ELIZABETH — Officer Rocco Malgieri would patrol the streets of Elizabeth, searching for his next victim — usually a Hispanic-looking man, authorities said. When he spotted his target, the 19-year veteran lawman would make the traffic stop, usually without probable cause, according to investigators. And when he approached the vehicle, his alleged extortion scheme would begin. By the time...
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Courtesy of the Union County Prosecutor's OfficeRocco MalgieriELIZABETH — Officer Rocco Malgieri would patrol the streets of Elizabeth, searching for his next victim — usually a Hispanic-looking man, authorities said.
When he spotted his target, the 19-year veteran lawman would make the traffic stop, usually without probable cause, according to investigators.
And when he approached the vehicle, his alleged extortion scheme would begin. By the time it was over, authorities said, Malgieri would have an extra $100 to $150 in his pocket — bribe money he demanded in exchange for not turning his victim in to the federal government as an undocumented immigrant, Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow said.
Malgieri, 42, of Brick Township, was arrested today and charged with multiple counts of theft by extortion, bribery and participating in a pattern of official misconduct, said Romankow, adding that detectives have located at least seven cooperating victims.
"Shaking down anyone is disgraceful and it will not be tolerated," Romankow said. "We expect all the men and women who wear the badge to respect and honor the commitment to the law. His actions were to the contrary."
Malgieri surrendered to prosecutors this morning, arriving in Elizabeth with his attorney, Donald DiGioia, at his side, Romankow said. He was immediately suspended, without pay, from his job in the traffic division. Public records show he earned $85,228 last year.
Malgieri was released after posting a $20,000 property bond and will appear in court March 30.
Accusations against the veteran cop surfaced a few weeks ago, Romankow said, when an alleged victim contacted the prosecutor’s office.
Investigators soon located numerous people who all had similar things to say "about how it happened, where is happened, and the identification of the individual who did it," the prosecutor said.
Detectives say they have documented incidents of Malgieri’s alleged crimes dating back to February, but said it’s possible there are more victims.
A voice message left at Malgieri’s home this afternoon was not returned. His attorney, however, said the officer maintains his innocence.
"Rocco Malgieri is an outstanding police officer with nearly 19 years on the force and a spotless record," DiGioia said. "These are unproven charges and he looks forward to being able to confront his accuser."
Contacted earlier today, a spokesman for the city of Elizabeth said he would call back later with a comment but never did.
Civil rights and immigrant advocates called the allegations appalling.
"Those are pretty incendiary accusations, if true. That is really as reprehensible as it gets," said Alex Shalom, the policy council for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey.
Vanessa Acevedo, an Elizabeth social worker and immigrant advocate, said she fears the alleged actions of Malgieri will undermine trust within the immigrant population for the whole police force.
"If there is an entire sector of the community that is afraid to report a crime, more crime is going to happen as a result," Acevedo said. "It hurts everybody in the community."
"You have to wonder why he targeted undocumented immigrants," she said. "Was it just because they were an easy target, or was it was his own brand of vigilante justice?"
By Ryan Hutchins and Tomás Dinges/The Star-Ledger
