Newark cop and ex-cop busted in data theft scheme

Newark Police captain Anthony Buono, (left) and former Newark police officer Dino D'Elia, (right) have been charged with conspiracy and computer theft.

(Courtesy of Essex County Prosecutor's Office)

NEWARK - The Newark police captain arrested Tuesday in connection with an alleged data theft scheme has been suspended, Newark Police Department spokesman Sergeant Ronald Glover confirmed.

Captain Anthony Buono, 60, of Millstone, was upon his arrest immediately suspended from active duty without pay pending the outcome of the investigation and trial, Glover said.

UPDATE:

"We will handle this matter both expediently and appropriately upon completion of the trial," said Newark Police Department Director Eugene Venable in a released statement.

"The Newark Police Department has no tolerance for these types of allegations and although the captain is innocent until proven guilty, we take these matters seriously and have a duty to relieve the captain of his job without pay pending a resolution."

He added, "community trust is of paramount importance and is the foundation for effective policing in our neighborhoods. Therefore, the conduct of our officers must be without reproach regardless of rank and position."

Buono, along with former Newark police officer Dino D'Elia, was arrested and charged Tuesday with two counts of computer theft and one count of conspiracy after authorities said they illegally gained access to a private database made available to police departments to investigate insurance fraud.

"The public should not have to worry that sensitive information will be illegally accessed. These defendants at this juncture stand accused of compromising the public's trust,'' said Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray.

According to investigators, Buono and D'Elia later allegedly sold information taken from the database to third parties for as much as $100 per search.

The suspected illegal breach first came to light in 2014, sparking a joint investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Official Corruption Unit and the Internal Affairs Unit of the Newark Police Department, officials said.

Buono and D'Elia allegedly accessed the database on more than 900 occasions, and later sold the data as part of D'Elia's private investigation business, according to investigators.

If convicted, both Buono and D'Elia could face 5 to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison on each count.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.