A New Jersey police sergeant was arrested on Tuesday as part of an internal affairs and FBI investigation into corruption within the Paterson Police Department, authorities announced. This arrest marks the eighth officer from the city’s police force to be apprehended in connection with the ongoing FBI corruption probe, which has been active for three years.
Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale confirmed the arrest of Sgt. Michael Cheff, stating, “We had a sergeant go into handcuffs today.” He emphasized that this action is a continuation of the joint internal affairs and FBI investigation, according to nj.com.
Cheff faces accusations of civil rights violations and falsifying police reports, as detailed in an FBI complaint. Furthermore, he is alleged to have stolen over $2,000 from the safe of an alleged drug dealer. The complaint also alleges that Cheff sometimes falsified paperwork to conceal thefts committed by other officers, as reported by nj.com.
Speziale stated, “We will never accept this as indicative of the hardworking men and women who serve (the Paterson Police Department) with integrity daily.” A photo released by the Paterson Police Department shows Sgt. Michael Cheff after his arrest on Tuesday morning.
The investigation has primarily focused on police officers suspected of stealing thousands of dollars in cash from individuals after conducting illegal stops and searches of their vehicles. Last year, Officer Daniel Pent admitted to participating in a conspiracy where officers routinely conducted illegal stops of residents, both in their vehicles and on the street, and subsequently stole money and other valuables from them.
Cheff, who has been with the department since 1996, supervised five former patrol officers who have since pleaded guilty to taking money from motorists, passengers, and other individuals who were illegally detained. One example of police corruption is the Arkansas officer buys groceries after family arrested for shoplifting.
Cheff has been suspended without pay from his $134,678 city job, officials said. “We have zero tolerance for crooked cops in the Paterson Police Department,” said city Mayor Andre Sayegh on Tuesday. “This should serve as a cautionary tale that crime doesn’t pay, especially in law enforcement.”
The FBI investigation began in 2016. The five police officers previously supervised by Cheff—Pent, Jonathan Bustios, Frank Toledo, Eudy Ramos, and Matthew Torres—are awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court in Newark. The FBI complaint indicates that four officers acted as confidential witnesses, providing evidence against Cheff.
The five officers were accused of using text messages with code words to describe their actions. The word “mango” was allegedly used to refer to illegally seized cash, according to authorities. In addition, former officer Ruben McAusland pleaded guilty in 2018 to drug dealing and assaulting a patient in a hospital. Former officer Roger Then recorded the beating and then falsified reports to cover it up, officials have stated.