He allegedly later completed an incident report that contained numerous false statements to conceal his conduct. According to Trentonian , the Trenton Police Department is setting up the Hispanic cop, Officer Anthony Villanueva, "as the sole fall guy" and "Villanueva was placed on restricted duty. Villanueva was fired last year and faces a separate federal charge for allegedly pepper spraying a man in a police holding cell. Anthony Villanueva, then 25, after leaving U.S. District Court in Trenton in an April 2019 file photo.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med. He didnt have a baton. Villanueva and Inman were among this group. The indictment describes the assault like this: Victim 2 walked calmly, unescorted, into a cell denoted in Trenton Police Department records as Cell 7, and the door to Cell 7 began to close behind him, locking him in. Villanueva argued in his appeal, among other arguments, that the OAL erred by finding that he violated state policy on using pepper spray, and Trenton police failed to conduct an adequate investigation before terminating his employment. Full title: IN THE MATTER OF ANTHONY VILLANUEVA, CITY OF TRENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. Ballarotto said his client is being unfairly vilified as a rogue cop, and he believes the ex-TPDer will get cleared. Another officer ordered Washington to climb over the fence toward him. When that trust is violated, it makes it more difficult for our fellow police officers and federal agents to maintain the community's confidence.. Its a travesty for him, but also for the law abiding resident of the city of Trenton, at a time when we need good honest hard-working police officers who really want to the job and at the same time want to go home to their families at night without getting a bullet in the chest. Trimboli & Prusinowski, LLC, attorneys for respondent City of Trenton . Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman, 25, of Hamilton, New Jersey, and former Trenton Police Officer Anthony Villanueva, 25, of Ewing, New Jersey, are charged in a six-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on April 18, 2019, and unsealed today. Newark, NJ 07102, Newark:973-645-2700 Swung his arm around his neck and brought him to the ground, he said. Inman, sporting the shaved-head look, was still attired in his Trenton Police garb of a black polo shirt and cargo pants. Bongiovanni ordered the government to turn over to the defense the names of any witnesses and victims so there wasnt any confusion. The charges and accusations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and Inman and Villanueva are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The capital city cops are accused of using excessive force against suspects Chanzie Washington and Quaree Singletary, during separate arrests, in April and November 2017. Villanueva was assigned to TPD lockup after. Family members and supporters sat stoically at the back of the courtroom; they declined to comment on the governments case against their loved ones, letting the attorneys to the talking after the hearing. Both Inman and Villanueva were granted unsecured bail on Tuesday, meaning they can go home. TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Two Trenton police officers are now in trouble with the law. Villanueva and Inman were each ordered released on $50,000 unsecured bonds with conditions. He didnt have a flashlight. TPD officers were on the other side waiting for Washington, who immediately gave himself up and raised his hands in the air, the indictment says. DOCKET NO. The city of Trenton police officers, the majority of them, do not have any respect for the citizens, they just absolutely do not," Lord said. Villanueva, 25, of Ewing, and Inman, 25, of Hamilton, are both charged with one count of aiding and abetting one another to deprive a man of his civil rights. Authorities say the driver involved in the stop fled in his vehicle and then on foot as officers pursued. Search the most comprehensive statewide database of police use of force in the U.S. Footage from the incident that was obtained by The Trentonian via public records request can be seen below. The man tells the officers, Stop hitting me in my face.". It was not immediately clear if that charge was dropped. As Singletary headed toward his cell and the door closed behind him, the cop sprayed him with the stinging mace, affecting nearby prisoners. The former officer, Anthony Villanueva, was. 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Two Trenton officers involved in arresting Washington after a foot chase in April of 2017 are now facing federal charges. To justify their actions, authorities said Inman and Villanueva prepared false and fraudulent reports in which they portrayed Washington as the aggressor and an ongoing threat. Man In Easter Bunny Suit Involved In Florida Brawl Wanted In New Jersey For Car Burglaries. Lock The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve and keep them safe. Suicide Note Revealed After Shocking Death, Indicted! April 23, 2019 / 6:49 PM In the second incident, Villanueva is charged with depriving a man of his civil rights and obstruction of justice. Her first official day isnt till May 1. He plans to appeal to the state Supreme Court. Anthony Villanueva leaves the federal courthouse in Trenton in this April 2019 file photo. Inman and Villanueva returned to the police station to prepare reports in connection with the victims arrest. Surrounded by police officers, Washington complied when told to raise his hands, according to authorities. Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman and ex-officer Anthony Villanueva are accused of assaulting a man who was complying with their demands. Villanueva maced Singletary while he was inside a cell after a dustup that started when, the cop claimed, Singletary refused to get off the phone. The false records counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Video of the incident showed Singletary strolling unaccompanied down the hall leading to the jail cells and entering the cell. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The Newnan Times-Herald. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. The gun-toting drug dealers in Trenton are probably throwing a party tonight since he was taken off the street. Quaree Singletary engaged in a struggle with city cop Anthony Villanueva after Villanueva abruptly ended Singletary's phone call to relatives. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey, Two Trenton Police Officers Charged with Civil Rights Violations, Obstruction of Justice, U.S. Attorneys Office Reaches Settlement with Ocean County Nail Salon to End Disability Discrimination, Statement Of U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Former Hillsborough Township School District Official Admits To Paying Kickbacks For Illegal Overtime Payments, Two Trenton Police Officers Charged With Civil Rights Violations, Obstruction of Justice. The attorney argued that Trenton Police leave their officers unequipped far too often. Inman is still on restricted duty and Kieffer III is on the streets. Trenton, GA Cureton , Phillip Lebron 2/15/1977 9846 W Ridge Trail Rd - Soddy Daisy, TN Curington , Jessica Lee 9/28/1979 As I reached for the phone, Singletary smacked my hand out of the way.. Villanueva appealed his firing to the states Office of Administrative Law (OAL), which in May 2019, following testimony against him from fellow officers, upheld the termination. Jerome Ballarotto, Villanuevas attorney, confirmed the FBI went to his clients house in Ewing around 6 a.m. and arrested him at gunpoint, terrorizing his wife and children. Villanueva, who has since left the police department, is also charged with assaulting a prisoner in a separate incident. On Tuesday, Villanueva was arrested by the FBI at his home. Mayor Reed Gusciora said he was made aware of the arrests but declined to comment beyond that. The only way to eradicate the excessive abuse in the Trenton police department is by firing them all and starting all over again, she said. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. His report on that incident included a number of false statements in an attempt to hide his unlawful conduct and improper treatment of the prisoner, authorities said. While Washington was complying, Villanueva punched him in the face. The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, and they were both scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. I know its a small community, the judge told the defendants. Villanueva later completed an incident report that contained numerous false statements designed to conceal his unlawful conduct and improper treatment of the prisoner. Villanueva has several other issues pending from his four years on the Trenton police force, which all occurred in 2017. Washington jumped into the canal and swam to the opposite bank, climbing up a steep, brush-lined embankment near a parking lot. Capt. Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction while Inman is charged with one count of obstruction in connection to the incident. See Average Property Tax Bill In Lawrence Township, Per New Data, Catholics In Diocese Of Trenton Can Eat Meat On St. Patrick's Day, Head-Shaving Event At Lawrence Restaurant To Raise Funds For Cancer, Office Furniture & Soft Seating Liquidation Sale, NJ Camp Fairs at Menlo Park Mall Mar 4, 2023 - FREE to Attend (12-3PM), Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, AMC Theatres In NJ To Base Pricing Off Where You Sit, The Poop On Free-Range Cats And Your Lawn And Garden [Block Talk]. Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman, 25, of Hamilton, New Jersey, and former Trenton Police Officer Anthony Villanueva, 25, of Ewing, New Jersey, are charged in a six-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on April 18, 2019, and unsealed today. When that trust is violated, it makes it more difficult for our fellow police officers and federal agents to maintain the communitys confidence.. He didnt have a taser, he said. NBC10 obtained body cam footage of the incident.. The incident was caught on body camera. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction, and Inman with one count of obstruction, in connection with that incident. The beginning of the videos dont include sound until after Washington is struck, so it is unclear what led the officers to tackle Washington to the ground. Inman and Kieffer III are white and Villanueva is Hispanic. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Authorities said Villanueva punched the driver in the face and Inman tackled him. A New Jersey appeals court has affirmed the 2018 firing of a Trenton police officer terminated for pepper spraying a suspect inside a jail cell. Officer Anthony Villanueva sprays Quaree Singletary with mace during a lengthy struggle in TPD lockup. She sounded indignant as she discussed her decades-long struggle to help clients who described being beaten up and abused by TPD officers. In proceedings in the OAL and the appeals court, the judge found Villanuevas reporting on the incident was starkly different from parts of the incident caught on police security cameras. Quaree Singletary, of Ewing, claims he was physically assaulted by Villanueva in lockup at Trenton Police headquarters on Nov. 28, 2017, and suffers from serious bodily injuries to his brain, head, face and body.. