Morris County cop charged with stealing computers, IA records from his own department
Suspended Boonton police Capt. Stephen Jones, who last year filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the town, has been charged by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office with stealing computer towers from his department and tampering with public records.
Jones, 42, also stole his own personnel and internal affairs files, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement Wednesday. The charges were filed after an investigation by the Corruption Bureau of the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
That investigation followed a conflict that began in 2020 as Jones, a 24-year veteran of the department, clashed with town administrators over several issues including software and hardware purchases to facilitate Boonton's switch to the Morris County dispatching system. The dispute eventually led to Jones' suspension with pay in April of last year.
The town released a statement on Wednesday: “While we are legally precluded from commenting on specific personnel matters, the town of Boonton's standard practice is to suspend employees without pay when an employee has been charged criminally or is indicted.”
Jones was serving as officer-in-charge of the department when he was allegedly captured on surveillance video late at night on April 13 removing containers and at least five computer towers from the police department, the Attorney General's Office said. According to the statement, Jones removed the hardware and files without authorization and in violation of department policies.
The investigation concluded three of the stolen computers contained police information, including internal affairs files. Jones stashed the towers in his Toms River home and the files at his in-laws’ home in Edison, the AG's office said.
The charges include one count each of second-degree computer theft, third-degree theft by unlawful taking, third-degree tampering with public records and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records
Jones is "shocked and outraged by these allegations," said his attorney John Bruno Jr., who last year successfully defended Saddle Brook Police Chief Robert Kugler against corruption charges.
"He looks forward to having his name cleared and feels confident, when all the facts come out, his good name will be restored and he will be completely exonerated," said Bruno, who is based in Rutherford.
Lawsuit: Cop says Boonton punished him with false criminal charges. Here's what sparked their feud
Jones filed his whistleblower suit in October, claiming Boonton officials filed "false and frivolous" criminal charges against him that culminated with his suspension. His attorney in that suit, Matthew Peluso, said Wednesday that the civil case is proceeding but is still "in its early stages" after Peluso successfully sought to remove a plaintiff's attorney from the case.
Second-degree crimes carry a five- to 10-year prison term with a $150,000 fine if convicted. Third-degree crimes can carry a prison sentence of three to five years and a $15,000 fine. Fourth-degree offenses could lead to up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Jones has a court appearance scheduled for March 21 in state Superior Court in Morristown, Bruno said,
William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com
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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ police misconduct: Boonton cop charged with computer, records theft
