EDISON – Defense counsel for the five Edison police officers who were indicted for “no show jobs” are working together and are expected to file motions, including dismissing and severing the case as it relates to their clients, and changing the court venue.
The state has turned over more than 28,000 pages of bank records, audits, receipts and phone pinging locations.
“Everything in my file has been turned over,” said Assistant Prosecutor Christine D’Elia before Superior Court Judge Pedro Jimenez, sitting in New Brunswick, on Aug. 15.
Sgt. Ioannis (John) Mpletsakis, Patrolman Paul Pappas, and Patrolman James Panagoulakos, all of Edison; Patrolman Gregory Makras, of Cranford; and Sgt. Brian Rossmeyer, of Bedminister, were charged in an 11-count indictment with two counts of official misconduct in the second degree; participation in a pattern of official misconduct in the second degree; financial facilitation of criminal activity in the second degree; conspiracy to commit the crime of financial facilitation of criminal activity in the second degree; theft by unlawful taking in the second degree; and theft by deception in the second degree, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Attorney Charles Sciarra, of Sciarra and Catrambone LLC, Clifton, who represents Panagoulakos, said they were looking to file a motion to dismiss, motion to sever, change of venue and motion for additional discovery on the exact procedure of extra duty jobs for the Edison Police Department and an involved application for phone records as to the reliability and accuracy as it pertains to the case.
“An official element in the case of official misconduct is it would have to be unauthorized,” he said.
Attorney Anthony Iacullo, of Iacullo Martino LLC, Nutley, who represented Makras, had to remove himself from the case due to comments made at the last status hearing in June due to a document, which his office turned over to the state. The contents of the document were not discussed in court; however, D’Elia said before the court the state did not know if the document was false and Iocullo said he did not believe the document was false.
Makras’ new counsel is Michael Rubas, of Rubas Law Offices in Jersey City, and he appeared with Makras at the status hearing.
The indictment was handed up in New Brunswick following an investigation by the Edison Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office in 2018. The case was presented to the grand jury by D’Elia.
In addition, Mpletsakis was charged with promoting organized street crime in the first degree and Makras was charged with hindering prosecution in the third degree, uttering a forged document in the fourth degree, and fabricating physical evidence in the fourth degree, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation determined between Nov. 14, 2016, and May 7, 2018, the five officers were allegedly getting paid for extra-duty jobs that they were not present for. The extra-duty, or “side jobs,” were in addition to the regular hours which they, as members of the Edison Police Department, were assigned to work.
The officers who allegedly volunteered to take these extra assignments had full police responsibilities while assigned to the extra-duty jobs. The assignments included directing traffic for utility companies as well as providing security services for local businesses and residential communities.
In addition to the recent indictments, Pappas was also indicted on charges of official misconduct, computer theft and stalking his ex-girlfriend on Sept. 21, 2018. Pappas has since been in violation of a restraining order placed against him and has been discussed in court hearings.
Mpletsakis has been a member of the Edison Police Department for 16 years, Pappas for 14 years, Panagoulakos for four years, Makras for seven years, and Rossmeyer for 11 years.
The officers have been suspended without pay since their arrests on June 1, 2018, and the officers remain suspended without pay, according township officials.
The next status hearing on motions will be held on Oct. 24.