Prosecutor: Denville Cop Stole Drugs From Evidence

A 38-year-old Denville police officer has been charged with allegedly breaking into the township police department’s evidence room to steal drugs.

Eugene Blood has been charged with official misconduct, burglary, attempted burglary, theft of controlled dangerous substances and criminal mischief, according to a statement released by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the arrest affidavit, Blood allegedly broke into a co-worker's desk to obtain the keys to the evidence room for the purpose of stealing the controlled dangerous substances from evidence.

Denville Lt. Paul Nigro initially reported to the prosecutor’s office in April that he suspected someone tampering with the evidence room, the prosecutor's office said.

The investigation, which included the prosecutor’s office standards unit and technical assistance response unit, as well as the Denville Township Police Department, resulted in charges being filed. As part of the investigation, a member of the professional standards unit was assigned to the police department for a four-month period.

“These allegations are very serious in and of themselves, as well as the fact that it compromised numerous criminal prosecutions,” Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said in the statement.

Bianchi also said his office is in the process of notifying all affected defendants and their attorneys of the investigation, both regarding state Superior Court and municipal court cases.

Denville Police Chief Christopher Wagner said Blood has been suspended without pay.

“We immediately brought forward this matter as soon as we identified that we had an issue,” Wagner said in the statement released by the prosecutor's office.

“We have been involved in this investigation since its inception in April of 2011. I am extremely disappointed in the actions of this one officer. I do however stand by all of the other fine officers of the Denville Township Police Department who wear the uniform with pride and go out each and every day to serve the residents of Denville Township with honor and integrity.”

Blood has been with the department since 2003. From that time until 2007 he served on the patrol division. From 2007-10 he was part of the detective bureau and was a police department evidence custodian. He was moved back to the patrol division in December of 2010.