Former EHC Detective Receives Suspended 5-year Sentence for Official Misconduct

MAYS LANDING – A former Egg Harbor City Police Detective was sentenced today for official misconduct, by exploiting his position as a police officer in order to engage in sexual conduct with several women, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013, Steven Hadley, 31, of Port Republic, was charged with four counts of second-degree official misconduct.

The charges specified that Hadley committed acts related to his office that constituted unauthorized use of his official position as a police officer in order to obtain benefit for himself, specifically sexual conduct. 

Former Police Detective Pled Guilty to Official Misconduct; Exploiting Position to Engage in Sexual Conduct

MAYS LANDING – A former Egg Harbor City Police Detective pled guilty today to official misconduct for exploiting his position as a police officer in order to engage in sexual conduct with several women, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013, Steven Hadley, 31, of Port Republic, was charged with four counts of second-degree official misconduct.

Galloway Township News was the first news agency to report that Hadley was the subject of a criminal investigation in August 2013 and on September 24, 2013, Steven Hadley was charged with four counts of second-degree official misconduct.

The charges specified that Hadley committed acts related to his office that constituted unauthorized use of his official position as a police officer in order to obtain benefit for himself, specifically sexual conduct. 

Female Victim Sues Former EHC Cop Accused of Official Misconduct for Sexual Acts

Steven Hadley, Jr., Credit: Facebook

A former Egg Harbor City Police Officer has been sued by one of his alleged victims. Christine Meale, of Egg Harbor City filed a lawsuit in Federal Court accusing Steven Hadley, 32 of Port Republic of repeated sexual assault and emotional torment that started on January 13, 2013.

Additionally named in the lawsuit is Egg Harbor City Police Officer Christopher Hoffman, Unknown Police Officers, and Egg Harbor City. 

According to the complaint, Meale alleged Hadley misled her into believing she was a "confidential informant" when he directed Meale to make drug purchases that he retained for his personal use. 

Credibility of Former EHC Detective Steven Hadley Called into Question in Inmates Court Documents

John Paff, Chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Police Accountability Project has broken the news about a letter he wrote to a drug inmate who is claiming that his suppression motion was improperly denied because the judge relied upon the credibility of a police officer who has since been charged with official misconduct.

The police officer in question is former Detective Steven Hadley of the Egg Harbor City Police Department. The inmate is Terrance D. Harris. Harris is currently serving an eight-year sentence for "second-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute."

Disciplinary Notice and Suspension Filed Against Egg Harbor City Detective Steven Hadley

In June 2013 Galloway Township News first reported the employment of Egg Harbor City Police Detective Steven Hadley was under investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office (ACPO). 

At that time Egg Harbor City Clerk Meg Steeb would only confirm the fact that an investigation was being conducted and all questions needed to be forwarded to the Prosecutors Office.

On November 27, 2013, City Clerk Meg Steeb released the Preliminary Notice of Disciplinary Action filed against Hadley on October 7, 2013. Steeb also released the Final Notice of Disciplinary Action and Suspension filed against Detective Steven Hadley on November 7, 2013. 

Egg Harbor City Detective Steven Hadley Charged with Four Counts of Second-Degree Official Misconduct

MAYS LANDING – An Egg Harbor City Police Detective has been charged with official misconduct in connection with exploiting his position as a police officer in order to engage in sexual conduct with several women, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Steven Hadley, 31, of Port Republic, was charged with four counts of second-degree official misconduct.

The charges allege that Hadley committed unauthorized exercises of his official function as a police officer in order to obtain benefit for himself, specifically sexual contact. The charges allege that while performing his official duties, Hadley took part in sexual acts with four different women on various occasions, from January of 2010 through May of 2013.

Hadley’s attorney has been served with the charges on behalf on his client due to the fact the defendant currently remains hospitalized and in critical condition following a serious car accident yesterday morning.

Official misconduct, a crime of the second-degree, carries a state prison sentence of 5- 10 years and up to $150,000 in fines.

***These charges are merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged 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.

UPDATED: Steven Hadley Jr., Transported to ARMC, City Division after Early Morning Accident on the Garden State Parkway

UPDATED: See Press Release by Clicking Here regarding Charges issued against Hadley by the ACPO on a separate matter.

New Jersey State Police responded to a single vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway, northbound at mile marker 57.1 in Little Egg Harbor, Ocean County, according to Sergeant First Class Gregory Williams of the New Jersey State Police. 

An accident occurred at 8:51 a.m. when a Grey Dodge Pick-up Truck driven by Steven W. Hadley, 31 of Port Republic, left the roadway.  Hadley is currently a Detective with the Egg Harbor City Police Department.

SFC. Williams stated this evening that a witness saw the Pick-up truck driven by Hadley, leave the roadway of the right side and strike several trees and subsequently catching fire. 

Hadley was out of the vehicle, alert and conscious when New Jersey State Police arrived on scene, according to SFC. Williams. Hadley was airlifted to Atlanticare Regional Medical Center, City Division by South Star Medevac, which landed on the Parkway. 

Hadley sustained sever lacerations to his head and leg.  Hadley's vehicle which was extensively damaged by the fire, was towed by Stohrer Brothers Towing to the Bass River Police Barracks for further investigation. 

No cause of the accident was determined as the accident is still under investigation by the the New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Unit. Hadley's condition is unknown, however sources indicate Hadley was transported to Cooper Medical Center. 

