AG’s office releases OPIA report on the misconduct investigation at the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office
BELVIDERE, NJ (Warren County) – The New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability Monday released the 22-page OPIA report about the misconduct investigation at the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office (WCPO).
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin Friday announced that he exercised supersession over the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.
Platkin appointed Anthony Picione to serve as Acting Warren County Prosecutor, replacing James Pfeiffer, who is resigning effective immediately.
“The act of supersession follows an investigation conducted by the Office of the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability into misconduct by members of the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office. A copy of the report will be made public once all impacted parties have received the required notice,” a spokesperson for the NJ Attorney General’s Office told RNJ.
The investigation included misuse of OIFP grant reimbursement rules and timekeeping, interference with OPIA investigation and retaliation, violation of OIFP reimbursement grant requirements, misuse of victim witness grant purchased equipment, failure to cooperate with an administrative investigation, and Brady/Giglio implications.
The report stated that on March 18, 2022 the Special Investigations Bureau (SIB) received information from senior members of the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office (WCPO) involving alleged misuse of monies distributed to the WCPO by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP).
These monies were distributed to the WCPO by the County Prosecutor’s Insurance Fraud Grant managed by the OFIP. This grant distributes funds as reimbursement for salaries and fringe benefits of members assigned to the grant based on an hour-for-hour basis.
This allegation centers around the belief of the complainants that the WCPO misrepresented the hours worked by members assigned to the grant for the purpose of increasing the WCPO general operating budget.
The investigation revealed that in 2019 and 2020 the WCPO requested and was awarded allocations of $154,153.00 and $150,504.00 respectively of which $126,627.00 was used in 2019 and $128,004.00 was used in 2020. In 2021, the WCPO sought a dramatic increase in funding and was awarded an allocation of $246,520.00 of which $208,286.00 was used.
The investigation revealed evidence that the dramatic increase was not based on an anticipated increase in insurance fraud work, but the desire to increase the overall budget of the WCPO.
In all, this investigation included 22 formal interviews of staff employed by WCPO and OIFP as well as one informal phone interview. This investigation also reviewed numerous media files, emails, WCPO and OIFP records, and obtained photographs. The investigation was carried out in a methodical manner, with a deference to protecting the identities of the complainants, and resulted in logical conclusions based on derived facts.
“As a result of a long-term investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, my office took action last Friday to supersede the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office. I do not take such action lightly, but I am confident that this change in leadership will ensure that the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office operates with professionalism and fosters an environment in which reports of misconduct are taken seriously and reviewed appropriately,” Platkin said.
Pfeiffer told WFMZ Monday night that he cannot at this time adequately review the report and respond, because he said the AG’s office did not give him a complete report with all the attachments.
“I deny any wrongdoing, and this report is inaccurate,” Pfeiffer told WFMZ.
To view the full report, click here.
