What to Know
- A former NJ police officer who admitted to beating a man with a flashlight and then lying about it, was sentenced to 42 months in prison
- Domenico Lillo, 48, a former Bayonne officer, previously pleaded guilty to deprivation of civil rights, falsifying records
- In addition to the prison term, Lillo was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $20,000 to the City of Bayonne
A former New Jersey police officer who admitted to beating a man with a flashlight and then lying about it, was sentenced to 42 months in prison Monday, prosecutors announced.
Domenico Lillo, 48, a former Bayonne officer, previously pleaded guilty to deprivation of civil rights under color of law an falsifying records to impede a civil rights investigation in a case in which he used excessive force during an arrest and falsifying records in an attempt to conceal his conduct, according to U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.
Court documents say that on Dec. 27, 2013, Lillo and other Bayonne Police Department went to an address to arrest a man on a Sussex County warrant.
Lillo admitted he struck the individual they were arresting in the head with a flashlight while the individual was handcuffed and not resisting arrest, injuring him, and also admitted he falsified a Bayonne Police Department Use of Force Report related to the arrest with the intent to impede an investigation into the case, the court documents say.
Additionally, Lillo also admitted he played a role in obtaining a fraudulent $20,000 home rehabilitation loan scheme for a relative by helping them prepare and submit a fraudulent HUD application on a home Lillo co-owned.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Lillo to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $20,000 to the City of Bayonne.
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Frank Arleo, attorney for Lillo said his client "is a good guy who made a mistake. He has taken responsibility and looks forward to rebuilding his life."
