Three Essex County Sheriff’s Officers — including one from Kearny and one from Belleville — have been suspended from duty after being charged with stealing items from the scene of an arrest warrant they executed in East Orange early this year, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones announced said.
The three were charged with theft following an investigation into the unauthorized removal of items during the execution of a narcotics search warrant Jan. 10, 2023, at the apartment of Kirk Mansook, of East Orange.
According to Stephens:
At the time, Officers Jimmy Rodriguez, 39, of Kearny; Fabian Caicedo, 45, of East Rutherford and Erik Udvarhely , 44, of Belleville, were assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Narcotics.
During the search, Mansook was arrested on minor drug charges and later released.
However, upon returning home, Mansook says he discovered several items were missing, including multiple boxes of high-end sneakers and a designer belt.
Stephens says surveillance video revealed Rodriguez and Caicedo allegedly removed the items, placed them in plastic bags and loaded them in their work vehicle. Rodriguez and Udvarhely then reportedly later transferred the items into their personal vehicles
“These charges reflect our unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability. No one is above the law and when law enforcement officers betray the public trust, they will be held responsible. The people of Essex County deserve integrity from those who serve them,” Stephens said.
Said Jones: “We are deeply saddened by this incident and profoundly disappointed when officers fail to uphold the oath they were sworn to honor. The Essex County Sheriff’s Office has fully cooperated with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office throughout this matter. This conduct does not represent who we are and it will not be tolerated. Anyone who violates the law will be held fully accountable.”
Rodriguez is accused of moving the items from the work vehicle and into his personal vehicle and is charged with third-degree theft and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records. Udvarhely is also accused of moving the items from the work vehicle into his personal vehicle and is charged with third-degree receiving stolen property. Caicedo is accused of helping take the items out of the apartment and is charged with third-degree theft.
All three officers have been suspended. It is not clear whether the trio will be paid during their suspensions.
Stephens encourages the public to report any information related to criminal activity by contacting the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office’s tips line at (877) 847-7432. All calls will remain confidential.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.