N.J. State Trooper Admits Stopping Women For Dates, Phone Numbers: AG

LINDEN, NJ — A New Jersey State Trooper from Union County pleaded guilty Monday to tampering with evidence and falsifing records to cover up the fact that he was pulling over young women to try to get them to go on a date with him or get their phone numbers, authorities announced.

Marquice Prather, 38, of Linden, pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree invasion of privacy, fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence, and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records before Superior Court Judge Benjamin S. Bucca in Middlesex County.

Under the plea agreement, Prather must forfeit his job as a state trooper and will be permanently barred from public office or employment. The state will recommend that Prather be sentenced to a term of probation. Prather is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8.

Prather has been suspended without pay by the State Police since his arrest on Dec. 9, 2016.

• See Related: N.J. State Trooper Arrested For Stopping Women For Dates, Phone Numbers: U.S. Attorney

Trooper Prather allegedly pulled over young women between the ages of 18 and 42 and solicited them to go on a date with him or give him their phone numbers.

The ongoing investigation into those traffic stops revealed several alleged violations by Prather, which he pleaded guilty to, including:

1. Prather requested and searched the cell phones of numerous women drivers without justification, after asking the women to unlock the phones. He looked through personal information and images on the phones and, in some cases, reproduced intimate photos and videos of the women.
2. Prather disposed of suspected marijuana that he seized from the vehicle of a woman driver.
3. Prather falsely reported the gender of drivers he pulled over to disguise the fact that he stopped a high number of women.

Several women initially came forward to file complaints against Prather about improper conduct. A number of other women later gave statements outlining similar conduct after they were contacted by investigators who were auditing Prather’s patrol activities.

(Image via Attorney General: Marquice Prather, 38, of Linden)

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