Friday, January 16, 2009

MORRISTOWN: A Boonton police officer charged with theft by deception and insurance fraud admitted today in a Morristown courtroom to lying about an off-duty knee injury in order to be covered under workers' compensation.

After making his fraudulent injury claim, Officer John J. Hagen was out of work for about four months and was paid $28,214 in his police salary and awarded an additional $16,864 as the result of a workers' compensation claim that he filed. The Morris County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund, which is the insurance provider for Boonton paid $12,739 for his medical expenses, $9,279.13 for salary reimbursement and $3,876.99 for legal expenses, Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said.

Hagen, however, wasn't injured on the job. Although he claimed he slipped off a curb while working Oct. 27, 2006 he really suffered the injury while playing basketball at a local YMCA. He later concocted the story to secure workers' compensation coverage and get paid while out of work, the prosecutor said.

He mentioned his scheme to others and later tried to get them to lie to investigators when he became aware that a probe was underway, authorities said. Besides theft by deception and insurance fraud, Hagen also admitted in Superior Court Judge Thomas Manahan's courtroom to a charge of harassment stemming from an unrelated matter.

"We are making sure the taxpayers do not have to bear the economic responsibility for his illegal actions," Bianchi said. "As a police officer he is not only supposed to enforce the law, but also follow the law."

When law enforcement officers violate the law, they sully an honorable profession, he said, applauding the actions of Boonton police for addressing the matter. "I believe law enforcement officers must be held to a higher standard ethically and legally. I have complete confidence and faith in the Boonton police. They had the integrity to shine a light of truth on the problem, not sweep it under the carpet."

Hagen will be sentenced March 20, 2009.