TRENTON
- Attorney General Peter C. Harvey announced
that the Division of Criminal Justice
- Special Prosecutions Bureau has charged
a Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer
with breeching his law enforcement duties
and responsibilities by concocting an
elaborate scheme to cheat on a Department
of Personnel promotional examination testing
for the position of Hudson County Sheriff’s
Office Sergeant.
Attorney General Harvey said the State
Grand Jury indictment of the Hudson County
Sheriff’s Officer comes in the wake
of ongoing state investigations targeting
police corruption and misconduct by officers
in various municipal police departments.
Attorney General Harvey noted that the
overwhelming majority of New Jersey police
and law enforcement officers serve and
protect the public welfare with the goal
of making their communities safe neighborhoods
in which to live and work.
“This
investigation targeted an alleged corrupt
law enforcement officer who chose to break
the law for his own personal greed,”
said Attorney General Harvey. “Law
enforcement officers are held to a higher
standard of conduct and schemes to cheat
on promotional examinations are a serious
violation of the oath of office.”
According to Vaughn L. McKoy, Director,
Division of Criminal Justice, John Ramos,
47, Snyder Street, Bethlehem, PA, was
charged via a State Grand Jury indictment
with multiple counts of official misconduct,
tampering with public records or information,
falsifying or tampering with records,
impersonation - identity theft, and unsworn
falsification to authorities. Ramos, employed
in the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office
since 1994, was early today (Fri., June
10) as he reported to work at the Hudson
County Sheriff’s Office in the Hudson
County Court House in Jersey City. The
arrest was made by a State Police detective
and a Division of Criminal Justice State
Investigator, both assigned to the Division
of Criminal Justice - Special Prosecutions
Bureau. Ramos will be transported to the
Monmouth County Jail prior to an arraignment
hearing in the Monmouth County Superior
Court. Ramos faces more than 20 years
in state prison and fines exceeding $100,000
upon any conviction.
The State Grand Jury indictment charges
that in late 2002 and early 2003, Ramos
made arrangements to have an acquaintance
take the Hudson County Sheriff’s
Office Sergeants promotional examination
scheduled for March, 2003. The indictment
charges that Ramos undertook extraordinary
steps to perpetuate the impersonation,
including the falsification of identification
documents which would allow the acquaintance
to take the promotional test under Ramos’
identification. The investigation determined
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 the photograph of the acquaintance;
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.
Each of the documents were provided to
the acquaintance on March 20, 2003, the
day of the promotional examination at
the Middletown (Monmouth County) High
School. In exchange for the acquaintance
taking the test, Ramos offered to forgive
a debt of between $300 - $500 and to assist
the acquaintance in applying for a position
in the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.
The Grand Jury indictment identifies the
acquaintance as Damon P. Bassano, 28,
78th Street, North Bergen, Hudson County.
At the time of the testing and alleged
impersonation, Bassano was employed as
a campus police officer at the Stevens
Institute of Technology. Bassano was subsequently
hired as a Human Services Police Officer.
On June 6, Bassano pleaded guilty before
Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Bette
E. Uhrmacher to falsifying or tampering
with public records. Bassano resigned
his position as a Human Services Police
Officer prior to entering the guilty plea.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug.
26.
The State Grand Jury indictment was returned
on June 9 and handed-up to Mercer County
Superior Court Judge Neil H. Shuster.
The case is assigned to the Monmouth County
Superior Court for trial.
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 is 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. The Hudson
County Prosecutor’s Office was notified
of the investigation.
A copy of the indictment and related information
is available via the Division of Criminal
Justice Web site at www.NJDCJ.org.
An indictment is merely a charge and the
defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty in a court of law.
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