The woman had worked as a confidential informant for two police departments, but was later jailed for seven days
NEWARK -- A woman who accused Hopatcong and Roxbury police officers of sexual abuse and harassment during her stint as a confidential informant has received a $160,000 settlement, New Jersey Herald reported.
Angela Schaeffer, of Rockaway, was awarded $39,000 from Hopatcong and $121,000 from Roxbury after filing her lawsuit in federal court in Newark in December 2015, the newspaper reported.
Schaeffer alleged in her lawsuit she was falsely arrested in May 2014 on drug and paraphernalia charges after working for a year-and-a-half as a confidential informant for both Hopatcong and Roxbury. Schaefer spent seven days in jail when she was unable to post bail, according to the lawsuit.
Two months later, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office dismissed the charges, the lawsuit alleged.
Scaeffer alleged in her lawsuit Roxbury officers Thomas Van Houten and Richard Ricco and Hopatcong officer Ryan Tracey verbally abused her while she was a confidential informant, and Van Houten used his position of authority to pressure her for sex.
Schaeffer's attorney, Jeffrey Patti, told New Jersey Herald the liaisons never took place but she was being pressured at the time the lawsuit was filed.
In her lawsuit, Schaeffer said after rebuffing Van Houten's advances, her identity was "purposely and maliciously" disclosed to individuals involved in investigations, placing her and her family in "extreme danger."
Van Houten was not charged criminally in the case, but he did resign from his position.
Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.