HCPO Det. Craig Iacouzzi claims he “never met anybody or spoke to anybody” from the Oath Keepers, but his name (minus one letter) is listed on the New Jersey chapter’s website.
HCPO Det. Craig Iacouzzi and Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez. (PHOTOS: HCPOProsecutor/Twitter, screenshot of NJ Oath Keepers website)
Based on “analysis of what appear to be membership rolls obtained by an anonymous hacker,” an investigative report by WNYC/Gothamist connected a detective from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office (HCPO) to the Oath Keepers.
According to the report, Det. Craig Iacouzzi’s name appeared in logs obtained by journalists. He told WNYC/Gothamist reporters that he subscribed to the Oath Keepers’ email newsletter years ago, to receive “current events and a different take on mainstream media perspective,” but that he “never met anybody or spoke to anybody” from the organization.
Iacouzzi claiming no association with the group seems dubious considering a person named “Craig Iacuzzi” (missing letter “o”) is listed as the “NJ OK Forum Moderator” on the website for the Oath Keepers’ New Jersey chapter.
A 60 Minutes report stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) calls the Oath Keepers an anti-government militia. Numerous members of the group have been charged in connection with the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
HCPO spokesperson Raymond Worrall told The Hudson Reporter “there are obvious concerns about any member of law enforcement participating in a group” like the Oath Keepers and that Iacouzzi is being investigated.
Iacouzzi was hired in September 2019 and is currently a member of the HCPO’s Crime Scene Unit. The apparent contradiction between his statement and the New Jersey Oath Keepers’ website could raise questions about his truthfulness, which might impact numerous cases.
Notably, the WNYC/Gothamist report claimed an unnamed Jersey City Police Department officer was also identified in the same logs as Iacouzzi.
Real Garden State was unable to contact the HCPO for comment on this story, but will update this report if/when comment is provided.
