While Democrats speak from both sides of their mouths, telling us law enforcement should both be defunded and be the only ones trusted with firearms, it seems one of their confidants, or cretins depending on which way the wind blows, has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
And by cookies I mean ammunition. A lieutenant in charge of the New Jersey Department of Corrections gun ranges was recently arrested for allegedly stealing and selling what authorities say amounts to almost a half-million dollars in ammunition.
56-year-old Timothy John Morris of Bayville was charged on March 11 with 2nd-degree official misconduct, 2nd-degree theft, and 3rd-degree structuring financial transactions. According to the criminal complaint, as the agency’s range master, Morris was responsible for ordering and maintaining its ammunition inventory.
However, investigators discovered that he had been ordering an overabundance of ammunition since at least early 2019 and selling it to a gun supply store, which paid him directly via cash and check.
At the moment, it is believed that Morris made off with millions of rounds and saw personal profits in excess of $475,000. Morris allegedly concealed his actions by cashing checks at various banks in amounts under $10,000, helping him avoid mandatory reporting requirements that would have flagged transactions as suspicious. Official documents do not name the store that purchased the ammunition, and it is unclear if any additional suspects will be charged at this time.
Investigation into the matter involved cooperation between the Special Investigations Division of the Department of Corrections, the New Jersey State Police, and the Attorney General’s Public Integrity and Accountability Office.
“As the allegations in this case show, corruption is an expensive drain on public resources and victimizes taxpayers. My office refuses to accept that as business as usual… The defendant allegedly abused his law enforcement position to steal from the public, and he tried to conceal it with financial transactions designed to fly under the radar,” according to a statement from Attorney General Matt Platkin.
Morris, who joined the Department of Corrections in 1996 and has served as a lieutenant since 2015, was booked but immediately released from the Ocean County Jail and is suspended pending the case’s outcome. According to payroll records, his annual salary, including overtime in 2024, was $178,000. Now, he faces as much as 25 years in prison and fines of up to $315,000 if convicted.
“Correctional police officers are sworn to uphold the law, and when they violate their oath it erodes public trust,” said Department of Corrections Commissioner Victoria Kuhn.
It’s funny how trust and oaths work in these situations. If the allegations are proven, then the fiduciary betrayal of New Jersey taxpayer trust is undeniable. But why are lawmakers not held to the same standard as they routinely break oaths and defy the Constitution of the United States? Erosion of trust starts at the top, and government leaders have shielded themselves through a privileged class of their own white-collar making as they fleece the American public, not only of our tax dollars but also our liberty, arguably an even more unforgivable offense.
Lt. Timothy John Morris has a pension and 401k plan that the State of New Jersey can tap as part of a restitution plan.
Not if he retires first. It is very difficult to “claw back” pensions. One example: OJ Simpson. He continued to receive his NFL pension even while was prison.
He made 178K in one year as a police officer? That doesn’t require any higher education. Thats more $ than a starting rural physician here in Montana. A doctor, who after 4 years of college, goes to a 4 year medical school, then a 3 to 7 year residency, then possibly a multi year fellowship. No wonder taxes are so high in NJ.
You’d be surprised how little (financial) value you get out of education.
Secondary education gets you your first job. The End.
Median income around there is about 103k so basically middle of middle class given cost of living and home prices. Money goes farther outside of the coastal zones.
Why do NJ Corrections officers need range time? Do they carry on duty in facilities? I seriously don’t understand.
I bet he never serves a day in prison.
I wouldn’t count on that. After the state has their say, the feds will have a bone to pick about tax evasion. Deposits under $10,000? That’s called structuring and that’s another crime. It’s firearm related, so they’ll double down just for that.
You could even go RICO, if the gun store or other cops were also in on it.
“It’s firearm related, so they’ll double down just for that.”
Not if he’s a liberal. Or a trans. Or is a self-proclaimed POC or member of any other protected class.
As far as I know, NJ still honors anything liberal.
Hey, he probably knelt during the BLM riots, and wears a rainbow flag pin on his uniform, so everything is OKEY DOKEY!
Stay away from cops.
Sounds like a Soprano’s deal????That’s Joizee for ya(& ILLannoy).
Isn’t New Jersey the Five Families’ back yard?
Yup…
$178,000 a year and still needed a side hustle…pathetic.
Be about 95k relative to New Orleans income.
Plus, he’s been on the force for enough years to make it possible that he’s to blame for Carole Brown not getting her carry permit for over 2 months until she was murdered in her own driveway.
Maybe he had a piece on the side to help support.
Not uncommon and does get expensive in a hurry. Not an excuse but certainly a possibility.
So it’s the seal of the state of NJ that is great, not the state itself? That’s believable, given their taxes and commie leadership.
Making over $100K a year is fairly normal for most Police Officers. I did 30 years and my last 5 years in a supervisory position my pay exceed 100K yearly. The city I worked for had huge budget and treated officers well, with overwhelming public support. I was hired with this last department in 1990 and couldn’t believe how good it was. I can remember being on patrol during night shift and going a 40-hour week without a call. Imagine that, I would like to think it was because we proactively patrolled. It comes down to a merit NON DEI hiring selection process and Administration that cares about the rank and file and the community!
Almost every LEO I’ve ever known finds an extra box of ammo in his pocket at the end of a day on the range. This guy was a little over the top.
…. Kangaroos don’t have pockets big enough to explain that away.
Agree
Gadsden Flag just admitted law enforcement officers steal.
What a great revelation.
Like tell us something we don’t already know.
What gets me is its alright for a cop to steal a box of bullets but if a regular guy ,low life thieving miscreant in their eyes, does it the cop just might shoot you, but not with the bullets the cop stole.
You buy your boolits in boxes?
Fancy!
Reminds me I probably should start picking up boxes/trays for the loose ones I have loaded. Ziplock in ammo cans works but isn’t particularly organized.
Corrupt government employees? In New Jersey?!
Oh, go on!