Former Asbury Park Police Officer Goes to Prison for 10 Years

FREEHOLD, NJ - Former Asbury Park Police Officer Keith German was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his part in facilitating gang activity in the city during 2013 and 2014, officials said. He betrayed his badge and the community he swore to protect and defend, said officials who noted German was discovered during the so-called "Operation Dead End" which determined gang members had police under surveillance in order to maximize when and where gang members could distribute their illicit drugs with impunity.

According to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni, German, a 16-year veteran of the Asbury Park Police Department, used his official position to assist the Bloods, a violent criminal street gang, in avoiding detection or prosecution by giving them confidential law-enforcement information, including on one occasion unlawfully accessing a law-enforcement database to assist gang drug-distribution endeavors.

As part of his sentence, German is permanently barred from holding any public position in New Jersey. He must serve the 10 years without possibility of early parole.

“This sentence sends a strong message that there will be zero tolerance for cops who commit crimes," said Gramiccioni in a release. "It only takes one bad cop to adversely affect the reputation of so many (who) do the job with honor and integrity. For these reasons, the public should be reassured that we will continue to prosecute crooked cops to the fullest extent of the law.”

A jury Sept. 27 convicted German, 49, of Tinton Falls, of three counts of second-degree official misconduct, fourth-degree conspiracy to commit stalking, petty disorderly persons harassment, third-degree hindering the apprehension of another, second-degree computer theft and second-degree unlawful access and disclosure.

The four-month-long trial before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley ended with guilty verdicts for German as well as a pair of criminal street gang members – whom authorities have described as one Blood and one Crip.

“This is a major transgression and should be treated as such,” Oxley said before pronouncing sentence.

German’s co-defendants, Crips street gang member Haneef Walker, 25, and Bloods street gang member James Fair, 29, both of Asbury Park, are scheduled for sentencing tomorrow and Thursday, respectively, authorities said.

Both men were found guilty on numerous counts, including first-degree racketeering conspiracy for their respective roles in violent street crimes, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault and other criminal activity in and around the seaside city.

The convictions are the result of a 14-month investigation, dubbed “Operation Dead End,” which began in the summer of 2013 as part of a law enforcement initiative to stem violent street crimes and firearms offenses in Asbury Park, officials said.

During the investigation, members of the criminal organization and their conspirators based their criminal activities out of two dead end streets in Asbury Park – Dewitt Avenue and a section of Jersey Street in the Washington Village Public Housing Complex.

The investigation also disclosed the coordinated efforts of members of the organization to distract law enforcement and conduct counter-surveillance of law enforcement, which included help from German who provided information to the leaders of the organization.

The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Matthew Bogner and Joseph Cummings. German was defended by Robert P. Ward of Brick.

Former Asbury Park Police Officer Keith German gets a 10-year prison term. Image via Shutterstock.