Major discipline · 2025[1]
Suspended 20 days- Rank as reported
- Lieutenant
- Sustained charge(s)
- , Prohibited Activity on Duty, Use of Recording and Electronic Transmissions
- Separated while IA pending
- No
Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
Lieutenant Edwin Mata was suspended for 20 days by the Middlesex County Sheriffs Office in 2025. On or about March 24, 2024, the county became aware of eight recordings totaling 57 hours, six of which were taken fully or partially during working hours. Mata admitted to Internal Affairs that he had the recording device in his possession at work on the dates of the recordings, which captured other employees and work-related conversations without their knowledge or consent. The sustained charges included Prohibited Activity on Duty and Use of Recording and Electronic Transmissions.
Synopsis as reported by the agency
On our about March 24, 2024, the County became aware of the existance of eight (8) recordings totaling fifty seven (57) hours in duration. There were six (6) recordings that were either fully or partially taken and recorded while Sgt. Mata was at work, and/or during working hours. The remaining two (2) recordings were brief in duration and appeared to include Sgt. Mata giving instructions on how to use the recording device. During the Internal Affairs investigaiton, Sgt. Mata admitted to having the recording device in his possession while in the workplace and/or during working hours on the dates of the recordings. Regardless of whether Sgt. Mata was aware of the recording device actively recording, or if he was intentionally recording while it was in his posession, the recording device was nevertheless actively recording other employees in the workplace without their knowledge and/or concent. This also caused or allowed the recording device to record work related and operational conversations in the workplace.