Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said that a former Edison police officer pleaded guilty today to multiple counts stemming from several pending indictments in Superior Court.
Michael A. Dotro, 40, of Manalapan admitted to one count of attempted murder in the first degree and one count of arson in the second degree for setting the May 23, 2013 fire at the home of another Edison officer, who was his supervisor.
Dotro also pleaded guilty to one count of official misconduct in the second degree in connection with a trial that had commenced last week. Lastly, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to tamper with a witness in the third degree in that same case.
Under a plea agreement reached with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Russell Curley, Dotro will be sentenced to a prison term of 20 years subject to the No Early Release Act. As such, Dotro will have to serve 17 years in State Prison before becoming eligible for parole.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in New Brunswick by Superior Court Judge Pedro Jimenez on December 7, 2017.
Dotro previously pleaded guilty on September 16, 2017 to a count of conspiracy, admitting he sought retaliation against a North Brunswick police officer who had ticketed another individual for drunk driving.
The former police officer was charged during an extensive investigation by the Detective Bureau of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office; Detective Donald Heck and Detective Christopher Pennisi.