HOWELL – A Former Howell Township police chief has been criminally charged for allegedly lying in a township investigation as well as threatening a high-ranking police officer in order to cover up a sexual affair with a subordinate, state officials said.
Andrew Kudrick, 49, of Farmingdale, who retired from his position as the Howell Township Chief in 2022, has been charged with official misconduct, false swearing, tampering with public records, tampering with and retaliating against witnesses, and obstructing the administration of law.
According to officials, investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s Corruption Bureau began after Kudrick allegedly had an extramarital affair with an employee of the Howell Township Police Department and proceeded to make efforts to conceal it from the township during a sexual harassment investigation.
“Given the imbalance of power between a Chief of Police and a subordinate, any romantic relationship would be wholly inappropriate, violative of policy, and detrimental to the safety and wellbeing of the officers and civilians under the Chief’s command,” Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. “The defendant chose a profession centered around keeping others safe. He rose to the very top of that profession. But the conduct alleged in this complaint suggests that he created an environment within his police department where even the people who worked for him could not feel safe.”
“Any member of law enforcement who is not truthful during an investigation, and who abuses his power to intimidate and tamper with witnesses, has violated his oath and is not worthy of the public’s trust,” said Thomas Eicher, Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
During a 2021 retirement party, a confrontation occurred between the chief’s wife and suspected mistress which raised suspicions about the improper relationship.
Afterwards, the township hired a special labor counsel to conduct an internal investigation prompted by concerns that the municipal government could be at risk for liability due to the potential existence of a hostile work environment and sexual harassment within the police department, officials said.
A Howell Police captain, who had knowledge and evidence of the affair, was set to be interviewed a second time by the special counsel in late March 2022. However, it is alleged that Kudrick threatened the captain in an effort to intimidate him against being truthful.
Specifically, “Kudrick threatened to initiate an illegitimate internal affairs investigation of the captain, accusing him of speaking to the township manager directly without the chief’s approval, in order to intimidate the captain from truthfully cooperating in the special labor investigator’s probe,” a press release states.
Additionally, officials said Kudrick falsely denied making sexual comments to, or having an intimate relationship with, the employee and denied he received explicit photos of her.
State officials said the evidence showed an affair did take place, in violation of the Township’s Policy Against Fraternization prohibiting romantic relationships with subordinates.
The charges against the defendant are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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