- A state grand jury indicted Robert M. Sinnott Jr. on nine counts involving 11 alleged victims, adding criminal sexual contact, official misconduct and pattern of official misconduct charges to the case announced last year. More victims are expected to come forward as the case moves ahead.
- A separate Ocean County civil lawsuit brought by three anonymous plaintiffs accuses Sinnott and a long list of fire officials and government entities of allowing an abusive environment to persist.
- Superior Court Judge Valter H. Must stayed the civil litigation in January at Sinnott’s request pending resolution of his criminal case, leaving many of the lawsuit’s allegations to wait while prosecutors move forward.
TOMS RIVER, NJ — It just got worse for former Silverton Volunteer Fire Company Chief Robert M. Sinnott Jr. and his alleged co-conspirators as a criminal dragnet is expanding at the state attorney general’s office.
A New Jersey state grand jury has now indicted Sinnott, 53, a retired Island Heights police officer, on nine additional criminal charges stemming from allegations involving 11 victims, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Thursday.
As the victim list grows, so does the suspicion that other leaders of the department knew what was going, but did nothing to stop it.
The indictment expands the ongoing criminal case that began with allegations that Sinnott subjected junior firefighters under his supervision to non-consensual sexual contact and other alleged heinous sexual acts.
State investigators now allege similar conduct occurred while Sinnott was serving as a police officer in Island Heights.
At the same time, the civil case containing extensive allegations about what was happening inside Silverton Volunteer Fire Company remains effectively frozen pending the outcome of Sinnott’s criminal cases.
Three anonymous plaintiffs sued Sinnott, Silverton Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, Toms River Fire District 2, the district’s Board of Fire Commissioners, Toms River Township, Ocean County and numerous individual officials in March 2025. The 95-page complaint alleges years of abuse, failures of supervision and institutional misconduct.
On Jan. 30, Superior Court Judge Valter H. Must granted an unopposed motion by Sinnott’s attorneys to stay the litigation until the criminal proceedings against him are completed. A related lawsuit brought by a fourth anonymous plaintiff was also included in the order.
That means the civil plaintiffs’ allegations — and potentially extensive discovery into what officials knew, when they knew it and what happened behind closed doors — will have to wait while the state prosecutes Sinnott.
Even more evidence could come out during Sinnott’s legal proceeding that could not only help the civil case for the victims, but could also identify other possible deviant actors in the matter, and whether leadership at the department either didn’t know what was going on behind closed doors, or whether they either turned a blind eye, or worse, participated in the sexual assaults against junior firefighters.
A Criminal Case That Just Got Bigger
Sinnott was previously charged by complaint with four counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and one count of second-degree official misconduct.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s continuing investigation uncovered evidence prosecutors say points to additional criminal conduct, this time as a police officer in Island Heights.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2, a state grand jury voted to indict Sinnott on the previous allegations as well as additional counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and violations outlining a pattern of official misconduct.
The resulting indictment contains nine counts involving 11 alleged victims, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
“The defendant held positions of trust and power within the communities he served and among his coworkers and subordinates in government. But, as alleged in the indictment, he abused that trust again and again,” Davenport said. “It is inexcusable for public officials to so betray the people they serve and the people they lead. The State is committed to fighting for justice for these victims.”
State investigators initially focused on Sinnott’s conduct in the fire company, where he held multiple supervisory positions. Prosecutors said firefighters described Sinnott as a role model but alleged he forced them into non-consensual sexual contact.
The indictment now reaches into his law-enforcement career.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the pattern-of-official-misconduct count alleges “numerous instances of similar criminal conduct” while Sinnott was an Island Heights police officer.
Prosecutors allege Sinnott engineered situations in which he could be alone with victims at locations including his Toms River residence and the firehouse.
In some instances, authorities allege, Sinnott handcuffed victims while claiming he needed their assistance with police-related training. In others, he allegedly physically restrained them before forcing sexual contact against their will.
Those allegations have not been proven at trial.
Sinnott was arrested Dec. 4, 2025, in Florida by the Cape Coral Police SWAT Team with assistance from OPIA. Authorities executed search warrants on his residence, person and vehicle before he was extradited to New Jersey.
The new indictment raises the stakes substantially. Second-degree crimes ordinarily carry five to 10 years in state prison and fines of up to $150,000. Fourth-degree offenses can carry up to 18 months in prison and fines of up to $10,000.
Deputy Attorneys General Diana Bibb and Laura Croce are prosecuting the case for OPIA’s Corruption Bureau.
What Happened Behind Closed Doors?
The criminal indictment concerns whether Sinnott committed crimes.
The civil lawsuit asks a much broader question: What, according to the plaintiffs, was happening around him inside the institutions where he held authority?
The three plaintiffs filed their lawsuit March 17, 2025, in Superior Court in Ocean County under docket OCN-L-000769-25. The defendants include Toms River Fire District 2, its Board of Fire Commissioners, Silverton Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, Toms River Township, Ocean County and Sinnott.
It also names Michael Cocco, Richard Gorman, Timothy Carson, Kevin W. Britton, Michael Wilson, David H. Seiders, Joseph Duff, Richard Heroy, John Keating Jr., John Carolan, Brian Tillotson, Tom Morris Jr., Steve Henry, Gus Baxes and Gary Tattersall.
The complaint is extraordinary in scope, running 95 pages and asserting theories of liability against people occupying different positions within the fire organization and district.
Among other things, the plaintiffs allege officials failed to properly investigate complaints, supervise personnel, enforce safeguards and take corrective action. The complaint further alleges failures by Silverton Volunteer Fire Company and Fire District 2 to establish or enforce policies capable of preventing abuse.
The lawsuit alleges, for example, that Fire District officials failed to provide adequate oversight and hold fire-company leadership accountable for known misconduct. It claims Silverton maintained an environment where misconduct could persist and failed to properly screen, train and supervise personnel.
Other portions go further. Plaintiffs allege certain officials suppressed abuse complaints or failed to properly document and escalate them. The complaint alleges the district clerk manipulated records to conceal patterns of abuse and alleges an assistant clerk participated in concealing abuse reports. Those are plaintiffs’ accusations, not established findings of fact and no criminal charges have yet been filed against members named in the civil trial.
The Lawsuit Is Now Waiting for the Criminal Case
Sinnott’s lawyers asked the court to stop the civil proceedings while his criminal prosecution remained unresolved.
Judge Must granted that request Jan. 30.
The order covers the lawsuit filed by John Does 1, 2 and 3 as well as the related action filed by John Doe 4, docket OCN-L-1113-25.
The motion was listed as unopposed.
The court ordered that the civil proceedings be “STAYED pending resolution of the criminal matters pending in Ocean County Superior Court against Robert Sinnott.”
That procedural development is important because civil litigation ordinarily creates opportunities for parties to demand documents, take depositions, serve interrogatories and seek other evidence through discovery. The stay prevents the civil litigation from moving ahead while the criminal matter is unresolved.
The indictment moves the criminal prosecution forward and places the state’s allegations before the Superior Court. Prosecutors will still have to prove every criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Attorney General’s Office said investigators are still seeking information. Anyone who believes they have information concerning Sinnott’s conduct can contact OPIA’s toll-free corruption tip line at 1-844-674-2847 or Detective Brandon Mastropasqua at 609-960-3768.
