Man Charged With Impersonating Trooper, Committing Sex Crime In School

A Toms River man impersonated a police officer to enter a township school where he committed aggravated sexual contact on a teacher, an indictment charges. 

Bruce A. Figular, 50, allegedly unlawfully entered a Toms River school during a regular school day through an open door, claiming he was a police officer, on or about Jan. 13, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

"He was challenged by a school employee and presented himself as an active duty New Jersey State Trooper," Della Fave said in a statement. "Once inside one of the classroom areas, he committed an act of aggravated sexual contact upon one of the teachers."

Children were present in the building at the time of the incident, but not in the classroom where the alleged aggravated sexual contact occurred, Della Fave said.

Figular served as a State Trooper for six years and retired in 2003, according to an Asbury Park Press report from 2009, when he was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly firing a gun at his then-wife at their home during a domestic dispute. The woman was not injured in the incident. 

The name of the teacher targeted by Figular was not released by authorities. A source said that the incident occurred at Intermediate School East. 

School district officials did not immediately return a request for comment about the incident. 

Figular was indicted on charges of third degree burglary, third degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and fourth degree impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to the prosecutor's office. 

Figular is free on $50,000 bail set by Judge Francis R. Hodgson Jr. Senior Assistant Prosecutor Michael Weatherstone is prosecuting the case, according to Della Fave.