Joe Malinconico

Paterson Press

PATERSON — Police Officer Frank Toledo pleaded guilty on Tuesday to participating in illegal traffic stops and shakedowns, making him the seventh city cop arrested in an ongoing FBI corruption probe.

Standing in federal court in Newark, Toledo admitted joining with other rogue cops in a conspiracy that allegedly started in late 2016 and continued until 2018. He also admitted beating people he arrested in at least two instances.

During his plea, Toledo said he sent a text message to another cop in which he said, “Everything we do is illegal.”

As part of the probe, five officers were arrested in 2018 and a sixth earlier this year.

Federal authorities previously signaled that a seventh officer would be targeted in their investigation, which started about 30 months ago after the city Police Department’s internal affairs division spotted potential problems with some cops’ conduct.

Court documents had mentioned someone simply identified as “Officer 1” who participated in the shakedowns. But authorities did not reveal that Toledo was “Officer 1” until Tuesday.

WHO ARE THEY?:Six Paterson cops arrested in FBI probe

TRAINED TOGETHER:All six accused Paterson cops trained at police academy in 2014

Toledo, 30, had been suspended for a brief time during the summer of 2018 as a result of the federal probe, but returned to work and had not faced criminal charges until Tuesday.

Four of the officers arrested by the FBI already have pleaded guilty to various charges, including two of Toledo’s accomplices in the shakedowns: Jonathan Bustios and Matthew Torres. Law enforcement sources say the five targeted suspected drug dealers.

Another former cop, Ruben McAusland, admitted dealing drugs while on duty and inside his police vehicle. McAusland and his onetime partner, former Officer Roger Then, have pleaded guilty to beating a suicide patient at a hospital emergency room and trying to cover it up, an incident in which the victim has filed a $4 million lawsuit against the city.

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Meanwhile, criminal charges are pending against two other cops accused of participating in the shakedowns: Eudy Ramos and Daniel Pent.

All seven cops targeted in the federal case joined the Paterson Police Department in 2014, with four of them going through the police academy class that began in January of that year and the other three in the July class.

As part of his plea agreement, Toledo faces a possible prison term of 30 to 37 months. His sentencing will be later this year. The others who admitted being part of the shakedown conspiracy have not been sentenced yet.

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