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TRENTON
- Attorney General Stuart Rabner and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw today announced
that a Borough of Roselle police officer
has pleaded guilty to official misconduct
for his role in an insurance fraud scam.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, John A. Smith, 37, of Columbus, a
police officer with the Borough of Roselle,
pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge
James C. Heimlich in Union County to third-degree
official misconduct, a charge contained
in a Dec. 6, 2006 state grand jury indictment.
Smith had been charged in a superseding
indictment which also included a Plainfield
Police Detective and seven other defendants
who were previously indicted on Aug. 9.
The eight other defendants have plead guilty
and are pending sentencing.
At
the April 16 guilty plea hearing, Smith
admitted that, in his role as an officer
with the Roselle Police Department, he filed
a false police report regarding an accident
that allegedly occurred on December 11,
2002. Smith admitted that he made the report
appear that he was present at the scene
and was reporting events and information
that he personally observed. He further
admitted that, in fact, he was never at
the alleged scene, but rather created his
report entirely at the behest of co-defendant
Marco Rebelo who provided all the pertinent
details contained in the report. This report
was then used by other co-defendants to
substantiate a false insurance claim to
Clarendon National Insurance Company.
The
other police officer, Samad Abdel, pled
guilty on December 18, 2006, and is scheduled
to be sentenced on May 18, 2007.
State
Investigators Thomas Harrington and Lisa
Egan, Civil Investigators Raymond Britton,
Arthur Williams and Joseph Burro, Administrative
Analyst Christine Runkle and Deputy Attorney
General Joseph J. Egan Jr. handled the case.
Smith
is scheduled to appear before Judge Heimlich
on June 15 to be sentenced. Third-degree
crimes carry sentences of up to five years
in state prison, and a criminal fine of
up to $15,000. Smith also faces civil insurance
fraud fines.
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