Clifton Man Accused Of Texting Threats To Police Chief

CLIFTON, NJ – A 28-year-old Clifton man faces charges after authorities say he sent threatening text messages to Paterson’s newly-sworn in police chief.

Stefan Keco, who was arrested Monday, is accused of contacting Ibrahim Baycora, the department’s first Muslim American police chief and a first generation Turkish-American immigrant, “with the purpose to intimidate him” because of his religion, race and national origin, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in a press release.

Additional details were not immediately available Monday afternoon.

The prosecutor’s office was assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Paterson Police Department with its investigation.

He was charged with two counts a terroristic threats, a third-degree crime, as well as one count of bias intimidation, a second-degree crime, ands is being held at Passaic County Jail pending a pretrial detention hearing on Wednesday, Valdes said.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact the prosecutor’s office at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org, or call Paterson police at 973-321-1120.