Middlesex County officials reported today that a Middlesex County Grand Jury has returned a twenty-four count indictment charging four suspended Edison Police officers with racketeering, bribery, theft, money laundering and witness tampering, amongst other charges.
Sergeant Ioannis (John) Mpletsakis, 43, of Edison Township, Patrolman James Panagoulakos, 36, of Jackson Township, Patrolman Gregory Makras, 38, of Cranford and Sergeant Brian Rossmeyer, 45, of Bridgewater, were charged in the indictment with racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, theft, money laundering, official misconduct, pattern of official misconduct, hindering apprehension, fabricating evidence, falsifying documents, failure to pay income tax, filing fraudulent tax returns, witness tampering, retaliating against a witness and retaliation for past official action.
A lengthy internal affairs investigation determined that from 2016 to 2018, officers were involved in a scheme designed to exploit the Edison Police Department’s extra duty job assignments by getting paid for extra-duty jobs for which they did not appear.
These officers, who volunteered to take these extra assignments, had full police responsibilities while assigned to the extra-duty jobs.
These assignments included directing traffic for utility companies as well as providing security services for local businesses and residential communities.
The investigation further revealed that Mpletsakis stole from the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) by using a PBA debit card to make unauthorized purchases for personal items and used his executive position on the Edison PBA Local 75 to defraud Edison Township and the PBA.
As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against the defendants are merely accusations and are presumed innocent until proven guilty.