Long Branch Special Police Officer Scammed Brazilian Community: Police

LONG BRANCH, NJ — A former special law enforcement officer (SLEO) in Long Branch has been arrested and charged with several financial crimes targeting members of the local Brazilian-American community, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced Friday.

There is a significant Brazilian-American population in Long Branch.

The officer is Bruno Lopes-Ferreira, 30. SLEO is a classification of police officers in New Jersey who are not fully sworn as officers, meaning they cannot carry a gun, but work on a provisional basis, handling matters such as traffic and crowd control in large events.

Lopes-Ferreira was investigated by his own department, Long Branch PD, and they say his criminal activities began while he was still employed as a special law enforcement officer.

Specifically, police say Lopes-Ferreira operated an illegal money loaning operation, with victims indicating that they took out loans from him and were charged interest rates typically of 10 percent monthly (120 percent annually), far exceeding the 30-percent maximum annual rate allowable under state law.

Lopes-Ferreira also held as collateral victims’ jewelry, passports and motor vehicle commission documents, which he would refuse to return until the principal and interest on the loans were paid in full.

Lopes-Ferreira is charged with second-degree Criminal Usury, second-degree Engaging in the Business of Criminal Usury, and third-degree Possession of Usurious Loan Records.

Long Branch Police Department Detective Daniel Cunha led the investigation.

Lopes-Ferreira is due December 19 in Monmouth County Superior Court. This case is being prosecuted by MCPO Assistant Prosecutor Lawrence Nelsen, Director of the Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit.

Anyone with information about Lopes-Ferreira is being asked to contact Detective Cunha at 732-222-1000.