TOMS RIVER, N.J. – When Toms River Police Chief Guy Maire went on a medical leave of absence earlier this year, somebody went inside his office, removed his name tag and shared photos with politically funded Facebook pages that oppose the mayor.
That information was shared by pages operated by a Mo Hill funded political action committee leader who also receives full benefits on the Toms River MUA for attending one meeting per month.
When Mayor Rodrick called for an investigation into the political misuse of police resources, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer stepped in to seize control of the department’s Internal Affairs functions, stripping township officials of responsibility for investigating allegations of police misconduct.
It wasn’t the first time the Phil Murphy political appointee was accused of meddling in the Toms River Police Department, according to Mayor Rodrick.
Rodrick contends the move was designed to halt, not help, an internal investigation into the removal of Police Chief Guy Maire’s office nameplate while the chief was on medical leave. Billhimer, however, said the takeover was intended to ensure investigations remain confidential, independent and free from outside influence.
Rodrick said Billhimer is trying to protect “his friends” in the department.
Rodrick accuses prosecutor of meddling in 2025 election.
Prior to the 2025 election, Billhimer investigated two Toms River councilmembers up for re-election. He launched an investigation, and within an hour of investigators showing up at a private adult community, photos of the unmarked vehicles were shared widely on those same anti-Rodrick pages.
Once the election was over, Billhimer quietly announced that the investigation was complete, that no wrongdoing was found, and that no charges would be filed.
Rodrick called it a political stunt by the Democrat prosecutor.
Rodrick’s says that the prosecutor’s office orchestrated publicity surrounding the May 2025 search of the Holiday City at Silverton clubhouse during an investigation into alleged financial improprieties involving Councilwoman Lynn O’Toole.
Rodrick’s political opponents quickly shared news of the investigation on Facebook hours after it was launched, despite the prosecutor’s office not releasing any details, or even giving notice to the media. The prosecutor’s office declined to acknowledge the incident publicly, leaving Rodrick to ask, how did a politically opposed operator and photographer know about the investigation prior to investigators showing up in Holiday City?
The prosecutor’s office notified the two council members that the investigation was over. There was no press release, just a notification directly to the falsely accused.
“A camera crew was already in place, and the footage was quickly released to the press,” Rodrick alleged in his lawsuit. “Yet on the eve of the election, O’Toole was informed that the investigation had found no wrongdoing. I’ve never seen anything like it—an abuse of office and dirty politics at its worst.”
Rodrick also alleged former Toms River Councilman Terrance Turnbach was involved in what he described as political efforts against his administration. Turnbach was voted out of office in 2023. Before being appointed by Murphy, Billhimer, like Turnbach, was one of Ocean County’s most prominent criminal defense attorneys. For years, Turnbach has unsuccessfully been lobbying to become a judge.
Turnbach did not respond to Rodrick’s claims.
In an ironic twist, Billhimer is the first two-term Ocean County Prosecutor since Turnbach’s late father, Edward J. Turnbach,
The takeover
The takeover came just days after Rodrick publicly announced an Internal Affairs investigation into the removal of Police Chief Guy Maire’s office nameplate in June while the chief was on medical leave. A photograph of Maire’s office door without the nameplate circulated on social media, leading to speculation that he had left the department permanently.
Rodrick rejected those reports, insisting Maire’s absence was temporary.
“Taking the chief’s name off the wall and putting out a fake story that he was gone is disgraceful,” Rodrick said.
Chief Maire returned to work shortly after the July 4 holiday.
Rodrick: ‘They continue to try to protect their friends’
Rodrick alleged the prosecutor’s office intervened specifically to prevent township officials from investigating the officers responsible for removing the chief’s nameplate.
“Just within a day or two of you writing that we were investigating, the prosecutor decided they are going to take over the internal affairs,” Rodrick said. “They continue to try to protect their friends. That’s the only reason they did this.”
Rodrick has also accused Billhimer of turning a blind eye to criminal allegations against Silverton First Aid, operated by retired Toms River Police Officer Kevin Geoghegan. Geoghegan was also voted out of office, losing his election to Rodrick-aligned candidates.
Geoghegan and his company are accused of stealing fuel from the township and failing to reiburse the township for EMS dispatch, totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
Billhimer’s office allegedly refused to investigate the claim, which is now in civil court.
According to Rodrick, the prosecutor’s action means all future allegations of officer misconduct must now be referred to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
“Rather than allowing us to investigate it, we’re basically going to have to refer it out, so no one except for them can look into anything,” Rodrick said. “It’s wrong, it’s dishonest.”
The mayor also pointed to the department’s recent professional accreditation as evidence he believes local oversight was functioning properly.
Rodrick said the Toms River Police Department was notified June 11 that it had been reaccredited by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police after meeting or exceeding the organization’s operational standards.
Lawsuit alleges political interference
Rodrick argued the Internal Affairs takeover is part of a broader pattern of political interference that he detailed in a lawsuit filed in May against Billhimer.
“What they’ve been doing is political and it’s disgraceful and it needs to stop,” Rodrick said. “Hopefully the attorney general’s office will set something straight.”
“It’s just more dirty politics in Ocean County,” he added.
Billhimer appointed by Murphy
Billhimer was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy and confirmed by the New Jersey Senate in 2019 to serve as Ocean County Prosecutor. As county prosecutor, he serves as Ocean County’s chief law enforcement officer under the supervision of the New Jersey Attorney General.
Before becoming prosecutor, Billhimer worked in criminal defense law and later served in senior leadership positions within the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office before succeeding former Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato.
Billhimer has not publicly commented on the mayor’s allegations.
What happens next
With the prosecutor’s office now overseeing Internal Affairs operations, investigations involving alleged misconduct by Toms River police officers will be handled outside the local department unless that arrangement changes.
Prosecutor says takeover protects integrity of investigations
Billhimer confirmed Wednesday that his office assumed command of the department’s Internal Affairs Unit on July 17 and notified the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office beforehand.
“We assumed command and control of the Toms River Police Department’s Internal Affairs function to preserve the confidentiality, independence, and integrity of the internal affairs process,” Billhimer said.
He added, “We notified the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General prior to assuming command and control of the Toms River Police Department’s Internal Affairs function.”
