Former Newark, New Jersey Police Sergeant Sentenced to Prison for Obstruction of Justice
TRENTON, NJ—Former Newark police sergeant Michael J. Lalley was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for attempting to prevent a witness from truthfully giving information to FBI agents conducting a federal criminal investigation into his possible sexual contact with minors in the 1990s, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Lalley, 44, of Jackson, N.J., who became a member of the City of Newark Police Department in 1990, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to one count of an Indictment charging him with obstruction of justice. Judge Sheridan also imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Lalley admitted that from Jan. 4, 2010, to Jan. 22, 2010, he encouraged and instructed an individual, identified in the Indictment as Victim #2, to lie to the FBI about their past sexual relationship while Victim #2 was a minor. Lalley also admitted that during the course of several consensually recorded conversations between Lalley and Victim #2 in January 2010, he intended to impede the FBI’s investigation into Lalley’s possible commission of federal offenses which included, among other matters, his sexual contact with minors.
Lalley admitted that during one conversation on January 19, 2010, he advised Victim #2 that law enforcement could not prove their past sexual relationship as long as Victim #2 kept “it on the DL [down-low].” Later, Lalley told Victim #2 to tell the FBI that Victim #2 was over 18 years of age at the time of their sexual contact, or else Victim #2 would have to go to court and testify and “everything else comes out.”
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Lalley to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric W. Moran of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
11-283
Defense counsel: Henry A. Klingeman Esq., Newark; Michael A. Robbins Esq., West Orange, N.J.
Lalley, 44, of Jackson, N.J., who became a member of the City of Newark Police Department in 1990, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to one count of an Indictment charging him with obstruction of justice. Judge Sheridan also imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Lalley admitted that from Jan. 4, 2010, to Jan. 22, 2010, he encouraged and instructed an individual, identified in the Indictment as Victim #2, to lie to the FBI about their past sexual relationship while Victim #2 was a minor. Lalley also admitted that during the course of several consensually recorded conversations between Lalley and Victim #2 in January 2010, he intended to impede the FBI’s investigation into Lalley’s possible commission of federal offenses which included, among other matters, his sexual contact with minors.
Lalley admitted that during one conversation on January 19, 2010, he advised Victim #2 that law enforcement could not prove their past sexual relationship as long as Victim #2 kept “it on the DL [down-low].” Later, Lalley told Victim #2 to tell the FBI that Victim #2 was over 18 years of age at the time of their sexual contact, or else Victim #2 would have to go to court and testify and “everything else comes out.”
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Lalley to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric W. Moran of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
11-283
Defense counsel: Henry A. Klingeman Esq., Newark; Michael A. Robbins Esq., West Orange, N.J.
Comments
Post a Comment