Joe Malinconico

Paterson Press

PATERSON – At the time of his federal indictment last March, Paterson police officer Eudy Ramos faced the possibility of having one of his fellow cops testify against him.

That didn’t seem to bother his lawyer, Miles Feinstein, who asserted that Ramos was innocent and anxious to clear his name of the accusations that he participated in illegal traffic stops and shakedowns of motorists.

"I look forward to cross-examining any officer who is going to testify against my client,” Feinstein said four months ago.

But the odds seem to be getting worse for Ramos after Tuesday’s proceedings in federal court in Newark.

In pleading guilty on Tuesday to federal civil rights crimes, former officer Frank Toledo said he teamed up with Ramos on Dec. 2, 2017 to steal $1,000 from someone they arrested. Toledo also said he and Ramos in November 2017 used excessive force against a person they eventually released without arrest.

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Toledo’s admission came after two other former Paterson cops already pleaded guilty to crimes they said they committed with Ramos.

Matthew Torres, admitted last May that he and Ramos took $800 from the passenger of a vehicle they illegally stopped on Dec. 7, 2017 and Jonathan Bustios said in court last December that he and Ramos pocketed $1,800 from a BMW they illegally pulled over on Feb. 20, 2018.

Feinstein on Wednesday could not be reached for comment on the growing number of former cops who claimed his client broke the law with them.

The United States Attorney’s Office would not reveal whether Toledo, Torres and Bustios would testify against Ramos as a result of their plea agreements. But several lawyers familiar with the case have said that the possibility of the three convicted cops testifying against their alleged co-conspirator seems inevitable if Ramos goes to trial.

“I don’t see any possibility of him prevailing,” said a North Jersey lawyer who handles litigation involving allegations of police misconduct. The lawyer spoke on the condition that his name not be published.

The ongoing FBI probe – which officials say was triggered by the Paterson police department’s internal affairs division – has resulted in the arrests of seven cops, including five who already pleaded guilty.

Two of the former officers who admitted their wrongdoing – Ruben McAusland and Roger Then – have not been accused of being part of the shakedowns. McAusland admitted selling drugs on duty, while McAusland and Then admitted teaming up in an assault on a suicide patient at an emergency room.

The other five – Ramos, Toledo, Torres, Bustios and Daniel Pent – were arrested in connection with the shakedown allegations. Pent and Ramos are the only two who have not pleaded guilty.

Toledo on Tuesday said in court that Pent participated in the conspiracy. But he did not cite specific crimes and dates. Pent’s lawyer could not be reached for comment.

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During his plea, Toledo said he conspired with multiple officers, including Ramos, Bustios, Pent, Torres “and others,” in the shakedowns. But authorities have not elaborated on who those “others” might be. Nor have they said whether any other Paterson cops have been questioned by the FBI.

Torres’ sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9 and Toledo’s for Oct. 22. Federal officials have not scheduled the sentencing for Bustios, who was Ramos’ partner.

Officials said on Tuesday that Toledo faces 30 to 37 months in prison. Federal authorities said Torres and Bustios face 24 months to 30 months.

McAusland was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in federal prison, while Then was sentenced to six months. They both are being held at a low-security federal prison camp in Loretto, Pennsylvania, according to the United States corrections department. The federal criminal justice system does not give inmates early release for parole.

Email: editor@patersonpress.com