Aberdeen Cop Accused Of Tampering With Drug Test, Deleting Video

ABERDEEN, NJ — An Aberdeen police officer has been arrested and accused of tampering with a drug test he had to take and also deleting a video of a suspect who had just been arrested; the video showed the suspect interacting with Aberdeen police officers, said acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey Wednesday.

The police officer is Philip M. Santiago, 34, who lives in Keyport.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's office said that in January 2021, Santiago intentionally tampered with a law enforcement drug test he had been ordered to take, rendering it unable to be processed.

The prosecutor also said that the investigation further revealed that in May 2021, while on duty, Santiago deleted a video from a cell phone belonging to a suspect who was in custody, having just been arrested by members of the Aberdeen Police Department. The suspect had taken video of his encounter with police officers in the moments before he was arrested and prosecutors say Santiago went into his phone and deleted the recording.

Santiago is charged with two counts of second-degree official misconduct, second-degree engaging in a pattern of official misconduct and two counts of fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.

Santiago turned himself in to the county prosecutor Tuesday, pending a first appearance scheduled to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court.

He has been suspended without pay by the Aberdeen Police Department due to these charges, an Aberdeen town spokesman confirmed to Patch.

Santiago has been an Aberdeen police officer since 2018, after previously serving as an emergency dispatcher in Aberdeen.

If convicted on the charge of official misconduct, he could face a state prison term of 5 to 10 years, with a minimum of five full years to be served before the possibility of parole.

“The charges being announced today go beyond the mere breaking of laws – they constitute clear and repeated violations of the solemn oath this officer swore to uphold the interests of justice and serve the public good,” Acting Prosecutor Linskey said. “Such conduct is patently and unequivocally unacceptable among our ranks in law enforcement, and does not represent the majority who serve with honor and integrity.”

Similar past news: Ex-Matawan Cop Sues Town, Alleging He Was Fired Over Drug Test (June 2021)

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