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Cop arrested on drug charges after sting

A GLOUCESTER Township patrol officer was arrested on drug charges after allegedly buying prescription pills from a confidential informant while on duty.

 Tom Eden Jr., 31, was arrested about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday as he left a room at a Howard Johnson Express Inn on Black Horse Pike, where he bought five Percocet pills and two Oxycontin placebos during a police sting, Chief Harry Earle said Wednesday.

 Eden was wearing his uniform and driving a marked township patrol car at the time of his arrest. The seven-year veteran has been suspended without pay with intent to dismiss, Earle said.

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 Eden, who lives in the township, was released on his own recognizance.

 Eden's attorney, Dennis Wixted, was awaiting details on the case. "My client is looking forward to his day in court," he said.

 The charges stemmed from an Internal Affairs investigation that started after a civilian told a township officer that Eden was "illegally purchasing drugs, specifically pills," Earle said.

 Township police worked with the Camden County Prosecutor's Office on the investigation.

 Authorities are investigating whether the pills were for Eden's personal use or for distribution, Earle said.

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