It wasn’t a happy 420 for a police officer caught selling drugs to an undercover federal informant in New Jersey last week. FBI agents arrested Ruben McAusland, 26, on Friday, April 20 for selling drugs including cannabis, crack, heroin, and powder cocaine. McAusland is a patrol officer with the Paterson Police Department.
US Attorney Craig Carpenito announced that agents had taken McAusland into custody in a press release last week. Carpenito’s spokesperson Will Skaggs told the New York Post that the arrest is unusual.
“It’s a surprising case — that an officer, who is supposed to be preventing the sale of drugs, did just the opposite,” he said.
Officer Faces Multiple Allegations
According to a complaint filed by federal prosecutors, McAusland sold drugs to the informant several times beginning in October 2017. At that time he sold the individual approximately 35 grams of marijuana, 48 grams of heroin, 31 grams of cocaine, and 31 grams of crack cocaine for only $50.
McAusland then allegedly sold the informant a pound of weed on two different occasions. The first time he charged $2,500, the second pound cost $2,400.
In February of this year, McAusland offered to sell a kilo of cocaine to the Feds’ snitch. The same month and on several subsequent occasions, the police officer sold counterfeit Percocet pills. McAusland charged $7 each for the tablets, which actually contained heroin.
Also in February, while in his patrol car, he met the buyer in a supermarket parking lot near Paterson PD headquarters. McAusland delivered sample heroin pills to the informant at that time. He then sold heroin pills to the informant several times. One transaction in April was for more than 1,000 of the pills.
McAusland appeared in federal court on Friday and was released after posting a $100,000 bail bond. He faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a $5 million fine if he is convicted.
Final Hit: Police Officer Caught Selling Drugs To Undercover Federal Informant
McAusland is the third Paterson PD officers busted in the last two weeks. Federal agents arrested Jonathan Bustios, 28, and Eudy Ramos, 31, on April 11. They face charges of conspiring to deprive individuals of their civil rights under color of law.
Bustios and Ramos allegedly stopped drivers on the road while on patrol. After detaining the drivers, the cops conducted unjustified searches of vehicles. The corrupt officers also stole cash from those they stopped on at least one occasion.
Authorities have also charged Bustios with extortion. In that case, he allegedly offered not to arrest a man he had detained if the man in custody helped Bustios obtain a gun. The officer also said he would return cash he had seized in exchange for the firearm.
“I ain’t gonna charge you with resisting, and I’m letting you keep your money, bro. If you don’t wanna make the deal, you don’t have to make the deal,” Bustios told the man, according to local media.
Bustios and Ramos could serve up to ten years in prison for the civil rights violations charges. Additionally, Bustios faces twenty more years behind bars for the extortion case.