Several local Fire Departments from the Ocean County area responded, including the Forest Fire in order to extinguish the fire of the Vehicle and the surrounding forest. 

UPDATED x3: Employment of Egg Harbor City Detective Steven Hadley Subject of Investigation by Atlantic County Prosecutors Office

UPDATED #4 (September 25, 2013): The ACPO has charged Hadley with four counts of second-degree official misconduct. 

UPDATED #2 (June 28, 2013): According to ACPO PIO Haleigh Waltz, Atlantic County Prosecutor has issued a "No Comment" regarding the alleged investigation. We were also notified that any documents GallowayTwpNews.com would request from the Prosecutors Office, would most likely be exempt under Criminal Investigatory Records. In discussions with Waltz, we have decided not to OPRA any documents from the ACPO knowing they would be denied. We continue to urge Egg Harbor City Clerk Meg Steeb to release the records we have originally requested. 

UPDATED #1: Egg Harbor City Municipal Clerk Meg Steeb has confirmed that Detective Steven Hadley was placed on Administrative Leave yet still receiving pay. 

Atlantic County Prosecutors Office Public Information Officer Haleigh Waltz has confirmed as of June 26, 2013 the ACPO has no records of any charges being filed against Hadley. They also would not confirm or deny an investigation. We have requested a statement from the Atlantic County Prosecutor regarding this alleged investigation and we anticipate a response tomorrow. 

The employment of Egg Harbor City Police Detective Steven Hadley has become a focus of an investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office (ACPO). According to City Clerk Meg Steeb, Hadley earns a yearly salary of $91,145. According to sources, it has been alleged that Hadley was under investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office for circumstances surrounding his employment with the City of Egg Harbor. 

On June 12, 2013, GallowayTwpNews.com filed several Open Public Records Request for the following information:

• Copy of Payroll Records, including time sheets on Detective Steve Hadley from January 2013 to June 11, 2013. Include all days off that are paid and unpaid within that same time period.
• Copy of the ECDR, Arrest Reports, Mug Shot, Warrants, Dispatch Logs including radio and/or telephone recordings, including any reports by members of the Atlantic County Emergency Response Team (SWAT) for district coverage pertaining to Detective Steve Hadley from January 2013 to June 11, 2013. 
• Reason for Separation including resignation letter if any on Steve Hadley. Time Frame 2013.
• Copy of Cell Phone records utilized by Detective Steve Hadley from January 2013 to June 24, 2013. Include monthly invoice and detail of incoming and outgoing calls made from all departmental cell phones utilized Detective Steve Hadley.

On June 14, 2013, GallowayTwpNews.com received a response from James J. Carroll, III, Esq, who is the Municipal Attorney for Egg Harbor City.  In the response Carroll stated, "I have been forwarded your recent OPRA Request dated June 12, 2013.  Unfortunately, those records cannot be provided at the present time pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-3.a since they are the subject of an ongoing investigation .  Publc disclosure of these records at the present time would be detrimental to the public interest and is being withheld until we receive notification that they can be released.  I am advising Ms. Steeb, the municipal clerk, that upon such notification that she should contact you to determine if you still wish to receive said records."

GallowayTwpNews.com disputed the exemption and requested in part the Payroll and Time Sheets be released. City Clerk Meg Steeb responded stating, "The actual time sheets break down the shift he worked and I was told not to release that information while under investigation."

Our request for the Time Records could verify if Hadley was suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. Egg Harbor City would not release those records. 

GallowayTwpNews.com contacted the Government Records Council regarding the Clerk's stated exemption for ongoing investigation. We notified Steeb of the same. Steeb then responded stating,  "I was just informed by Egg Harbor City Police Captain Kramer that he spoke to Sgt James Kirshner of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and he told Captain Kramer that any  information regarding Steven Hadley would need to be requested through Diane Ruberton, Atlantic County Assistant Prosecutor."

On June 25, 2013, GallowayTwpNews.com submitted a request to the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office requesting information under New Jersey Executive Order 69.  According to Executive Order 69, the following information can be released regarding the investigation being conducted by the ACPO.

GallowayTwpNews.com will provide an update to this story once our request is completed by the ACPO.

EXECUTIVE ORDER 69:

(a) where a crime has been reported but no arrest yet made, information as to the type of crime, time, location and type of weapon, if any;

(b) if an arrest has been made, information as to the name, address and age of any victims, unless there has not been sufficient opportunity for notification of next of kin of any victims of injury and/or death to any such victim or where the release of the names of any victim would be contrary to existing law or court rule. In deciding on the release of information as to the identity of a victim, the safety of the victim and the victim's family, and the integrity of any ongoing investigation, shall be considered;

(c) if an arrest has been made, information as to the defendant's name, age, residence, occupation, marital status and similar background information and the identity of the complaining party, unless the release of such information is contrary to existing law or court rule;

(d) information as to the text of any charges, such as the complaint, accusation and indictment, unless sealed by the court or unless the release of such information is contrary to existing law or court rule;

(e) information as to the identity of the investigating and arresting personnel and agency and the length of the investigation;

(f) information of the circumstances immediately surrounding the arrest, including but not limited to the time and place of the arrest, resistance, if any, pursuit, possession and nature and useof weapons and ammunition by the suspect and by the police; and

(g) information as to circumstances surrounding bail, whether it was posted and amount thereof.