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Ryan Vaccaro, 38, of Ocean Township, pleaded guilty on Thursday to possession of clenbuterol, a prescription legend drug, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.
Vaccaro is the second Central Jersey police officer to plead guilty in the clenbuterol investigation.
The drug is not approved for human use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but it is popular among some consumers as a weight loss supplement, Gramiccioni said.
Clenbuterol's legal intended use is to treat breathing disorders in horses.
Vaccaro entered his guilty plea before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Lourdes Lucas, as part of a plea agreement.
Vaccaro acknowledged that between May 1, 2018 and Feb. 19, 2019, he was knowingly in possession of five or more dosage units of Clenbuterol and that he did not have a lawful prescription, according to Gramiccioni.
Vaccaro was charged on February 19, 2019, with possession as well as distributing the prescription drug, the prosecutor said.
Vaccaro's case is connected to an investigation of former Deal Police Officer Joseph Ammaturo, 38, of Long Branch who pleaded guilty to witness tampering and conspiracy last month, authorities said.
The investigation found that Ammaturo obtained three boxes of Astralean Clenbuterol containing about 150 pills from Vaccaro and that Ammaturo distributed two of those boxes to others, according to Gramiccioni.
The third box was recovered from Ammaturo’s residence, the prosecutor said. Additional clenbuterol pills were found in Vaccaro’s residence using a search warrant, Gramiccioni said.
Vaccaro's plea agreement allows him to apply to a pre-trial intervention program. It also bars him from holding public office in New Jersey.
“We will continue to prosecute law enforcement officers who fail to respect their responsibilities to the community and to their colleagues who put their lives on the line each and every day,” Gramiccioni said.
Ocean Township Police Chief Steven R. Peters said, "The Ocean Township Police Department is a highly professional and community-minded organization and we will not let the actions of a former police officer overshadow the great work and dedication by the men and women of this department."
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9, at which time Vacarro faces a probationary sentence.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Falco, director of the office’s Professional Responsibility and Bias Crimes Unit.
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