Police Lab Tech Allegedly Fakes Drug Tests, 2K Cases In Essex County Tainted: Authorities

Allegedly fake drug test results may have affected as many as 2,000 cases in Essex County over the past decade, according to authorities.

On Thursday, Passaic County Deputy Public Defender Judith Fallon released a memo that detailed allegations of fraud at the State Police Forensic Lab in Little Falls, a laboratory that is used by many law enforcement agencies across a number of New Jersey counties.

The memo says lab technician Kamalkant Shah of the New Jersey State Police Laboratory in Little Falls has been found to have “dry labbed” suspected CDS specimens.

“Basically, he was observed writing ‘test results’ for suspected marijuana that was never tested,” according to the memo.

The allegations may have placed 7,827 criminal cases on which Shah worked in jeopardy, some of which date back to 2005, according to state officials.

• See related article: 7,827 N.J. Criminal Cases In Possible Jeopardy After Lab Tech Allegedly Faked Drug Results

Essex County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Katherine Carter told Patch that Shah worked on about 2,000 cases in Essex County, mostly marijuana-related violations and municipal court offenses.

Of those 2,000 cases, nine are presently active, Carter said.

“All the evidence for these nine cases has been gathered and will be brought to the State Police, where it will be re-analyzed and new reports will be issued,” Carter told Patch. “Of the 2,000, we will be reaching out to the Public Defender’s Office or private attorneys.”

Online reaction to the accusations was scathing.

• “Not surprised,” wrote one commenter. “Just think how many more there may have been elsewhere.”
• “Legalize it now, it’s unfair what’s going on!” stated another commenter.

An online petition titled “Vacate Charges and Convictions from Corrupt Official at NJSP Crime Lab” has sprung up in the wake of the accusations.

The petition, which can be seen here, reads:

“In response to reports of corruption at one of the NJ State Police crime labs, we call for a full investigation and full review of all the close to 8,000 cases involving Kamalkant Shah and the immediate vacating of convictions that resulted from the evidence tainted by this corrupt crime lab official. All drug charges involving this corrupt official, and especially those involving cannabis which should not even be illegal, must be immediately vacated and / or dismissed. The evidence in these cases was not properly handled and that has resulted in innocent citizens being wrongly convicted and forced to plea deals. We respectfully petition New Jersey Attorney General to please drop those convictions and release those that are currently incarcerated due to these wrongful convictions. These convictions have caused trauma to all involved and it would be the right thing to do.”

One of the petition’s supporters – a retired New Jersey attorney – posted the following comment:

“I saw some shaky lab reports in my time as an attorney. When I asked for sample back for independent testing, this is when I won my case. I was left with an uneasy feeling about the particular lab reports where that happened. Not all clients can afford an independent lab test so the samples were not often requested by the defense. I knew that.”

Sign up for Patch email newsletters here.

Send news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

File photo of drug lab via the NJ State Police