Day: August 22, 2022

Mercer County, Trenton

Charges Announced Against Trenton Police Officer Who Allegedly Hid Gang Ties, Conspired With Imprisoned Latin Kings Member

Rudy Lopez, 36, of Hamilton has been charged with official misconduct, conspiracy and tampering with public records.

Trenton, N.J. – Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced charges against a Trenton police officer, alleging he falsified his job application to conceal his connections to a street gang and conspired to help an inmate plan a retaliatory assault.

Rudy Lopez, 36, of Hamilton has been charged with official misconduct, conspiracy and tampering with public records.

According to the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) in the state Attorney General’s Office, Lopez — a Trenton police officer since September 2020 — fraudulently denied on his job application that he was associating with gang members, all while regularly communicating with an imprisoned member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation. Lopez is currently suspended without pay, according to the City of Trenton.

“This administration will not allow violations of the public trust, and that applies equally to law enforcement officers. As for Mr. Lopez, he is currently suspended without pay and will remain so until the adjudication of the charges against him.” — Timothy J. Carroll, Public Information Officer, City of Trenton.

“Police officers who betray their oaths erode the public’s trust in law enforcement, undermining the image of the vast majority of upstanding public servants who wear the badge and risk their lives to uphold the law,” Acting Attorney General Platkin said. “We expect our police officers to be above this kind of behavior, and those who engage in criminal conduct will be held accountable.”

“Instead of serving his community and making it safer, we allege Officer Rudy Lopez was colluding and sharing sensitive information with a convicted felon,” said OPIA Executive Director Thomas Eicher. “We will have no tolerance for suspected gang associates infiltrating the ranks of New Jersey’s police agencies.” 

Authorities say that prior to his suspension, Lopez had been in regular contact with a prisoner who is a gang member.

Lopez and the incarcerated individual discussed an assault as retribution against a suspected cooperating witness, who the pair believed had provided information used to put Lopez’s alleged co-conspirator behind bars.

Investigators say Lopez also offered to track down the intended target’s location, and relayed that information to the inmate with whom the officer was allegedly colluding.

The official misconduct and conspiracy charges are both second-degree and carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Tampering with public records is a third-degree crime that could trigger a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Samuel Rubinstein, Travis Miscia and Jeffrey Conrad of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, under the supervision of OPIA Corruption Bureau Chief Peter Lee and OPIA Deputy Director Anthony Picione. The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability and the Special Investigations Division of the NJ Department of Corrections.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Defense Attorney:

For Lopez: John S. Furlong , Esq., of Trenton

Related MidJersey.News story here:

Trenton Officials Confirm Police Officer Suspended From Incident That Occurred At Hamilton Township School
Hamilton, Mercer County, State of NJ

NJOHSP Adds Monkeypox (hMPXV) Update to Disinformation Page

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER) – The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness updated its disinformation portal web page last week to incorporate monkeypox (hMPXV) disinformation trends circulating on the internet.

According to a recent intelligence review conducted by NJOHSP’s Analysis Bureau, false information on monkeypox (hMPXV) is spreading online and sparking new confusion about the virus among the public. Misleading videos, falsely attributed information and the recycling of COVID-19 conspiracies are some of the methods causing dissent.

“As we see an attempt to sow discord in New Jersey and throughout our country through the spread of disinformation, it is critical that we communicate accurate information to the public, especially as it relates to the monkeypox virus,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “My administration remains committed to a comprehensive response that prioritizes the health and safety of our communities. I urge New Jersey residents to utilize State resources for information about symptoms, risks and availability of both testing and vaccines.”

“During the height of the pandemic, COVID-19 disinformation was running rampant, prompting NJOHSP to develop a resource web page, whereby the public could access factual information that underwent thorough examination by our Analysis Bureau,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “With the latest monkeypox outbreak, we want to avoid a repeat of events, where incorrect information spreads quickly across communities.”

Disinformation has the potential to incite panic, create distrust between the government and people, increase polarization, influence government actions or law enforcement responses, exhaust resources and bring about undue harm. Monkeypox (hMPXV) disinformation may cause people who are infected to avoid treatment or vaccination as they may feel stigmatized, hampering efforts to help those individuals and curb the outbreak.

“Our team collected and analyzed the data in our latest disinformation intelligence note to bring awareness to current monkeypox misconceptions,” said NJOHSP Intelligence and Operations Division Director Thomas Hauck. “The report provides recent disinformation examples and official sources to help the public with identifying and vetting any truth-obscuring, manufactured information.”

Members of the public who encounter information that contains a threat or a call to action, incites potential violence or appears to have a nexus to terrorism, should immediately report it to local law enforcement or to NJOHSP by contacting 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ (1-866-472-3365) or tips@njohsp.gov.

Visit NJOHSP’s Disinformation Portal and monkeypox (hMPXV) report for more information and tips to vet content and sources.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com