Jury selection was underway on Thursday in the trial of former Perth Amboy police chief Benjamin Ruiz.
NEW BRUNSWICK -- Jury selection was underway on Thursday in the trial of Benjamin Ruiz, the former Perth Amboy police chief facing charges that he used department mechanics to repair personal vehicles, and then tried to tamper with witnesses.
Ruiz, 54, was present during jury selection with his attorney, Brian J. Neary, at the Middlesex County Courthouse. Opening arguments, Neary said, are scheduled to begin next week.
Ruiz was indicted in February 2015 on charges of second-degree official misconduct, third-degree theft of services and witness tampering.
The charges stemmed from three separate incidents between Dec. 8, 2013, and July 29, 2014, in which Ruiz allegedly instructed city mechanics to work on his motorcycle, his 1964 Mustang, and his friend's car when the workers were supposed to be working on city vehicles.
Then, in January 2015, he allegedly tried to get a witness to lie to police during their investigation, previous reports said.
In late May of this year, Ruiz -- who at the time had not yet been terminated but was on suspension -- encountered further legal troubles when police arrested him in an unrelated matter on charges of trespassing on the property of a convenience store. He allegedly claimed he was a police officer when confronted by the store's owner and employees.
In June, the city terminated Ruiz as chief. Adam E. Cruz, the city's business administrator, issued a statement at the time saying that the city would "need to move forward" to protect the integrity of the police department.
Ruiz had worked for the city police department since May 1988 and had been chief for nearly four years.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.