Major discipline · 2024[1]
Terminated- Rank as reported
- Sergeant
- Sustained charge(s)
- Indicatable Offense
- Separated while IA pending
- No
Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
Sergeant Richard Conte was terminated by the Howell Township Police Department in 2024. In September 2018, Conte was arrested as part of the Operation Open House investigation led by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, and he was suspended on September 7, 2018. On August 25, 2023, the Ocean County Superior Court issued a judgment of conviction on an amended charge of computer criminal access, and Conte was terminated on January 22, 2024.
Synopsis as reported by the agency
In September of 2018, Sgt. Richard Conte was arrested as part of the “Operation Open House” investigation. This operation was led by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is led by the New Jersey State Police, and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. Following his arrest, Sgt. Conte was suspended by the Howell Township Police Department on September 7, 2018. On August 25, 2023, the Ocean County Superior Court issued a judgement of conviction for Sgt. Conte on an amended criminal charge of 2C:20-25C (Computer Criminal Access). Following this judgement of conviction, Sgt. Richard Conte was officially terminated by the Howell Township Police Department on January 22, 2024.