A New Jersey state trooper has admitted to tampering with evidence and falsifying records to cover up his habit of pulling over women to ask them on dates, and has agreed to forfeit his job, authorities say.



Marquice Prather, 37, who has been suspended without pay since his arrest last December, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of invasion of privacy, tampering with physical evidence and falsifying or tampering with records.

Prather is permanently banned from public office or employment as part of the plea agreement, and the state will recommend that Prather will be sentenced to probation, the New Jersey attorney general's office says.

Authorities say Prather would pull over female motorists without reason and would go through their cellphones, after asking them to unlock their phones. He'd go through personal information and photos, and in some cases, copied intimate photos and videos of the women, prosecutors say. He'd solicit the women to go on a date with him or give him their phone numbers.

Prather also allegedly turned off his microphone during the pick-ups and saying it malfunctioned, and falsely reported the gender of the drivers he pulled over to disguise the fact he stopped a high number of women, according to authorities.