehem,
PA, was charged in a June 9, 2005 State
Grand Jury indictment with multiple counts
of official misconduct, tampering with public
records, and impersonation. Ramos pleaded
guilty before Monmouth County Superior Court
Judge Edward Neafsey on Oct. 31. Ramos is
scheduled to be sentenced on April 14.
The Ramos-Bassano investigation determined
that in late 2002 and early 2003, Ramos
made arrangements to have Bassano take the
Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Sergeants
promotional examination scheduled for March,
2003 in his stead. The indictments charged
that Ramos undertook extraordinary steps
to perpetuate the impersonation.
The investigation revealed that Ramos created
numerous fraudulent documents, including
a Hudson County Sheriff’s Department
credential and badge with all of his (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 John Ramos; and a duplicate, unsigned
Social Security card issued to Ramos and
bearing Ramos’ Social Security number.
In exchange for Bassano taking the test,
Ramos offered to forgive a debt of between
$300 - $500 and to assist Bassano in applying
for a position in the Hudson County Sheriff’s
Office.
The investigation was conducted by DSG Myles
A. Cappiello, New Jersey State Police -
Official Corruption Unit and 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
prosecution and trial was coordinated by
Deputy Attorney General Anthony Picione
of the Division of Criminal Justice - 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.
#
# #
|
