New Jersey State Police Bodycam Footage Reveals False Accusations

A Hunterdon County couple has been charged with making false sexual assault allegations against New Jersey State Police troopers in what authorities are calling a “malicious, self-serving hoax.”

Randal “Randy” Kelco, 35, and Lisa DeStefano, 45, both residents of Bloomsbury, face second-degree charges of making false reports to law enforcement. The pair is accused of fabricating elaborate claims that troopers sexually assaulted Kelco during a domestic dispute call in October 2023.

The allegations were thoroughly discredited by body-worn camera footage from the responding officers and, ironically, by video from Kelco’s own cellphone, according to New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin.

State Police from the Perryville Barracks routinely handle police calls in Bloomsbury, a small community of fewer than 800 residents that does not maintain its own police department.

According to investigators, three state troopers responded to the couple’s residence for a domestic dispute call on October 23, 2023, just before 4 a.m. Body camera footage documented the officers’ approximately 40-minute investigation, which concluded with troopers driving Kelco to a nearby hotel before departing.

The following day, around 1:30 a.m., Kelco checked into the Emergency Department at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. There, he and DeStefano told medical staff that Kelco had been sexually assaulted by the responding troopers the previous day. The couple shared their allegations with New Brunswick police officers who responded to the hospital.

The accusations didn’t stop there. The pair filed a formal complaint with the State Police Office of Professional Standards and repeated their claims during an interview with a detective on November 6, 2023.

However, a review of the evidence revealed their story to be completely fabricated. Neither the troopers’ body camera footage nor Kelco’s own cellphone recordings showed any evidence of misconduct by the officers.

“This case clearly demonstrates how important body-worn camera video evidence can be to understanding events and fact-checking witness statements,” said Eric Gibson, Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, in a statement released Tuesday. “In this instance, those recordings provided exculpatory evidence showing these troopers were facing false, inflammatory allegations of criminal conduct.”

This isn’t the first time Kelco has had confrontations with law enforcement. Court records indicate a criminal history dating back to at least 2017, including admissions to threatening police officers and drug possession.

Kelco has remained in custody since a violent May incident that led to multiple serious charges. During that arrest, police say he refused entry to responding troopers before putting a female victim in a chokehold. The woman required medical treatment for a broken nose, broken wrist, and various cuts and bruises.

Officers attempting to arrest Kelco during the May incident also suffered injuries as he reportedly shouted vulgar threats at them. According to the affidavit of probable cause obtained from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, Kelco was believed to be under the influence of drugs at the time.

For the May incident alone, Kelco faces five counts of aggravated assault—four involving law enforcement officers and one involving a domestic violence victim—as well as charges of obstruction and eluding.

If convicted on the false reporting charges, both Kelco and DeStefano could face between five and ten years in state prison, along with fines up to $150,000 each.

The case highlights the growing importance of body cameras in law enforcement. Police departments nationwide have increasingly adopted this technology not only to ensure officer accountability but also to protect officers from false accusations. In this instance, the video evidence proved crucial in exonerating the accused troopers.

The false allegations also underscore the challenges law enforcement faces when responding to domestic disputes, which are consistently among the most volatile and unpredictable calls that officers handle. Police training increasingly emphasizes de-escalation techniques and careful documentation in these high-risk situations.

State authorities continue to investigate the matter as the case moves through the legal system.