Thomas Herbst

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A former New Jersey police chief has been sentenced to seven years in New Jersey state prison for sexually assaulting and abusing multiple subordinates over more than a decade, authorities announced.

Former Manville Chief Thomas Herbst, 57, of Bridgewater, was ordered by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Peter J. Tober to serve 85 percent of his sentence — about six years — on the sexual assault charge, and a mandatory minimum of five years on counts of official misconduct before he is eligible for parole, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said Monday, Aug. 11. The sentences will run concurrently.

Herbst will also be under parole supervision for life and must register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law. He was taken into custody immediately after sentencing, Platkin said.

Herbst was convicted in February 2025 after a three-week trial on multiple counts of official misconduct, one count of pattern of official misconduct, one count of sexual assault, and one count of criminal sexual contact, Platkin said.

“The defendant’s abuse of power inflicted lasting damage to his victims’ lives,” Platkin said in a statement. “Today’s sentence brings some measure of justice to the victims and the community. My office will continue to work to bolster public confidence in government, to ensure the safety of all, and to combat sexual offenses in all forms.”

“Anyone who would abuse their office for sexual gratification and to commit sexual assault will be prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to prison, as this case shows,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.

According to trial evidence, Herbst victimized at least three women. Beginning in 2008, he groped, exposed himself to, and sexually harassed a police department employee. Over the next 13 years, his conduct escalated to sexual assault, often while on duty and inside police headquarters.

The jury also found Herbst abused his power in other incidents. In 2016 and 2017, he solicited sexual favors from the wife of a subordinate officer in exchange for favorable employment decisions, including a promotion. In another case, he demanded sexually explicit photos of a different subordinate’s wife for a schedule change.

The investigation was conducted by OPIA and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by OPIA Deputy Corruption Bureau Chief Marian Galietta with Deputy Attorneys General Niccole L. Sandora and Diana Bibb, assisted by Assistant Attorney General Andrew Wellbrock, under the supervision of Bureau Co-Directors Jeffrey J. Manis and Eric Gibson, and Executive Director Skinner.