2 N.J. STATE TROOPERS INDICTED TROOPERS

Hogan And Kenna Also Were Involved In A Controversial Shooting
Last Year On The New Jersey Turnpike

TRENTON - A state grand jury today
indicted the two state troopers involved in last year's shooting on
the New Jersey Turnpike on charges of misconduct for falsifying
reports and for illegally searching vehicles and occupants in the
three months prior to the shooting.

The troopers -- John Hogan, 29, of Florence, and James Kenna, 28, of
Hamilton Square -- were accused of falsifying records by
misrepresenting the race of the motorists they had stopped and searched.

Kenna and Hogan opened fire on a van containing four unarmed minority
men last April 23. The shooting incident sparked outrage over
allegations that the state police stopped the shooting victims and had
stopped other motorists on the basis of their race -- a practice
called "racial profiling."

Acting Burlington County Prosecutor James Gerrow, who was appointed to
oversee a grand jury investigation of the shooting incident, said
information received during the course of that investigation led the
state police to conduct a review of the patrol activities of the two
troopers. The grand jury probe into the shooting incident itself is
continuing, authorities said.

The indictments span the activities of the two troopers from Jan. 19,
1998, to the date of the shooting.

"It is a sad day when a member of law enforcement is charged with
breaching the tenets of his sworn oath," said Attorney General Peter
Verniero at a news conference. "But we cannot and will not tolerate
any breach of the law or violations of any standard operating
procedures that undermine public confidence."

Hogan was named in a 19-count indictment charging two counts of
official misconduct and 17 counts of falsifying or tampering with
records. Kenna was named in a separate indictment charging two counts
of official misconduct and eight counts of falsifying records.

The troopers face up to 10 years in prison and $100,000 in fines for
each of the counts of official misconduct. The falsifying records
charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 18 months in prison and
$7,500 in fines for each count. Both have been suspended without pay.

"It is unfortunate that the alleged illegal actions of a few troopers
have served to so totally undermine the overall image and
effectiveness of the entire 2,700 members of the New Jersey state
police," said Lt. Colonel Michael Fedorko, acting superintendent of
state police.

Hogan's attorney, Robert Galantucci, questioned the timing of the
indictments.

"I am skeptical of this indictment -- especially in light of the
political landscape in New Jersey. I do note that there are
nominations and elections that are pending," Galantucci said,
referring to Verniero's nomination to the state Supreme Court and Gov.
Whitman's interest in the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat
Frank Lautenberg.

Galantucci declined to discuss the specifics of the indictment
directly, but said Hogan had been involved in "hundreds and hundreds"
of stops in his career as a trooper.

"Of all of the stops and all the searches and all the seizures of
millions of dollars in drugs, cocaine and crack, only one was found to
be outside the constitutional limits," Galantucci said.

Just a few years ago, Galantucci said, politicians were on the stump
complaining about the demons of drugs and the state troopers were the
foot soldiers in that war.

"Now it is politically expedient to turn their backs on these guys
that are on the front lines," Galantucci said.

A further review of patrol activities is currently being conducted of
troopers assigned to the Moorestown and Cranbury barracks of the state
police, First Assistant Attorney General Paul Zoubek said.

The 1998 shooting occurred in Mercer County in the southbound lanes of
the turnpike near Exit 7A. The area was closed to all traffic for
seven hours last week so investigators could recreate the incident.

The troopers have claimed the van was backing up to strike them and
hit their car.

At the time of the shooting, authorities said that the troopers
stopped the van for speeding and that the driver, Keyshon Moore, put
the van in reverse as the troopers approached it on foot. The men said
they were headed for basketball tryouts at a North Carolina college.

Two black passengers and a Hispanic man were injured by the gunfire.
Rayshawn S. Brown was released from a hospital two days later, and
Leroy G. Grant and Danny Reyes went home from the hospital on May 6.
Moore escaped injury.