A New Jersey police officer could be wearing a different kind of uniform after being arrested and indicted on charges of arson and insurance fraud.
In a release, Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino reported that East Orange Police Officer Kareem Spence, 34, was arrested on March 31, 2010, after having been on the force for six years. The reason? Spence's 2002 Cadillac Coupe DeVille was found on fire in May 2009 under some decidedly suspicious circumstances.
During an investigation, it is alleged that gasoline-soaked rags were found in the trunk of the car. Once that evidence was discovered, officers from the Prosecutor's Office of Professional Standards Bureau Corruption/Bias Unit and the Arson Unit, along with the East Orange Police Department Internal Division, made the arrest.
The specific charges against Spence include aggravated arson and insurance fraud, both second degree offenses; and attempted theft by deception, a third-degree crime. If convicted of all the charges, Spence faces up to 25 years in prison.
According to the prosecutor's office, the criminal charges are mere accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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