Joe Malinconico

Paterson Press

PATERSON — Wednesday morning’s arrest of Police Officer Matthew Torres — the fifth city cop nabbed in an ongoing FBI probe — drew a mixed reaction from community activists, who said the case seems to confirm longstanding suspicions some people had about Paterson cops.

But community leaders also said they see the arrests as a sign that authorities are ridding the department of its bad apples, providing an opportunity to improve the relationship between the police and city residents.

Torres, who was charged with violating citizens’ civil rights, is accused of participating in an illegal traffic stop in Paterson in December 2017, an incident during which he and one of the other accused cops, Eudy Ramos, allegedly took $1,000 in cash from a passenger in the vehicle.

Torres, 30, was suspended for 30 days last summer in connection with allegations of steroid use, according to city law enforcement sources.

Wearing handcuffs and leg irons, Torres appeared in federal court on Wednesday afternoon, and Judge Steven Mannion ordered his release on a $100,000 bond as the accused cop’s mother and fiancée looked on.

During the hearing, Torres’ lawyer, John Whipple, asked that Torres be allowed to travel to Pennsylvania while free on bail because he plans to be married there next year. Authorities granted that request.

When asked for comment, Whipple said his client has been cooperative with authorities, surrendering to federal agents. “We’re looking forward to reviewing the evidence and moving forward on how to approach the case,” Whipple said.

Three other rogue officers have pleaded guilty in the probe. The criminal charges against Ramos are still pending. Four of the officers arrested in the case —including Torres — went through the police academy together in 2014.

“How long has this been going on undetected?” asked Zellie Thomas, a schoolteacher and leader of Paterson’s Black Lives Matter group. “We’ll never know. But there had to be a culture in place that allowed it to happen.”

Activist Bilal Hakeem, who has been critical of the Police Department in recent years, said he was saddened by the “scandalous allegations and convictions of officers who think they are above the law.”

“They took an oath, and they violated that oath,” Hakeem said. “Whatever penalty they get, they deserve.”

But the Rev. Kenneth Clayton, head of the Paterson chapter of the NAACP, said the corruption case provided an opportunity for bridge-building between the community and the department.

“The residents appreciate the fact that the police are being policed,” Clayton said. “There were always suspicions of corruption, but there was never any proof. Now we have a city administration and a police chief and a police director who want to make sure the department has integrity.”

The Rev. James Staton, a former city councilman, called the arrests disconcerting but said they send a positive message. “It’s good to see that the truth is coming out,” he said. “It shows there is accountability.”

Mayor Andre Sayegh declined to comment on the latest arrest. Police Chief Troy Oswald said the FBI probe started at the request of city police officials after they heard allegations of wrongdoing by city cops.

Oswald said the FBI’s probe has actually improved morale within the Paterson Police Department. He said officers “who do their job the right way” had complained about the rogue ways of some of their colleagues.

“The guys who are hands-on and doing the job out on the street — they love this,” Oswald said of the housecleaning.

The three cops who already pleaded guilty have been fired, city officials said.

Jonathan Bustios on Tuesday admitted he made illegal stops, took cash from motorists and extorted one suspect in order to get a handgun. Ruben McAusland has admitted he sold drugs and participated in an assault on a suicide patient at a hospital emergency room. Roger Then has pleaded guilty to charges that he participated and video-recorded the hospital assault.

Federal law enforcement officials said Ramos and Torres allegedly sometimes used fake paperwork to trick individuals into believing that their cash seizures and vehicle stops were legitimate.

During the Dec. 7, 2017, traffic stop, Torres and Ramos placed the driver in one police car and the passenger in the other, authorities said.

The passenger told Torres and Ramos that he had two bags of marijuana and $3,100, according to the United States Attorney’s Office. Ramos took the money, placed it on the back seat of the vehicle and told the passenger that he did not care about the marijuana, authorities said.

But Ramos told the passenger that the officers could not simply let him go because his activity likely had been picked up by Paterson police cameras, authorities said.

Ramos told the passenger that the two officers would take $500 from him, have him sign a piece of paper, and then give that paper to the narcotics division, authorities said. Ramos then pretended he made a phone call to his supervisor and told the passenger that the higher-ranking cop said it had to be $800, authorities said.

Ramos took out a piece of white paper, wrote something on it, and told the passenger to sign it, authorities said. The passenger did not know what was written on the paper.

Afterward, Torres and Ramos released the driver and passenger. Authorities said the passenger told them there was $1,000 missing from his original $3,100.

Federal authorities have accused Torres and Ramos of sharing the stolen cash proceeds. The officers did not report the illegal cash seizure to the Paterson Police Department, authorities said.

Illegal stops:Paterson cop reveals wider practice of illegal car stops than first disclosed

Beating:Paterson cop admits role in hospital ER beating