Police Captain Stole $60K From Kids' Police Academy: Hudson County Prosecutor

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A police captain in Hudson County was charged with theft of more than $60,000 from a youth police academy he ran in his town, the county prosecutor's office said Thursday.

After an investigation by the county prosecutor's Internal Affairs Units, Erwin Moreno, 49, was charged with one count of third-degree theft on Thursday.

Moreno had served as president of the West New York Police Academy, a non-profit whose funds he had used "for personal benefit" for the last six years, prosecutors said.

He was served his complaint summons at the West New York Police Department, where he also worked as a police captain. He was then released pending his first court appearance, tentatively scheduled for Thursday, June 29.

According to prosecutors, "The investigation found Moreno misused over $60,000 of the organization’s funds for personal benefit between 2016 and 2023."

“The West New York Police Department has cooperated fully in the investigation and will
continue to do so,” said Deputy Chief Santiago Cabrera. “We will continue acting to ensure that
the West New York Police Department maintains the highest level of integrity and always remains
committed to upholding both the law and the public trust.”

Prosecutor Suarez credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Internal Affairs Unit and the
West New York Police Department Internal Affairs Unit with the investigation and arrest.