EXCLUSIVE: Bergen County Cop Caught Running His Own Drug Cartel—Right Out of the Evidence Locker!
A Bergen County lieutenant is facing 50 charges for allegedly stealing cocaine and fentanyl from the evidence room, pocketing $600K. Prosecutors say he tampered with nine drug cases over four years. Will he face real justice, or will the system protect its own?
Lieutenant Kevin T. Matthew Stole Cocaine and Fentanyl, Pocketed Over $600K, NJ Officials Say
By The Garden State Gazette Investigative Team
RIDGEWOOD, NJ – The very man tasked with upholding the law turned out to be a full-fledged drug trafficker. Lieutenant Kevin T. Matthew of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has been indicted on a staggering 50 charges, accused of stealing and reselling narcotics from evidence storage.
NJ Attorney General Matthew Platkin dropped the bombshell: Matthew systematically looted the evidence vault between 2019 and 2023, swiping cocaine and fentanyl from seized drug cases. The brazen cop wasn’t just pocketing the drugs—he was allegedly moving product like a street dealer, with over $600,000 mysteriously appearing in his bank accounts.
A "Public Servant" Turned Drug Pusher?
Matthew, 48, was not even part of the narcotics unit—he worked in the Special Victims Unit. That didn’t stop him from allegedly signing out large quantities of narcotics from the prosecutor’s evidence locker, using his position to cover his tracks.
The grand jury indictment, announced Wednesday, accuses him of:
- Official misconduct
- Possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance
- Tampering with evidence in at least nine drug cases
- Tax fraud
New Jersey law slams first-degree charges with up to 20 years in prison and a $200,000 fine. But let’s be real—how many cops actually serve max sentences when they get caught?
Inside the Evidence Vault Heist
According to investigators, Matthew treated the evidence locker like his personal stash house. Instead of ensuring criminals were held accountable, he was allegedly withdrawing "large amounts of dangerous drugs" to flood Bergen County’s streets with fentanyl and cocaine.
Platkin didn’t hold back: “This case highlights the corrosive effects that corruption can have on public safety and trust. Instead of making Bergen County safer, the defendant withdrew large amounts of dangerous drugs from the evidence vault.”
A Pattern of Corruption?
This isn’t just one bad apple—it's part of a larger, festering rot within New Jersey’s law enforcement. The very people sworn to protect and serve have been caught running their own drug operations more times than we can count.
And Matthew? He’s been on leave since November 3, 2023, still collecting a taxpayer-funded paycheck while the wheels of justice turn at a snail’s pace.
Will He Get the Cop Pass?
History tells us that when police officers get caught in scandals like this, the system bends over backward to protect its own. Will Matthew actually face serious prison time, or will we see another backroom plea deal that lets him off easy?
This case isn't just about one dirty cop—it's about the integrity of law enforcement itself. And if history is any guide, don’t be surprised if Matthew walks away with little more than a slap on the wrist.
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