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Andrew Kudrick, 50, will be banned for life from public employment and will receive probation instead of prison time in exchange, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.
Kudrick, of Farmingdale, lied to Howell Township officials about the affair and “threatened to launch an improper internal affairs investigation” of a captain who called him on it, the attorney general said.
A confrontation between the chief’s wife and his alleged mistress during a 2021 retirement party “raised suspicions about the possible existence of the improper relationship,” Platkin said.
Township officials hired a special labor counsel to conduct an internal investigation out of concerns over possible liability for sexual harassment and/or the potential for a hostile work environment, he said.
Howell Township has an anti-fraternization policy prohibiting romantic relationships with subordinates, the attorney general noted.
A captain who knew about the affair was scheduled to testify before township officials, but Kudrick threatened him “in order to intimidate [him] from truthfully cooperating in the special labor investigator’s probe," Platkin said.
An investigation by the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) produced charges of official misconduct, false swearing, tampering with public records, tampering with and retaliating against witnesses and obstructing the administration of law.
Kudrick took a deal from state prosecutors rather than face the potential outcome of a trial.
He pleaded guilty to obstruction in Superior Court in Freehold on Monday, May 13, Platkin said.
Judge Paul X. Escandon scheduled sentencing for July 19.
Deputy Attorney General Sherrod Smith and OPIA Corruption Deputy Bureau Chief Andrew Wellbrock secured the plea deal for the state.
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