Former Norwalk Police Officer Arrested On Forgery Charges: PD

NORWALK, CT — A former Norwalk police officer accused of providing false information about traffic stops that did not occur on numerous occasions was arrested Tuesday on a warrant, according to police.

Edgar Gonzalez, 31, of Stamford, was charged with five counts of third-degree computer crime and five counts of second-degree forgery. His bond was set at $100,000.

In a news release, Police Sgt. Sofia Gulino said the department received a complaint in April from a driver who was notified of their alleged involvement in a traffic stop, which the driver said never occurred.

The department conducted an internal review and found there were numerous records of car stops reported by Gonzalez in the department's computerized records where out-of-state drivers had been cited as having received written warnings for minor vehicle violations, Gulino said.

The department contacted some of the drivers, who also said the stops never happened. This prompted a records audit which determined Gonzalez had entered false information on numerous occasions over the course of several months, Gulino said.

Department administrators revealed their preliminary findings to the State's Attorney's Office in Stamford, who requested a criminal investigation be conducted in addition to any department internal investigation, Gulino said.

Gonzalez resigned from his position with the department on June 18 after five years of service in the patrol division, Gulino said. Detective supervisors conducted an independent investigation which resulted in a warrant being issued for Gonzalez's arrest.

In order to prevent future misconduct, the department has initiated random audits of computerized police records, Gulino said.

Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik said Tuesday he was glad the incident was brought to the department's attention.

"I am very disappointed in the actions of Mr. Gonzalez, and am thankful that the initial incident was brought to our attention," Kulhawik said in a news release. "This allowed us to then fully investigate the complaint and assure that, in addition to the criminal investigation, the records were corrected. Conduct such as this will not be tolerated and we will hold our officers accountable for their actions."