Bob Makin

@ReporterBMakin

EDISON – Two grand juries in Middlesex County have indicted four Edison police officers and the wife of one on a variety of charges, including counts of official misconduct for the officers, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said.

An 11-count indictment issued on Friday charges Officer Michael A. Dotro, 37, of Manalapan, Officer Brian Favretto, 39, of Brick, and Officer Victor E. Aravena, 42, and Officer William H. Gesell, 46, both of Edison, with planning to retaliate against a North Brunswick police officer who arrested a relative of Dotro on a drunken driving charge.

The four officers are accused of conspiracy and official misconduct. It is charged that between Jan. 18, 2012, and May 1, 2012, they planned to retaliate against the North Brunswick police officer by improperly accessing information about him and performing surveillance on him and his travel habits. No actual retaliation was undertaken, however, the Prosecutor's Office said in a news release.

All four officers are suspended without pay, said township officials, who refused to comment further.

Gesell also was charged with unlawfully accessing a police computer system and a related count of official misconduct for seeking information on the North Brunswick officer.

The identities of the individual charged with DWI and the North Brunswick police officer were not released by the Prosecutor's Office, but nj.com identified the officer as Dimitrious Katsoulis of Edison.

The indictment further charges Dotro with unlawfully accessing a police computer system on Aug. 1, 2012, and accuses him of a related count of official misconduct for obtaining information about a license plate at the request of one of his friends. Dotro also was accused of engaging in a pattern of official misconduct.

Aravena also was charged with witness tampering, obstructing the administration of law and official misconduct for attempting to influence another Edison police officer on May 12, 2013, to alter a police report in an unrelated investigation. A count of engaging in a pattern of official misconduct also was filed against Aravena.

A separate indictment, issued Thursday and unsealed Friday, charges Dotro and his wife, Alycia, 39, with official misconduct, conspiracy and criminal mischief on March 17, 2013, for slashing the tires of a car owned by an Edison woman.

Dotro also is charged in the 12-count indictment with unlawful access to a computer system and unlawful disclosure of computer system data between March 17, 2013, and March 20, 2013. He also is accused of checking police records and notifying his wife of reports on the slashing.

Additionally, Dotro is charged in the indictment with two counts of having prohibited devices, possession of an imitation firearm and official misconduct for carrying brass knuckles, an imitation weapon, a small club known as a black jack, a small quantity of marijuana and a device used to smoke marijuana, all of which authorities said were discovered in his police duty bag on May 23, 2013.

He also is charged in that indictment with official misconduct and conspiracy for buying less than one ounce of marijuana for his wife on various occasions between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012. She was not charged with those counts, the Prosecutor's Office said.

Also Friday, state Superior Court Judge Bradley J. Ferencz set bails in New Brunswick and said the defendants may remain free but must post the amounts on or before Nov. 7. They also are scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. on that date.

Bail was set at $100,000 for Michael Dotro; $75,000 each for Alycia Dotro, Aravena and Gesell, and $50,000 for Favretto.

The indictments were issued after investigations by Detective Donald Heck and other members of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

The cases were presented to the grand juries by Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Mannion.

Dotro previously had been indicted on five charges of attempted murder and charges of aggravated arson in connection with a May 2013 incident in which prosecutors say he firebombed his captain's Monroe home, with Capt. Mark Anderko, his wife, two children and 92-year-old mother inside.

A 10-year veteran, Dotro has been suspended without pay since May 2013 and has been free on more than $2 million bail.

Staff Writer Bob Makin: 732-565-7319; bmakin@MyCentralJersey.com