Former Edison officer admits trying to torch superior’s house

EDISON — A former police officer accused of setting fire to the home of a superior officer has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and arson charges.

Michael Dotro entered the plea Monday as part of a deal with Middlesex County prosecutors. He also pleaded guilty to official misconduct and conspiracy to tamper with a witness charges stemming from an unrelated case.

Prosecutors will dismiss several charges Dotro faced in other cases, including one in which he and another officer allegedly plotted to set fire to the home of another superior officer.

Dotro served on the Edison force for nine years before resigning in September 2016. That came after he pleaded guilty to scheming with other Edison officers to retaliate against an officer from another department who had arrested one of their relatives for drunken driving.

According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Dotro will be sentenced to 20 years in prison and will have to serve at least 17 under the state's No Early Release Act before he is eligible for parole.

His sentencing is scheduled for December 7.
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