NY State Trooper Charged with Sexual Assault from 2014 Incident in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY – A New York man was indicted today for the 2014 sexual assault of a woman in an Atlantic City Casino/Hotel, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

Shortly after 8:00 a.m. on April 25, 2014, Atlantic City Police responded to the Trump Taj Mahal for a 9-1-1 report of the sexual assault of a female victim that had occurred in the hotel.

A 6-month investigation by the Atlantic City Police Department led to the arrests on October 7, 2014 of Devon Thomas, 36, of 195th Street, Hollis, NY, and a second man, Andrei Torres, 32, also of New York, both charged with aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault, for having sexual intercourse with the victim while she was intoxicated and unable to resist, and by using physical force.

On May 27, 2015, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office administratively dismissed the charges against Torres.

This morning, June 10, 2015, an Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted Thomas, on one count each of aggravated sexual assault—a crime of the 1st degree, and sexual assault—a 2nd degree crime. Thomas remains free, pending court, on a posted surety bond for $175,000 bail set by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Noah Bronkesh.

A crime of the 1st degree carries a potential penalty of 10-20 years of incarceration in New Jersey State prison; a 2nd degree crime carries a potential penalty of 5-10 years in prison.

The victim’s name is not being released.

These indictments are merely accusations and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, an indicted defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.***

Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.