East Orange Official Made Up Carjacking, Prosecutors Say

Prosecutors have filed drug charges against a northern New Jersey municipal official who they say fabricated a story about being carjacked.

Sixty-year-old David McCord, a code enforcement inspector in East Orange, claimed the carjacking occurred Friday in Newark. But after interviewing McCord on Monday, investigators determined that he had gone to the city to buy drugs and that a drug dealer had stolen his vehicle.

McCord was charged with drug offenses and filing a false police report. Authorities say he also had unrelated outstanding warrants issued by Newark and Maplewood.

McCord could not be reached for comment Monday. It was not known if he had retained a lawyer.

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