Hunterdon County couple charged with making false sexual assault allegations against N.J. State Police
BLOOMSBURY BOROUGH, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — A Hunterdon County couple has been charged with falsely reporting that New Jersey State Police troopers sexually assaulted one of them during a domestic-related call last year, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Monday.
Randal Kelco, 35, and Lisa DeStefano, 45, both of Bloomsbury, were charged by complaint with second-degree making false reports to law enforcement after investigators concluded the alleged assault never happened.
According to the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), Kelco and DeStefano told hospital staff and officers from two law enforcement agencies that Kelco had been sexually assaulted by several troopers while they were responding to the couple’s home on Oct. 23, 2023, around 3:59 a.m.
An investigation by the OPIA Corruption Bureau and the State Police Office of Professional Standards found no evidence supporting the claim and determined it was fabricated.
“In this case, OPIA followed the evidence, including the body-worn camera video of the officers, which allegedly shows this was a malicious, self-serving hoax by the defendants,” said Attorney General Platkin.
“This case clearly demonstrates how important body-worn camera video evidence can be to understanding events and fact-checking witness statements,” said Eric L. Gibson, executive director of OPIA. “In this instance, those recordings provided exculpatory evidence showing these troopers were facing false, inflammatory allegations of criminal conduct.”
Investigators said troopers spent about 40 minutes at the couple’s home before transporting Kelco to a nearby hotel and leaving the area. Body-worn camera footage and video from Kelco’s cellphone captured the entire interaction, and neither showed any misconduct, officials said.
The next day, shortly after 1:30 a.m., the couple went to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where they repeated the allegations to medical staff. They later filed a complaint with the State Police Office of Professional Standards and again described the purported assault during a Nov. 6 interview.
Officials said all video evidence contradicted their statements.
Second-degree charges carry a penalty of five to 10 years in state prison and fines of up to $150,000.
