A New Jersey state trooper was suspended without pay after an internal investigation revealed that he was pulling over women to ask them out on dates and then tampering with police records to cover it up, NJ.com reports.
The state trooper, identified as 37-year-old Marquice Prather, was arrested Friday on charges of third-degree tampering with public records and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records.
He was released without bond.
According to officials, the State Police Office of Professional Standards launched an investigation into Prather after several woman complained about his behavior on the road, NJ.com notes.
That investigation uncovered "a pattern of pulling over young women between the ages of 20 and 35 and soliciting them to go on a date with him or give him their phone numbers," authorities revealed in a statement announcing Prather's arrest.
Prather allegedly turned off his wireless microphone during his interactions with the women and then falsely reported that the device had malfunctioned. The state trooper is also accused of lying about the gender of the drivers he pulled over in state police computer logs to cover up the fact that he was targeting young women.
Aside from the women who came forward with complaints about Prather, state authorities were also able to identify others during the investigation who had also been pulled over by Prather and who "gave statements outlining similar alleged conduct."
Read more at NJ.com.