Paterson Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Violating Civil Rights
A Paterson police officer has pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the civil rights of individuals in Paterson and filing a false police report, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Police Officer Matthew Torres, 30, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to violate individuals’ civil rights and filing a false police report.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Torres, along with other Paterson police officers, including Eudy Ramos, Jonathan Bustios, and Daniel Pent, stopped and searched motor vehicles without any justification and stole cash and other items from the occupants of the motor vehicles. Torres and the other officers sometimes used fake paperwork to trick individuals into believing that the cash seizures and vehicle stops represented legitimate law enforcement encounters.
To cover up their criminal activity, Torres and his fellow officers filed false police reports. For example, on December 7, 2017, while on duty, Torres and Ramos conducted a vehicle stop in Paterson. Torres and Ramos searched the vehicle, the driver, and the passenger. The passenger advised Torres and Ramos that he had a small quantity of marijuana. He also had approximately $3,100. Ramos and Torres told the passenger that they could take $500 from the passenger and have him sign a piece of paper. Ramos then placed a call, purportedly to his superior, and told the passenger that the superior officer said it had to be $800. Ramos took out a piece of white paper, wrote something on it, and told the passenger to sign it. Afterwards, Torres and Ramos released the driver and passenger. Torres and Ramos stole approximately $800 from the passenger, and they shared the stolen cash proceeds.
The conspiracy to violate civil rights charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The false records count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum fine for each count is $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Troy Oswald, and the Paterson Police Department Office of Internal Affairs, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division. Defense counsel is John C. Whipple Esq. of Morristown, New Jersey.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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