Retired Howell police chief charged criminally, accused of lying about extramarital affair
TRENTON — Andrew Kudrick, the retired chief of the Howell Police Department, has been charged with official misconduct and other offenses for allegedly lying about an extramarital affair with a woman who was his subordinate in the police department.
Kudrick, 49, of Farmingdale is also accused of covering up the sexual affair and threatening a captain in his department who had evidence of it with an internal affairs investigation as he was about to be interviewed a second time by special counsel hired by the township to investigate the complaint against Kudrick.
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General announced the charges Wednesday afternoon.
Kudrick retired suddenly in March 2022, more than two years before his contract expired. At the time, Kudrick was facing not only the investigation into his alleged sexual relationship, but also a vote of no confidence by his officers.
Kudrick's salary at the end of 2021 was $234,092, according to public records.
The charges against Kudrick, which stem from an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability's Corruption Bureau, include false swearing, tampering with public records, tampering with and retaliating against witnesses, and obstructing the administration of law.
“Given the imbalance of power between a chief of police and a subordinate, any romantic relationship would be wholly inappropriate, violative of policy, and detrimental to the safety and well-being of the officers and civilians under the chief’s command,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin in a statement. “The defendant chose a profession centered around keeping others safe. He rose to the very top of that profession. But the conduct alleged in this complaint suggests that he created an environment within his police department where even the people who worked for him could not feel safe.”
Kudrick's attorney, Robert Honecker, former acting Monmouth County prosecutor, said Kudrick committed no crime.
"Andy denies the allegations," Honecker said. "Falling into political disfavor does not make you a criminal. Andy is well respected in law enforcement and in the community of Howell Township. He intends to vigorously defend against these charges."
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The investigation was sparked by a confrontation between Kudrick's wife and his alleged mistress at a 2021 retirement party, Platkin said.
Fearing a hostile work environment and sexual harassment lawsuit, Howell Township hired a labor attorney to conduct an investigation of the police department, Platkin said.
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Kudrick's threat to to launch an illegitimate internal affairs investigation of the captain centered on Kudrick accusing him of speaking to the township manager directly without the chief’s approval, Platkin said.
Interviewed by the special counsel, Kudrick lied when he denied having a sexual relationship with the subordinate, making sexual comments to her and receiving explicit photos of her, according to the attorney general.
"But the evidence showed an affair did take place, in violation of the township’s Policy Against Fraternization prohibiting romantic relationships with subordinates," according to Platkin's statement.
Kudrick joined the township's police explorers in 1990, was hired as a dispatcher in 1993 and became a patrolman in 1995. He has been a patrol sergeant, community services lieutenant and training officer. He has also worked as a supervisor in the police department's canine unit. He was made chief in 2015. Before his retirement, his contract was due to expire in July 2024.
Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or at kserrano@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Retired Howell NJ police chief accused of lying about affair
