Palisades Park Police Officer Busted with Steroids and Cocaine; Girlfriend Busted with THC Edibles

If you’re going to become involved with illegal drugs, you certainly want to be discreet about it and avoid advertising the fact especially if you’re a cop. And you certainly don’t want to go to work high around your co-workers especially if you’re a cop. Unfortunately, such basic common sense eludes some people such as officer Richard Giacobone with the Palisades Park Police Department (PPPD).

Palisades Park Police Officer Giacobone apparently raised some suspicions with his odd behavior from his colleagues at work. His behavior was so strange that the Palisades Park Police suspected that Giacabone was likely “under the influence of illegal narcotics”. Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal reported that it was Giacobone’s own department that reported him to the prosecutor’s office.

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Confidential Investigations Unit and Narcotics Task Force, in conjunction with the Fort Lee Police Department (FLPD), executed a search warrant on Giacobone’s home on November 9, 2017. Investigators uncovered a personal stash of anabolic steroids, cocaine and marijuana as well as banned high-capacity firearm magazines.

Giacobone was promptly arrested and charged with third-degree felony anabolic steroid possession, third-degree felony cocaine possession, misdemeanor marijuana possession (disorderly persons offense) and fourth degree unlawful possession of large capacity ammunition magazines.

If Giacobone simply avoided leaving the house while he was high, he probably could have avoided bringing unnecessary attention onto his activities from his employer. It only made matters worse that his employer happened to be a law enforcement agency.

In addition, Giacobone’s behavior brought unwanted attention on the activities of his live-in girlfriend Sarang Cho. When the police raided Giacobone’s house, they discovered evidence implicating his girlfriend in some illegal drug-related activity as well. 

Cho, a 28-year old licensed practical nurse, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of THC edibles. While the “disorderly persons offense” is a relatively minor offense in New Jersey, it is certainly something that a professional nurse would like to avoid having on her criminal record.

Giacobone has worked in law enforcement for over a decade. He was hired by the Palisades Park Police Department as a prized addition to the force in November 2015 with an annual salary of $81,101.  Prior to joining the PPPD, Giacobone had served a distinguished career with the New Milford Police Department (NMPD) for 11 years. The future employment status of officer Giacobone is not known. 

Giacobone address the charges against him when he appears in court next month. A court date with the Bergen County Central Judicial Processing Court has been set for December 1, 2017. His girlfriend’s court date has been scheduled for November 29, 2017.

Source:

Hubbard, D. (November 14, 2017). Palisades Park Cop Caught With Cocaine, Ammo: Prosecutor. Retrieved from https://patch.com/new-jersey/fortlee/palisades-park-police-officer-caught-drugs-ammo-prosecutor