VETERAN OF STATE POLICE IS CHARGED IN DRUG CASE

ELIZABETH, N.J. - A highly decorated New Jersey State Police trooper was
indicted on Monday on charges of divulging confidential information to
members of a reputed Colombia drug ring who were under investigation for
distributing heroin and cocaine, according to authorities.

Detective Moises Hernandez, 39, of Union, who has 19 years on the force,
was indicted along with 20 others in what the authorities described as one
the biggest drug rings in Union County. The group distributed drugs
throughout New Jersey and New York and around the Pittsburgh area, the
authorities said.

"He knew that he jeopardized the safety of other state troopers and also
law enforcement officers when he provided that information to a person
involved in a drug conspiracy," said Theodore J. Romankow, the Union County
prosecutor. "He violated the trust, and put officers' lives at risk."

Mr. Romankow said the drug organization was headed by Alejandro Cleves, 25,
who fled to Colombia, where is being sought by authorities. He said the
group brought up to six kilograms of cocaine and heroin into the United
States from Colombia every day. Each kilogram was worth $750,000 to $1
million in street sales, Mr. Romankow said.

Authorities said Mr. Hernandez had provided one of the suspects in the drug
ring with confidential information about undercover vehicles being used in
surveillance operations against the group. He was charged with conspiracy
to commit racketeering, official misconduct and falsifying reports.

Mr. Romankow said Mr. Hernandez "not only became a part of the drug
conspiracy by using his position to help, but, after the original tip-off,
he covered it by creating a totally fictitious report to his superiors to
cover himself."

Col. Joseph R. Fuentes, the State Police superintendent, declined to
discuss specifics of the case, including a motive, how the charges against
Mr. Hernandez came about or whether he was paid for information. He
described Mr. Hernandez as "a complex individual," but would not elaborate.

The indictments, handed down on Monday by a grand jury, followed the arrest
of 20 others in April after a four-year investigation that began with a
single street source, Mr. Romankow said. More than 220 officers from
various agencies worked on the case, seizing more than 15 vehicles, a
motorcycle, $400,000, seven guns and a large quantity of hollow-point bullets.

Mr. Hernandez was suspended from his $78,000-a-year job in June when
authorities began investigating him in connection with the case. He is
being held on $150,000 bail at the Union County Jail and will be arraigned
within the next two weeks, the authorities said.

Mr. Hernandez and another plainclothes narcotics officer were involved in a
well-publicized case last October when they confronted three drug suspects
at a Bergen County motel. One of the suspects pulled a handgun and was
fatally shot by Mr. Hernandez's partner in a struggle over the gun.

Mr. Hernandez received a commendation for his action in assisting his
partner that day in a case that dramatized the dangers that undercover
officers face.

"He was a very decorated veteran," said Colonel Fuentes, who added: "Any
time you get something like this, it's very, very disturbing. But don't let
it be a blight on all the good work that's being done in this agency."