Paterson Cop Gets 6 Month Sentence For Hospital Attack

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A Paterson police officer was sentenced to six months in prison Tuesday for hiding the assault of an attempted suicide victim by his partner last year.

Roger Then, 29, of Paterson, was charged with misprision of felony for hiding the civil rights crime committed by his partner, Ruben McAusland, 27, of Paterson. Then previously pleaded guilty to the charge. U.S. District Judge William Martini handed down the sentence in Newark federal court Tuesday, said U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

Then recorded an encounter on his cell phone he and McAusland had with a suicide victim at St. Joseph's Medical Center on March 5, 2018, authorities previously said.

McAusland previously admitted that, while the victim was on his back in a hospital bed, he put on a pair of hospital gloves and violently struck him twice across the face, according to authorities.

In another encounter earlier at the hospital, Then allegedly grabbed the victim by the neck and pushed him into the ground.

Then and McAusland submitted a police report about what happened. The report did not mention Then grabbing the victim and McAusland hitting him, twice.

The victim suffered multiple injuries to his face, including an eye injury that required surgery, as a result of these assaults.

The incidents were part of an FBI probe that led to other Paterson police officers being arrested, as identified by The Record: Daniel Pent, 32, Eudy Ramos, Jonathan Bustios, McAusland, Then, and Matthew Torres. (See related: At Least 4 NJ Cops Busted In FBI Probe, Brutal Video Assault)

McAusland was sentenced Wednesday to 66 months in prison. According to the charges filed against him, he also distributed narcotics multiple times, including drugs he stole from a crime scene while on duty.

Pent was arrested Tuesday on a complaint charging him with conspiring to deprive individuals of civil rights under color of law, according to a US Attorney's Office release.

Pent, and other Paterson police officers, including Ramos, stopped and searched motor vehicles, without any justification, and stole cash and other items from the occupants of the motor vehicles, according to the release.

Pent, Ramos, and others also illegally stopped and searched individuals in buildings or on the streets of Paterson and seized cash from those individuals.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com