A Lawnside police lieutenant was charged with
official misconduct after he allegedly failed to notify authorities of a
suspect's confession about his role in a Salem County homicide, the Camden
County Prosecutor's Office said.
Lloyd Lewis, 44, the highest- ranking member of department,
also was charged with tampering with evidence and public records.
The accusation stems from an alleged exchange five years ago
between Lewis and Lee Williams Jr., who was then wanted in connection with the
homicide.
Reached Tuesday evening, Lewis, a 23-year law enforcement
veteran, declined to comment about the charges. His attorney, Jeffrey C.
Garrigan of Jersey City, could not be reached.
Authorities said that on Aug. 20, 2008, Lewis was contacted
by a longtime friend who was related to Williams. The friend asked Lewis to
help facilitate Williams' surrender.
Williams and Lewis waited for Salem County investigators at
the Lawnside Police Department.
Lewis allegedly read Williams his Miranda rights and took
the statement with audio and video equipment. Williams acknowledged being an
accomplice in the homicide, authorities said.
Lewis then wrote a report on the incident that failed to
mention Williams' statement, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Lewis also never told Salem County authorities about the
statement and failed to preserve a recording of it, authorities said.
Police videos in Lawnside are saved 45 days before being
copied over, and Lewis made no attempt to preserve the confession, authorities
said.
Authorities last night did not disclose the name of the
homicide victim or whether Williams had been tried in the case.