Bergen County Law Enforcement Officer Indicted for Drug Tampering and Financial Crimes

State Grand Jury Issues 50-Count Indictment Against Law Enforcement Officer Accused of Misusing Evidence and Depositing $600,000 in Cash

A suspended Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO) lieutenant has been indicted on 50 criminal counts, including allegations that he removed and tampered with narcotics evidence from the department’s main vault and engaged in financial crimes tied to $600,000 in cash deposits, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today.

A state grand jury in Trenton formally indicted Kevin T. Matthew, 48, of Cedar Grove, who is accused of improperly accessing drug evidence—including cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl—from cases in which he had no official role. The charges stem from an alleged pattern of misconduct spanning from January 2019 to November 2023.

“The alleged misconduct by the defendant represents a stunning, tremendous disservice to the public,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This case highlights the corrosive effects that corruption can have on public safety and trust. Instead of making Bergen County safer, the indictment alleges the defendant repeatedly withdrew from the evidence vault large amounts of dangerous drugs that had already been seized by law enforcement. This alleged conduct was a betrayal of this officer’s colleagues, his agency, his community, and his oath, and the grand jury’s findings reflect the severity of this alleged behavior.”

Allegations of Drug Tampering and Misuse of Evidence

Matthew, who served in the BCPO’s Special Victims Unit rather than its narcotics division, allegedly exploited his position to search law enforcement databases for drug cases and request access to seized narcotics without authorization.

According to the indictment, Matthew repeatedly withdrew drug evidence from the evidence vault and later returned it in altered form—with differences in weight, composition, or packaging—potentially undermining the chain of custody and the integrity of criminal prosecutions.

Authorities have linked these discrepancies to nine separate drug cases in which he allegedly withdrew evidence in amounts suggesting an intent to distribute controlled substances.

“The defendant allegedly tampered with drug evidence in case after case, all for personal benefit,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. “As the charges in this case demonstrate, no one is above the law.”

Financial Crimes: Unexplained Cash Deposits

Beyond the allegations of drug evidence tampering, investigators discovered that Matthew made approximately $600,000 in cash deposits into bank accounts under his control over the same period. These deposits, which did not match his salary as a sworn law enforcement officer, were allegedly structured to evade federal banking regulations that require financial institutions to report cash transactions exceeding $10,000.

Additionally, Matthew allegedly failed to report this income on his tax returns for 2022 and 2023, leading to tax fraud charges.

The grand jury’s 50-count indictment includes the following charges:

• Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity (1st degree)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance (1st and 2nd degree)
• Pattern of Official Misconduct (2nd degree)
• Official Misconduct (2nd degree)
• Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (3rd degree)
• Tampering with Public Records or Information (3rd degree)
• Tampering with Physical Evidence (4th degree)
• Filing Fraudulent Tax Returns (3rd degree)
• Structuring Financial Transactions to Evade Reporting Requirements (3rd degree)

If convicted, Matthew faces significant prison time:

• First-degree charges carry a 10- to 20-year prison sentence and fines up to $200,000.
• Second-degree charges carry a 5- to 10-year sentence and fines up to $150,000.
• Third-degree charges carry a 3- to 5-year sentence and fines up to $15,000.
• Fourth-degree charges could result in up to 18 months in prison and fines up to $10,000.

Next Steps

The case will now move forward through the New Jersey court system. Prosecutors from the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), including Assistant Attorney General Mary Catherine Ryan and Deputy Attorney General Amy Sieminski, will handle the prosecution under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Co-Directors Jeff Manis and Eric Gibson, along with OPIA Director Thomas Eicher.

The Attorney General’s Office credited the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance in the investigation.

Matthew remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.