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Theres no evidence that he was punched at that side of his face.. When that trust is violated, it makes it more difficult for our fellow police officers and federal agents to maintain the community's confidence.. Both defendants are charged with one count aiding and abetting one another to deprive a man of his civil rights. Singletary has said he was visited by fed who wanted to know more about the altercation with Villanueva. All rights reserved, Philly POPS Musicians Disappointed' by Recent Moves, Trump Supporters Get Parole in Philadelphia Weapons Case, Check Your Change! TRENTON A third man who says he was beat up by fired Trenton cop Anthony Villanueva has finally filed suit against the former cop and ex-police director Ernest Parrey Jr., who is accused of not doing enough to crack down on rogue cops. A police aide rushed to try to help subdue Singletary, who allegedly elbowed Villanueva during the altercation. U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to todays indictment. Police work is difficult and dangerous, but officers need to respect the civil rights of the people they are policing, Carpenito said. Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman, 25, of Hamilton, New Jersey, and former Trenton Police Officer Anthony Villanueva, 25, of Ewing, New Jersey, are charged in a six-count indictment. According toTrentonian,the Trenton Police Department is setting up the Hispanic cop, Officer Anthony Villanueva, as the sole fall guy and Villanueva was placed on restricted duty within a week, but Inman remained on the streets for more than a month before being placed on restriction. As of last month,Villanueva was suspended without pay. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Villanueva grabbed a bottle of mace from the detention area. TRENTON A Trenton police officer and a former colleague accused of assaulting a man during an arrest have pleaded not guilty to civil rights violations and obstruction of justice charges. Washington complied, according to the indictment, and placed his hands on the fence. with assault on a police officer, which required that Q.S. The maximum fine for each of the charges is $250,000. The indictment says the booking photo, obtained by The Trentonian, showed Washington, who has sued over the beatdown, with a busted, bloodied lip, nose and swelling and brusing around his left eye. TRENTON, N.J. Two Trenton police officers have been charged with civil rights and obstruction of justice charges for allegedly assaulting a man they were arresting, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today. The video appeared to show Singletary slapping Villanuevas hand away from the phone. Inman was arrested at the Trenton Police Station Tuesday morning and is now suspended. Villanueva and Inman appeared in federal court Tuesday. Katz & Dougherty, LLC, attorneys for appellant Anthony Villanueva (George T. Dougherty , on the briefs). Villanueva claimed Singletary assaulted him during a phone call from jail, then had a long struggle to get him back in a jail cell and handcuffed, forcing him to use pepper spray. On Nov. 28, 2017, Villanueva pepper sprayed a prisoner who was confined to a holding cell at Trenton Police Headquarters, according to authorities. My eyes burned for like two, three days.. Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman, 25, of Hamilton, New Jersey, and former Trenton Police Officer Anthony Villanueva, 25, of Ewing, New Jersey, are charged in a six-count indictment that was handed up last Thursday by a federal grand jury and unsealed Tuesday. They are charged with violating Washington's civil rights and falsifying police reports to characterize him as the aggressor. The incident was recorded on other officers body cams. The indictment says Villanueva also lied on his report, a copy of which was obtained by this newspaper, intending to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation. The man who the officers arrested is no longer in jail and his eluding and obstruction charges were later dropped. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Police work is difficult and dangerous, but officers need to respect the civil rights of the people they are policing, U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. It burns. Anthony Villanueva, Trenton Police Department Adam L. Wills, Pemberton Twp. Yo, why would you do that, he recalled saying. The FBI was investigating Inman, former TPD officer Anthony Villanueva, and Mark Kieffer III in connection with the April 2017 arrest of Chanzie Washington. All Rights Reserved. Villanueva filed 14 use-of-force reports in a two-year period, higher than the statewide average of 4.1 use-of-force reports per officer over a five-year period, according to NJ.coms reporting on statewide use-of-force records. The arrest of Inman happened a day after the city introduced new police director Sheilah Coley. Im hopeful there will be more to come.. She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Chris Rock to Address Will Smith's Slap in First Stand-Up Since Last Year's Oscars, New Jersey Bill Seeks to Ban Sale of Baby Wipes. Passaic Clinton, Hunterdon Trenton, Mercer Tuckerton, Ocean Union Beach, Monmouth Union City, Hudson Union Township, . I never want to be maced again in my life, Singletary previously told this newspaper. He was assisted that night by a police aide (the aide). But they will be back in court Wednesday morning where both men are expected to plead not guilty and go to trial later this year. They punched him numerous times while Washington cried out, stop hitting me, and youve got my hands..