Retired Camden officer admits role in rogue operation

Among Camden police officers, Dan Morris was known as "the Terminator" for his prodigious arrest record during his 23 years on the force.

On Thursday, the retired sergeant appeared in U.S. District Court and stoically admitted that he had stolen money from suspected drug dealers, conducted illegal searches, and falsified police records during his last year on the force.

Morris, 47, of Moorestown, faces a possible 10-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy before Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden.

He is the third officer, out of five under investigation, to admit his role in a rogue narcotics-enforcement operation. Authorities say other officers planted evidence, made false arrests, and traded drugs for information from prostitutes.

As a result of the misconduct, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office overturned drug charges against more than 185 people, some of whom were in prison on bogus charges.

The city, which repeatedly ranks as one of the most dangerous and poorest in the nation, also has been hit with numerous lawsuits by those the officers arrested. More are expected.

In one lawsuit filed recently in federal court, Juan R. Trouche of Camden says Morris and other officers stopped him in an alley near Broadway and Viola Street on Nov. 27, 2007. Morris allegedly hit Trouche in the back of the head with gun.

"Are you ready to die tonight?" Morris allegedly asked Trouche.

According to the lawsuit, the officers then planted 19 bags of crack cocaine on Trouche and charged him with possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school. In May, Trouche was among those released early from prison.

"I believe it is important that the public should take comfort in knowing the Camden Police Department is not defined by these rogue officers," Chief Scott Thomson said. "We aggressively investigated them to prosecution and will continue to do so."

In the summer of 2008, shortly after he was appointed chief, Thomson initiated an investigation of the officers. It was turned over to the Prosecutor's Office, which worked with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

By then, Morris had become a sergeant and supervised the other four officers: Kevin Parry, Jason Stetser, Antonio Figueroa, and Robert Bayard. Parry and Stetser pleaded guilty to conspiracy this year. Figueroa and Bayard have been suspended without pay while the criminal investigation continues.

The men were part of a special squad assigned to patrol hot spots where drug activity was particularly high.

Morris, who retired Jan. 1, appeared in court Thursday wearing a dark business suit. He declined comment through his attorney, Paul Sarmousakis.

A man who identified himself as Morris' father said Morris has three children, including a disabled son who lives with him, and comes from a law enforcement family. Morris' father worked as a correctional officer, a grandfather was a police officer, and his brother also is a police officer in Camden.

"We've been in law enforcement for the last 50 years," the father said, adding that if his son goes to prison, "I'll drop dead. My wife will probably have a heart attack."

He said he believed his son, who once was president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Camden, is innocent. He said his son had pleaded guilty to avoid the risk of a longer prison term had a jury found him guilty.

Morris told the judge that he had a high school equivalency diploma when he joined the force in 1986. He was with the department until September 2008, when he was injured in a car accident while responding to an officer's call for assistance.

As Morris rolled through a stop sign, his cruiser was T-boned by another car and flipped on its side.

Morris went out on disability and never returned to work. When he retired, he was earning $103,623 a year. He collects a $5,756 monthly disability pension that may be fully or partially revoked as a result of Thursday's plea.

In court, Morris said that he and the other officers had conducted illegal searches of residences without warrants, and that he and the others had stolen money during the searches. They also threatened and coerced residents to obtain consent for searches, he said.

During one raid, he said, he stole $800 from a bedroom dresser and split it with Stetser. Another time, he said, he stole $1,000 from a car and split it with another officer, warning the officer not to deposit the money in a bank.

As a supervisor for the others, Morris said, he reviewed their reports containing false information.

Parry and Stetser admitted this year that from May 2007 to October 2009 they had confiscated drugs from dealers and stashed them in various locations to plant later on others.

They sometimes added the drugs to amounts confiscated from those arrested to enhance the charges, the officers said.

Sometimes they traded drugs for information from prostitutes, they said, and those unwilling to go along with the operation were threatened with arrest.

"As a supervisor, Morris had an obligation to hold other officers to the highest standards of behavior," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement Thursday. "He opted instead to condone and commit a series of crimes.

"Our office remains focused on rooting out such corruption, which insidiously eats away at the public's confidence in those sworn to protect the rights of our citizens."

The judge set bail at $100,000 for Morris, who remained free. Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 2.