Camden cop pleads guilty to bogus arrests

A Camden police officer pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge Friday morning, saying he and other officers planted drugs and falsified information in order to make drug arrests.

Kevin Parry, 29, entered the plea during a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Robert B. Kugler.

"You've done the right thing," Kugler said. "This is the right step."

Parry's plea came about the same time the Camden County Prosecutor's Office confirmed it had filed motions to vacate 171 convictions and to dismiss charges in 14 other cases believed to be tied to the ongoing federal investigation.

Parry was one of four officers suspended without pay as the federal probe began to unfold. He applied for a disability retirement on Nov. 11, the same week he was suspended.

He claimed he was injured in March 2007.

Parry was released on $100,000 unsecured bond after the hearing.

The other officers allegedly linked to the conspiracy were not identified by name in the plea documents.

Like Parry, they were believed to be part of a so-called "supplemental patrol," a squad assigned to trouble-shoot in high crime/high drug trafficking areas in the city.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, federal authorities believe the officers routinely framed low-level drug users and drug dealers, stealing drugs and money and filing false arrest reports.

The other offices suspended were Jason Stetser, Antonio Figueroa and Robert Bayard.

By pleading guilty, Parry faces a possible 10-year prison term when he is sentenced June 24.

While in court, Parry admitted that he and four other officers stole drugs from suspects and then planted them on other suspects from May 2007 through October 2009.

The officers threatened the suspects to cooperate with them, Parry said.

The officers fabricated police reports when they seized the initial drugs and later when they made bogus arrests, he said. They stored the drugs in various locations throughut the city, he said.

Additionally, Parry admitted, in dozens of cases - between 30 and 50 - the police added drugs to the amounts actually seized to make the arrests appear more significant and expose those arrested to greater penalties.

On as many as 20 occasions, Parry admitted, the officers paid informants, often prostitutes, with drugs in exchange for information.

The judge then asked about five specific cases, from 2007 through 2009, where the officers falsely arrested people based on drugs they planted, falsified the reports to hide illegal raids and searches and lied in court as part of the coverup.