Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/17/1744.asp

5/10/2007

New Jersey: Cop Arrested for Stealing from Seized Cars
An Irvington, New Jersey police officer is accused of stealing from motorists after their cars were seized.

An Irvington, New Jersey police officer and the owner of a towing company were arrested yesterday for stealing items out of vehicles seized by the police. Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow charged police Sergeant Barry Halpern, 51, and Mark Minett, 51, the owner of MTS Towing, with third-degree theft.

The pair are accused of taking music CDs, tools, laptop computers and cash from vehicles after they had been impounded at the MTS Towing lot. Complaints from motorists beginning in January 2006 prompted an investigation that involved the New Jersey State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other state agencies.

Halpern faces a ten-year prison sentence and Minett faces up to five years in jail. Essex County Superior Court Judge Joseph Isabella set bail at $50,000 for Halpern and $30,000 for Minett.