Former Howell Township Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Obstruction in Cover-Up of Sexual Affair

Former Howell Township Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Administration of Law in Connection with Cover-Up of Sexual Affair

Andrew Kudrick admits to false statements and attempts to conceal affair during a township investigation, faces lifetime public employment ban.

MONMOUTH COUNTY, N.J. - Andrew Kudrick, the former police chief of Howell Township, has pled guilty to obstructing the administration of law in connection with a cover-up of a sexual affair with a subordinate. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) made the announcement today.

Kudrick, 50, of Farmingdale, New Jersey, entered his guilty plea to one count of obstructing the administration of law or other governmental function, a fourth-degree offense. The plea was made during a hearing before Judge Paul X. Escandon on May 13, 2024, in the state Superior Court in Monmouth County, located in Freehold, New Jersey.

As part of the plea agreement with OPIA, Kudrick has accepted a lifetime ban on public employment. Prosecutors will recommend that he receive a term of non-custodial probation, with the length to be determined by the court. Sentencing is scheduled for July 19, 2024.

The investigation began after an incident at a work-related event, leading Howell Township to examine potential hostile work environments and sexual harassment issues within its police department. During the investigation, Kudrick admitted to falsely denying the existence of the affair during an official interview.

In late March 2022, Kudrick threatened to initiate a fraudulent internal affairs investigation against a police department member who possessed knowledge and evidence of the affair. This action was intended to intimidate the witness from cooperating with the township's investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Sherrod Smith and OPIA Corruption Deputy Bureau Chief Andrew Wellbrock, under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Chief Jeff Manis and OPIA Executive Director Drew Skinner.