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Lt. John Todd, 58, pleaded guilty to a count of computer theft during a court hearing on Friday, Sept. 16, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey.
An investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Professional Responsibility and Bias Crime Unit revealed that on Feb. 23, for personal reasons, Todd contacted a police radio dispatcher asking for personal information about an individual from the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS), a database that exists strictly for law-enforcement purposes, Linskey said.
Todd then passed that information along to a third party, who was not a member of law enforcement, she said.
Under the terms of Todd’s plea, he will permanently forfeit public employment in New Jersey, receive a term of probation, and pay nearly $1,000 in fines. Todd will also apply to enroll in New Jersey’s Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI), which provides first-time offenders with opportunities for alternatives to traditional prosecution.
Had he proceeded to indictment and trial, Todd could have faced up to five years in prison and tens of thousands of dollars in fines, Linskey said.
“Regardless of rank, there is no place within law enforcement for conduct such as this,” Linskey said. “The vast majority of officers countywide routinely serve the public with integrity and honor, risking their own lives on the job every single day. Actions such as those of Lt. Todd, unfortunately, make the work they do all the more challenging, particularly when it comes to gaining and maintaining the trust and respect of the citizens who depend on them.”
Freehold Township Police Chief George K. Baumann said, “This breach of trust is an isolated incident, and does not define us or distract us from our primary goal of serving the residents and visitors of our community.”
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