Category: Investigations

Law and Disorder: Edison’s Troubled Police Force

December 9, 2012

From the outside, nothing betrays the image of normalcy. Rows of gleaming squad cars line a gated lot. Flags snap at attention near the front door. Uniformed officers come and go, shift after shift. But behind the facade, the officers of the Edison Police Department pursue two missions: fighting crime and tearing each other apart. And it’s not always clear which comes first. … More Law and Disorder: Edison’s Troubled Police Force

Stolen Valor: Honored Iraq veteran fabricated stories

August 1, 2010

On Memorial Day, as Americans honored the nation’s war dead, Angelo Otchy bowed his head to accept a medal from officials in Verona for his sacrifice and service. The 35-year-old Army veteran told a reporter that day about his three tours of duty in Iraq. Voice dropping to a near-hush, he spoke, too, about the … More Stolen Valor: Honored Iraq veteran fabricated stories

False Notes: The true story of one of the world’s greatest violin swindles

August 1, 2004

This is one of the most fascinating stories I’ve ever worked on and remains among my favorites. Herbert Axelrod, who built a fortune writing how-to books on keeping pets, from fish to hamsters, also amassed a collection of rare violins that, amid great fanfare, he sold to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for $17 million. Both Axelrod … More False Notes: The true story of one of the world’s greatest violin swindles