FREEHOLD – A Neptune Township police officer has been charged with repeatedly lying about his criminal past and termination from a previous law enforcement job in order to obtain police employment in New Jersey, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Friday.
Briant K. Nixon, 38, faces charges including second-degree pattern of official misconduct, three counts of second-degree official misconduct, three counts of third-degree tampering with public records, and single counts of fourth-degree false swearing, falsifying records, and unsworn falsification to authorities.
Investigators from the Prosecutor’s Office Professional Responsibility Unit determined that Nixon served with the New York City Police Department from 2012 until his 2017 termination for violating departmental rules, stemming from a 2015 arrest for domestic violence and violating a restraining order.
Authorities said Nixon later sought work with three New Jersey police departments — West Wildwood, where he was hired in 2022; Matawan, where he submitted a résumé but no formal application; and Neptune Township, where he was hired in 2023. In each case, prosecutors said, Nixon failed to disclose his NYPD service or criminal history. His Neptune application included a sworn statement before a notary that the false information was accurate, investigators said.
Earlier this year, prosecutors said, Nixon again gave false answers when renewing his police license, stating he had never been charged with a crime or been subject to a restraining order.
Nixon was served with summonses earlier this week and is scheduled for a first court appearance Sept. 25 in Monmouth County Superior Court.
“The Neptune Township Police Department takes seriously its obligation to hold itself and its officers to the highest standards,” Police Chief Anthony Gualario said in a statement. “The actions of one officer do not represent the values of the men and women who serve in our department with integrity and professionalism every day.” Nixon will remain suspended while the case proceeds, Gualario said.
The Prosecutor’s Office credited the Bronx District Attorney’s Office Civil Litigation Unit and Neptune police with assisting in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Falco, director of the Professional Responsibility Unit. Nixon’s attorney was not immediately identified.
