NJ teen charged with impersonating cop in fake traffic stops

New Jersey law enforcement on Friday ended a week-long search for a suspect who posed as a police officer after arresting 18-year-old Dean Pluchino.

The Raritan Township Police Department warned drivers on Jan. 9 that they had received numerous reports of a man in an unmarked vehicle attempting to stop motorists, urging residents to be cautious and report suspicious activity.

The Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office released a statement Friday announcing that investigators had identified the suspect and vehicle linked to the alleged hoax. Investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Raritan Township, where Pluchino and his vehicle were found.

Pluchino was taken into custody Friday morning and has since been charged by Raritan Police with two counts of impersonating a law enforcement officer and one count of tampering with evidence. The Readington Township Police Department also accused him of impersonating a police officer.

Pluchino was released on parole before his trial, prosecutors said.

If convicted, he faces up to 18 months in prison and fines of $10,000 for each of the charges against him.

The motive for his actions was unclear.