Camden officer, wife indicted

By LEO STRUPCZEWSKI
Courier-Post Staff


A suspended Camden police officer and his wife were indicted on conspiracy charges Thursday, officials said.

Michael Hearne, 42, of Woodbury, is charged with conspiring with a second man to rob a drug dealer and launder the money, said Gregory A. Paw, the state's criminal justice director.

Hearne provided his co-conspirator with a loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun to be used in the robbery, Paw said. The two had agreed to let Hearne launder $75,000, which the co-conspirator said he obtained during the robbery. The men were to split the money, Paw said.

"It's shocking that a police officer who took an oath to protect lives would plot an armed robbery, as alleged in this incident," Attorney General Stuart Rabner said. "Most police officers are dedicated public servants who take the authority and honor of their uniform very seriously."

Between Nov. 7 and 10, Hearne and his wife, Annie L. Hearne, 36, laundered about $7,600 the co-conspirator had given them from a previous robbery, Paw said.

Annie Hearne deposited the cash and withdrew portions of it. That money was to be split as well, Paw said.

A state police task force arrested Hearne Nov. 10 in the parking lot of the Super 8 Motel in Bellmawr. Hearne believed he was meeting with his co-conspirator to collect the $75,000, Paw said.

Hearne faces charges of second-degree conspiracy, official misconduct, attempted robbery, attempted money laundering, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and a fourth-degree charge of unlawful disposition of a weapon, Paw said.

Hearne's wife was indicted on third-degree charges of conspiracy to launder money and money laundering. Hearne faces those charges as well.

Reach Leo Strupczewski at (856) 317-7828 or lstrupczewski-AT-courierpostonline.com
Published: March 23. 2007 3:10AM