A judge has sentenced a former New Jersey police officer to 20 years in prison for firebombing his supervisor’s home while the police captain and his family were inside asleep.
Under terms of a plea agreement, 40-year-old Michael Dotro must serve 17 years before he’ll become eligible for parole.
Dotro did not speak during Thursday’s sentencing.
Michael Dotro, 40, received 20 years for attempted murder and arson after firebombing a police captain’s home while the family slept
The judge said: ‘his time as a police officer was a complete fraud.’
He previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder and arson. He admitted setting fire to Edison police Captain Mark Anderko’s home in Monroe Township in May 2013.
Anderko’s wife, two children and 92-year-old mother were in the house at the time, but weren’t injured.
The former police officer used a pair of gasoline-filled jugs to start the fire and was charged with five counts of attempted murder. The house was heavily damaged.
Dotro received 20 years for attempted murder, a first-degree crime, and 10 years for aggravated arson for setting the May 23, 2013 fire at Anderko’s home. The prison terms will run concurrently.
Captain Mark Anderko’s home was heavily damaged in the 2013 fire. Dotro pleaded guilty on all charges
He was also given 10 years for official misconduct, five years for conspiracy to tamper with a witness and 18 months for conspiracy to retaliate.
Dotro apparently set fire to the house after he was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation after his 11th excessive force complaint. The assessment took place four days before the fire.
When he entered the courtroom, his wife, Alycia, yelled out ‘you’re a monster. You’re a manipulative monster,’ according to mycentraljersey.com.
Dotro resigned from the Edison police force last fall.
Police Captain Mark Anderko (pictured) had ordered Dotro to undergo a psychological evaluation after he had received 11 excessive force complaints. The fire happened 4 days after the assessment
He will serve five years of parole supervision once released.
After the May 2013 fire, authorities dug deeper into Dotro’s behavior and filed 17 additional charges against him.
They found that Dotro had bought marijuana while in uniform and on duty in December 2012. In March of 2013, Dotro and his wife had slashed the tires of a 25-year-old woman who worked in the police department. The woman had filed a complaint against Dotro, alleging the married patrolman was harassing her.
Dotro also had bought marijuana while on duty and in uniform, slashed the tires of a woman who filed a complaint against him, and pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy
He later accessed the department’s database to find the criminal mischief complaint relate to the tire slashing.
Dotro was also found to have brass knuckles, a fake weapon, and a club in his duty bag.
Alycia Dotro was charged with hindering for allegedly providing false information during the investigation of the fire. She also was charged with official misconduct, conspiracy and criminal mischief in connection with her criminal involvement for the tire slashing.
Alycia Dotro (pictured) has entered a pre-trial intervention program that could clear her record within two years
The day after Dotro pleaded guilty, Alycia Dotro was admitted to a pre-trial intervention program that could clear her record in two years.
In September 2016, Dotro pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy. He admitted he sought retaliation against another police officer who had ticketed a family member for drunk driving.
Four other former Edison police officers pleaded guilty to their roles in the retaliation plot.
Alycia and Michael Dotro opened a restaurant under the names Alycia and Michael Frances. They initially denied they were the Dotros, but then admitted their true identities. The couple posted more than $2million combined in bail.