Crime & Safety

Denville Cop Barred From Holding a Public Job

Nine-year vet pleads guilty to official misconduct, sentenced to three years in prison.

A nine-year veteran of the Denville Police Department pleaded guilty Wednesday to third-degree official misconduct, accepting the state's offer of three years in prison and forfeited his current position, right to a public pension and is barred from future public employment.

Eugene Blood, 38, pleaded guilty before Judge Ironson, sitting in Morristown. Blood, who must serve two years before becoming eligible for parole, admitted to stealing prescription drugs and heroin from the evidence room for personal use while he was working as the evidence officer. After he was reassigned to patrol, he unlawfully obtained a key to the evidence room from another officer's desk.

"This is a sad case," Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said.

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Blood became addicted to prescription pain medication and admitted he was taking more than 20 pills a day when he was stealing from the evidence room, between 2010 and 2011.

Bianchi said he had never seen an officer so "willing to cooperate" and "immediately accept responsibility" for his actions. "He's lost everything because of this addiction," he said.

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"This plea strikes the balance of severely punishing this conduct, but also takes into consideration that the defendant immediately accepted responsibility for his actions," Bianchi said in a prepared statement.


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