BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
NEW BRUNSWICK — Four Edison police officers have forfeited their positions as police officers after pleading guilty in Middlesex County Superior Court for their involvement in planning to retaliate against a North Brunswick police officer because of a drunken-driving charge in 2012.
Michael A. Dotro, of Manalapan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and official misconduct charges while Brian Favretto, of Brick, and Victor E. Aravena and William H. Gesell, both of Edison, pled guilty to lesser disorderly conduct charges for their involvement in front of Superior Court Judge Joseph Paone on Sept. 16.
Hundreds of jurors were assembled at 9 a.m. for what was to be the beginning of jury selection in the trial of the officers.
After four hours of discussion with their attorneys and family members, the officers decided to agree to the plea agreement with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutors Russell Curley and Thomas Mannion. Under the plea agreements, the officers agreed to forfeit their employment as police officers and will not be able to hold any other public office position in the future.
For Favretto, Aravena and Gesell, the agreements include no jail time and the possibility for probation.
On October 24, 2014, a Middlesex County grand jury indicted the officers with conspiracy and official misconduct charges. The indictment included 11-counts.
The officers allegedly planned between Jan. 18, 2012 and May 1, 2012, to retaliate against the North Brunswick officer by improperly accessing information about him and performing surveillance of him and his travel habits, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
In addition, Gesell was charged with unlawfully accessing a police computer system, along with a related count of official misconduct for seeking information on the North Brunswick officer.
An investigation by the prosecutor determined that the retaliation was planned after the North Brunswick police officer arrested and associate of Dotro on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Dotro subsequently conspired with his three fellow police officers to retaliate against the North Brunswick officer, according to authorities. No actual retaliation was undertaken, however.
Dotro remains out on bail while the Prosecutor’s agreed to exonerate the bails for Favretto, Gesell and Aravena and release them on their own recognizance. They had all been suspended without pay since the indictments in 2014.
A tentative sentencing date is set for Jan. 13, 2017.
