Bars from a prison jail cast a shadow on the floro.
Bars from a prison jail cast a shadow on the floro.

New Jersey animal control officer charged with misconduct and theft

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1 min read
October 21, 2024

FRENCHTOWN, N.J. — A Frenchtown Animal Control Officer has been charged with official misconduct and theft following a joint investigation by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office and the Frenchtown Police Department. Carolyn Murphy, 50, of Stockton, New Jersey, faces charges for allegedly refusing to return a dog that had been temporarily placed in her custody.

The charges stem from an incident on April 11, 2024, when Frenchtown police stopped a vehicle driven by Gerardo Martinez, 31, of Green Forrest, Arkansas, for a traffic violation. During the stop, officers discovered Martinez had an active warrant and was transporting an American Bulldog valued at approximately $3,500 on behalf of Kingpin Kennels. Police contacted Animal Control Officer Murphy to take temporary custody of the dog, which was later determined to be owned by Jose A. Rosado, 24, of Gloucester City, New Jersey.

Authorities allege that Murphy refused to return the dog to its rightful owner after taking possession of it. She has been charged with two counts of second-degree official misconduct and one count of third-degree theft.

Murphy is scheduled to appear in Hunterdon County Superior Court on December 9, 2024, for a pre-indictment hearing. She is represented by attorney Salvatore DiFazio, Esq.

If convicted, Murphy faces potential penalties including five to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $150,000 for each second-degree offense. The third-degree theft charge carries a possible sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine not exceeding $15,000.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

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