14 Prince George's County police officers indicted for misconduct in office

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - Officials announced 14 indictments related to misconduct in office against several current and retired Prince George’s County police officers on Thursday.

The indictments, announced by the Prince George's County State's Attorney Office, charge 13 current Prince George’s County police officers and one retired county police officer with misconduct in office, along with felony and misdemeanor theft scheme.

According to investigators, at some point between January 17, 2019, and March 27, 2021, the fourteen police officers concealed overlapping secondary employment shifts from the police department.

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In addition to the misconduct in office charges brought on all 14 individuals, Seven of the officers are being charged with an additional count of misconduct in office for submitting falsified information to the secondary employer.

13 of the officers will also face charges for theft scheme of at least $1,500 to under $25,000, and one is facing charges for theft scheme of at least $100 to under $1,500.

The names of the officers indicted range in rank from police officer first class to corporal. Their names are listed below:

• Corporal Nick Agapov, age 39
• Corporal Anthony Brooke, age 30
• Corporal Kyle Cook, age 32
• Corporal Matthew Cotillo, age 31
• Corporal Brandon Farley, age 34
• Corporal Chris Hall, age 45
• Corporal Jonathan Haskett, age 29
• Corporal Joshua Hitchens, age 32
• Retired Corporal James Lubonski, age 33
• Private First Class John Mcintosh, age 33
• Corporal Matthew Obordo, age 33
• Corporal Michael O’Connell, age 33
• Private First Class Christopher Oliver, age 32
• Corporal Travis Popielarcheck, age 30

"This is an unprecedented case in which 14 officers have been indicted in a theft and misconduct scheme. In the face of the recent surge in crime that we have seen in the last several weeks, it is very difficult to have to bring a case like this to the public. However, we cannot, and will not, overlook these crimes," said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. "Police officers are sworn to protect and serve the public, and they take an oath to uphold the law. These indictments demonstrate our commitment to pursuing justice regardless of a suspect’s race, gender, religion, or occupation."

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If convicted, the officers face up to five years in prison for the felony theft charges. There is no maximum sentence for misconduct in office.

In response to the indictments, the Fraternal Order of Police in Prince George's County released the following statement:

"Fraternal Order of Police, Prince George’s County, Lodge 89 and its membership are shocked to hear of the indictments returned against our officers on August 25, 2022. It has become increasingly clear that the current administration of the State's Attorney's Office is more focused on pursuing politically motivated prosecutions than addressing the escalating crime statistics in our community. This focus will continue to drive a wedge between hardworking officers and the people they serve. We can only hope that this era of political grandstanding, at the expense of our brothers and sisters in uniform, comes to an end before prospective officers are irreparably discouraged from pursuing a career in law enforcement. As the information underlying these indictments becomes public, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89 will review the same to garner a full picture of what is being alleged. The focus of the FOP now is ensuring that each of our accused members is provided with legal counsel, and to support their advocates during the forthcoming proceedings. As always, we reiterate, that our judicial system is based upon the tenant that one is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Even in light of this terrible news, we must remember to stand vigilant, using our training, experience, intelligence and resources to protect the citizens of Prince George's County. Every day we go out and protect the citizens of Prince George’s County, the majority of whom respect and appreciate us and the jobs we do."