DENNIS M. CAVANAUGH, District Judge.
This motion comes before the Court upon three motions to dismiss. Plaintiff filed an initial complaint on May 18, 2011 (ECF No. 1). Defendants Prospect Park Police Department, Chief of Police Charbel Adie and the Borough of Prospect Park (hereinafter collectively, the "Prospect Park Defendants") filed a first Motion to Dismiss on June 27, 2011 (ECF No. 3). Defendants Colonel Rick Fuentes and the State of New Jersey through its agency the State Police (hereinafter, the "State Defendants") filed a second Motion to Dismiss on July 18, 2011. (ECF No. 8). On August 2, 2011, Magistrate Judge Dickson granted Plaintiff's Motion to Amend the Complaint. (ECF No. 9). On August 17, 2011, the Prospect Park Defendants filed a third Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 11). Plaintiff filed a Response to all three Motions to Dismiss on September 20, 2011. (ECF No. 17). On November 1, 2011, Defendant Richmond filed an Answer to the Amended Complaint denying the majority of Plaintiff's allegations and asserting affirmative defenses including, but not limited to, failure to state a claim. (ECF No. 24.)
Plaintiff's Amended Complaint alleges state and federal Constitutional violations, civil rights violations under federal statutes 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and § 1985, state and federal Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization Act (hereinafter, "RICO") violations and violations of 18 U.S.C.A. § 1030. Plaintiff avers that Defendants conspired to deprive him of his civil rights. (Pl.'s Am. Compl. ¶¶ 28-32.)
The conspiracy, Plaintiff contends, originated with Defendants and Officers State Trooper Brandon A. Bruns, Officer Walter Richmond and Olen Pajik (hereinafter collectively, "Defendant Officers"). (
Plaintiff would compensate Bruns, Richmond and Pajik for their employment "by check and cash" and by alternative means "such as making car payments for employees, by paying for cell phone services, etc." (
In September 2008, Plaintiff became a partner in the planning and development of a nightclub named Mansion. (
Plaintiff states, in November of 2008, that he began having domestic problems with his wife. (
Plaintiff alleges that Bruns and Richmond, "through their employment at their respective police departments," were able to access the National Crime Index Center (hereinafter, "NCIC") and, at separate times used it to perform searches in an attempt to locate Plaintiff. (
Next, Plaintiff avers, Defendant Officers falsely reported the Lincoln MT vehicle as stolen to Defendant Prospect Park Police Department. (
Plaintiff alleges Bruns "devised another scheme" whereby he would falsely report that Bruns' identity was "stolen" by Plaintiff. (
Plaintiff contends Bruns' final scheme involved Plaintiff's ex-wife, with whom Bruns conspired to file kidnapping charges against Plaintiff. (
Plaintiff seeks punitive and compensatory damages as well as attorneys' fees and any other relief that this Court deems equitable and just for violation of the aforementioned statutes. Plaintiff further states that injury includes "loss of confidence in and feelings of betrayal by the justice system, shock, and emotional scarring . . ." as well as "wantonly inflicted distress." (
In deciding a motion to dismiss, the District Court is "required to accept as true all factual allegations in the complaint and draw all inferences in the facts alleged in the light most favorable to [the Plaintiff]."
In reviewing a motion to dismiss, it is well-established that a court should "consider only the allegations in the complaint, exhibits attached to the complaint, matters of public record, and documents that form the basis of a claim."
Under § 1983, citizens are afforded a cause of action for deprivation of any rights, privileges or immunities secured by the Constitution. Though broad in its base, this cause of action is subject to several far reaching limitations. Defendants point to pertinent and applicable limitations in their Motions to Dismiss. Firstly, under § 1983, the state and its officials are immune from liability when acting within the scope of their official authority.
State immunity applies to the State Defendants for actions performed within the scope of official authority. Under
Plaintiff clearly alleges that Richmond and Bruns were pursuing a personal vendetta against Plaintiff for terminating a business venture in which they were involved. Plaintiff pairs these claims with the actions of State and Prospect Park Defendants as a violation of Plaintiff's Constitutional rights in terms of the Theft of Vehicle allegations. Plaintiff concludes that a violation was committed as a result of these allegations, without claiming that the Prospect Park Defendants took even an initial step to respond to the false report. Regarding the other allegations, Plaintiff names neither the Arizona authorities nor South Hackensack Police Department as Defendants. Actions of the Defendant Officers alone are not sufficient to persuade this Court that Plaintiff has a plausible claim for relief related to the Theft of Identity or Kidnapping allegations.
Plaintiff fails to show that Defendants could be held liable under § 1983, therefore, these claims are denied.
