EAST ORANGE — A former East Orange police officer who admitted torching his Cadillac to try and collect an insurance payment was sentenced today to three years probation on a fraud count, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced. Kareem Spence, of South Plainfield, was arrested in March following a three-count indictment that charged him with aggravated arson, insurance fraud...
East Orange police officer Kareem Spence, center, is escorted from police headquarters after his arrest on insurance fraud charges in March 2010.EAST ORANGE — A former East Orange police officer who admitted torching his Cadillac to try and collect an insurance payment was sentenced today to three years probation on a fraud count, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced.
Kareem Spence, of South Plainfield, was arrested in March following a three-count indictment that charged him with aggravated arson, insurance fraud and attempted theft by deception for setting his 2002 Coupe DeVille on fire in Irvington in 2009. He faced up to five years in prison.
In sentencing Spence, Superior Court Judge Peter J. Vazquez noted that this was the former officer’s first indictable offense.
Vazquez, though, said those terms may be revoked in favor of a state prison term if he violates his probation terms.
As part of Spence’s plea deal, the arson and theft charges were dropped. Spence, an officer since 2007, was suspended indefinitely following his arrest. He subsequently resigned.
Spence said he set the fire because the Cadillac had 122,000 miles on it, repeatedly overheated and he still owed $8,000 on the car.
Investigators from the Irvington Fire Department and the prosecutor’s arson unit suspected the car fire was set intentionally after they found gasoline-soaked towels in the Caddy’s trunk.
Previous coverage:
• East Orange police officer admits to lighting car on fire for insurance money
• East Orange police officer is arrested for allegedly torching his Cadillac