TRENTON — An award-winning state trooper has been suspended after an investigation determined he tried on several occasions to pull women over in an attempt to date them, Attorney General Christopher Porrino said.

Eric Richardson, 31, of Camden, was charged with third-degree tampering with public records and fourth degree falsifying or tampering with records after trying to cover up the reason he pulled the women over, according to Porrino.

Richardson is the latest trooper to face similar charges. Another trooper was charged in December with pulling over several women to get them to go on dates — and then lying about the stops.

The trooper was investigated by the State Police Office of Professional Standards after incidents involving two women were reported. According to Porrino, the investigation determined he had stopped the women "repeatedly," and threatened to arrest one of them if she did not give him her phone number.

In other instances, Porrino said Richardson tried to "ingratiate himself" with one of the women who was driving an unregistered vehicle, and did not arrest one of the women who had an active warrant at the time of one of the stops. After getting the women's information Porrino said Richardson would then contact them through social media and by text message.

Porrino said all of the incidents happened between August 2016 and January 2017. According to Porrino, on Dec. 23 he told dispatchers that he had pulled over a man when in fact he had stopped one of the women. On Jan. 3 Porrino said Richardson told dispatchers he had stopped to help a driver but instead had stopped one of the women to ask if she still had the same phone number.

During some of the stops in question, Porrino said Richardson had turned off his dashboard camera while he interacted with the women.

Richardson became a trooper in 2014. He earns a base salary of $60,500.

Last year he was recognized by the nonprofit Teach Anti-Bullying Inc. for volunteering as a basketball coach at Camden High School.

The third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. The fourth-degree charges carry a jail sentence of up to 18 months and a fine of up to $10,000.

In December, Trooper Marquice Prather was charged with third-degree tampering with public records or information and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records. Prather was accused of pulling over numerous women in order to get them to agree to dates or to giving him their phone numbers.

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