Retired Howell Police Chief Charged With Official Misconduct: State

HOWELL, NJ — The now-retired Howell Township police chief is facing criminal charges after he allegedly lied in a township sex harassment investigation and threatened a high-ranking member of the police department to cover up a sexual affair with a subordinate, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Wednesday.

Andrew A. Kudrick Jr., 49, of Farmingdale, who retired from his position as the Howell Township chief in March 2022 after the conduct alleged in the complaint, has been charged with second-degree official misconduct, as well as false swearing, tampering with public records, tampering with and retaliating against witnesses, and obstructing the administration of law, the state said in a press conference announcing the charges.

Kudrick was served a complaint summons and is free under "strict conditions," state officials said at a news conference on Wednesday. The conditions include surrender of firearms and no victim contact, officials said.

Kudrick's attorney, Robert A. Honecker Jr., Ocean Township, said Kudrick is innocent and is a "respected law enforcement official" who "vigorously denies" the charges.

"Falling into political disfavor does not make him a criminal," Honecker said, without further explanation.

Howell Township government responded to the charges by saying, in part, it "believes in due process and has no comment about the charges at this time. Additionally, the township has no pending actions against former Chief Kudrick as of yet, but will continue to evaluate the situation as it unfolds at the state level to determine whether any future action is warranted," according to a statement from township attorney Caitlin Harney.

The township noted that Kudrick received "his contractual benefits at the time of retirement, consisting of payments for accrued sick time and paid time off. He is not receiving any ongoing benefits from the Township. Any pension benefits he receives is directed and controlled through the New Jersey Division of Pension & Benefits."

The charges arise from an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s Corruption Bureau regarding an alleged extramarital affair the chief had with an employee of the Howell Township Police Department and his efforts to conceal it from the township during a sexual harassment investigation, the office said.

A confrontation between the chief’s wife and suspected mistress during a 2021 retirement party raised suspicions about the possible existence of the improper relationship, according to a news release from the attorney general's office about the matter.

Following that incident, the township hired a special labor counsel to conduct an internal investigation, spurred 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. the office said.

The day before a captain with the Howell police department, who had knowledge and evidence of the affair, was slated to be interviewed a second time by the special counsel in late March 2022, it is alleged that Kudrick threatened the captain in an effort to intimidate the witness 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, the office said.

Other charges stem from an official interview Kudrick gave to the special labor counsel, in which he "falsely denied making sexual comments to, or having an intimate relationship with, the subordinate and denied he received explicit photos of her," according to the attorney general's office.

But the evidence showed an affair did take place, in violation of the township’s policy against fraternization, prohibiting romantic relationships with subordinates, the office says.

“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 well-being of the officers and civilians under the chief’s command,” said Attorney General Platkin.

“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,” he said.

“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.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Samantha Thoma, Andrew Wellbrock and Sherrod Smith, under the supervision of Corruption Bureau Deputy Chiefs Heather Hausleben and Jeff Manis, Bureau Chief Peter Lee, Office of Public Integrity and Accountability Deputy Director Anthony Picione and Executive Director Eicher.

Kudrick abruptly retired March 31, 2022 after 32 years on the Howell force and seven years as its chief. In a statement on the department's Facebook page, Kudrick said at the time he accepted a job offer elsewhere. Capt. Mark Pilecki was sworn in as acting chief the next day.

Chief John Storrow is the current police chief, taking office last summer.

Kudrick, who has lived in Howell for 45 years, became involved with the department as a Police Explorer in 1990. He rose through the Explorer ranks to the level of captain and was an active member until 1994, when he became an adult adviser to the group.

Kudrick was hired in 1993 as a full-time 911 telecommunications operator. He became a patrolman in 1995 and worked as a field training officer for the department for several years, training new officers in how to perform the duties of a law enforcement professional.

He was promoted to sergeant in 2002 and was a first-line supervisor within the uniformed Patrol Division, then became a lieutenant in 2005 and was the training unit supervisor and later commander of the patrol division until 2012. Kudrick was promoted to captain in October 2012.

Kudrick served as president of the Monmouth County Police Chiefs Association in 2021.

Kudrick in 2019 had agreed to a new contract to serve as chief through 2024, but said the stresses of the last several years had taken a toll on him and on his wife and son.

Kudrick was the subject of a no-confidence vote in December 2021 in the midst of a dispute with the Howell Township PBA, which accused him of trying to sabotage the union. Kudrick has never addressed that matter publicly.

Local Editor Karen Wall contributed reporting to this report.