Prosecutor: Cop Charged with $16.5K Theft Stemming from Failure to Perform Duties

An area police officer has been charged with theft in connection with instances of failing to leave his home or respond to calls for service while he was supposed to be on duty, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Thursday.

Colts Neck Police Department Sgt. Daniel J. Mazzucola, 40, has been charged with third-degree theft by unlawful taking stemming from the incidents.

An investigation led by members of the MCPO Professional Responsibility Unit revealed that on multiple instances from December 2025 into May 2026, Mazzucola spent significant portions of his assigned on-duty time, including overtime shifts, at his Colts Neck home, rather than on patrol or providing police services to the people of the township. On two specific occasions, the investigation found, he falsely claimed in a law enforcement database entry that he had responded to calls, despite never leaving his residence.

The total value of the theft of salary related to these instances amounted to approximately $16,500.

Mazzucola turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday, Sept. 1, and was released on a summons, pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office