The New Jersey Constitution does not prohibit liability based on principles of respondeat superior.
Plaintiff merely labels the collective actions of Defendants with legal conclusions. The facts presented do not state a plausible basis for Defendants' liability under the doctrine of respondeat superior. Filing false reports falls outside of the scope of Defendant Officer's employment. They are filing as citizens, not under the auspices of any authority granted by their Officer positions. Therefore, liability will not attach to superiors or entities, namely the state through its agency the State Police, the Borough of Prospect Park, the Prospect Park Police Department, Colonel Rick Fuentes and Chief of Police Charbel Adie, as a result of the Defendant Officers' acts. Without support for an inference that the Prospect Park or State Defendants conducted themselves wrongfully, beyond mere investigation and disposition of false reports filed, Plaintiff has failed to provide a plausible basis upon which this Court could find a violation. Consequently, Plaintiff fails to state a claim for relief under the New Jersey Constitution.
Under § 1985, which grants citizens a cause of action for a conspiracy designed and intended to deny and deprive Plaintiff of their Constitutional rights, Plaintiff must prove: 1) a conspiracy by the Defendants; 2) that the conspiracy was designed to deprive Plaintiff of equal protection of the law; 3) that an overt act was committed in furtherance of the conspiracy; 4) that an injury to person or property or a deprivation of a right or privilege of a citizen resulted; and, 5) that Defendants actions were motivated by an invidiously discriminatory class-based animus.
Without reaching the elements of this cause of action, Plaintiff seems to state that Defendant Officers and State and Prospect Park Defendants entered into a conspiracy, the design of which was to deprive Plaintiff of the equal protection of the law. Nowhere does Plaintiff allege, however, that either the State or Prospect Park Defendants entered into an agreement with Defendant Officers. Without demonstration that this Court could plausibly find that a conspiracy was formed, Plaintiffs' claim cannot stand. Moreover, as right to relief under the statute requires proof of all five elements, Plaintiff's claim fails. For instance, Plaintiff pleads no facts showing that Defendants' motivation arose from a class-based animus, as required in the statute. Plaintiff fails to state a claim for relief under § 1985.
State and Federal RICO claims depend on proof of participation in a predicate act that constitutes "racketeering activity."
Even viewing Plaintiff's allegations as true and considering them in a most favorable light, this Court cannot find that Defendants' acts, as stated by Plaintiff, constitute "racketeering activity." Claims under § 1962(d) and (c) each require proof of engagement in "racketeering activity." Instead of substantiating Plaintiff's claim of the applicability of the predicate acts enumerated in his Complaint, Plaintiff attempts to sidestep the requirement. Plaintiff states that Defendants "agreed to the objective of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) . . . by conspiring to violate § 1962(c)."
Plaintiff properly notes that the Federal and State RICO statutes are intended to prevent an overall pattern of racketeering activity. However, Plaintiff fails to show a "pattern" or "multiple instances" of activity under the statute. Plaintiff does not name the Arizona authorities or South Hackensack Police Department as Defendants, and any actions on their part that Plaintiff alludes to will not be attributed to any named Defendants in this matter. The Complaint does not sufficiently describe how the Theft of Identity and Kidnapping allegations, on the basis of Officer Defendants' conduct alone, could constitute predicate acts. In regards to the Theft of Vehicle allegations, this Court is left with only one allegation of "racketeering activity," which explicitly fails to reach the "pattern" standard required by § 1961(5), or namely, two or more acts. These claims are, therefore, dismissed.
Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Officer's use of the NCIC without authorization or in excess of authorized access, constitutes a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030. This statute prohibits fraud and related activity in connection with computers. NCIC is a database consisting of seven property files and twelve persons files for organizing and categorizing criminal records and filings.
The limited facts alleged by Plaintiff surrounding Officer Defendants' use of NCIC does not persuade this Court that Plaintiff could plausibly prove entitlement to recovery under the statute. Moreover, Plaintiff does not specifically describe how any or each Defendant used NCIC in violation of the statute. Police use NCIC in the regular course of investigating suspected criminal activity. Plaintiff's formulaic recitation of some, but not all, elements involved in violating 18 U.S.C. § 1030 does not raise an inference that Plaintiff could prove grounds for relief. Plaintiff does not specifically describe acts taken by any Defendants contravening any of the lengthy, clearly defined provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 1030. Merely assuming that the NCIC database was used is not enough to raise Plaintiff's right to relief above a speculative level.
For the foregoing reasons expressed herein, Defendants Motions to Dismiss Plaintiff's Complaint are