UPDATED: 1:35 p.m., Wednesday:
Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn called a press conference Wednesday morning to discuss the arrest of a part-time police officer who worked for both Langhorne Borough and Yardley Borough police departments.
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Carlito Cortez, 59, of Northampton Township, surrendered to authorities on Tuesday afternoon following an investigation by Bucks County Detectives and the Bucks County 21st Investigating Grand Jury, which recommended charges against him.
“This case is disturbing because someone in a position of trust and respect in the community, like a police officer, can never exploit that position. But this individual did just that with this victim,” said Schorn during a press conference announcing the charges.
The investigation found Cortez allegedly used his position as a police officer to gain the victim’s trust after responding to her initial call about stolen heirloom jewelry in 2020.
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During the investigation, he learned about her wealth and assets while also identifying her vulnerabilities, Schorn said.
“His end goal was to become the designated recipient of her estate,” Schorn explained. “He succeeded when he surreptitiously had her sign a document she believed to be a medical power of attorney, when in fact it was a fraudulent last will and testament.”
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County detectives executed a search warrant at Cortez’s home last year, where they recovered the victim’s original, legally prepared will that had designated a family member as the beneficiary, authorities said.
The scheme allegedly combined elements of contractor fraud, a romance scam, and theft by deception that unfolded over several years, beginning in 2020, according to Schorn.
“He had the victim believe that he loved her and that she expressed her love for him and he exploited that,” Schorn said. “The victim discloses that he would only express his love when she would do things at his behest.”
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Despite being married, Cortez allegedly brought his mistress into the victim’s home under the guise of being a personal care provider, though she was not qualified for such work.
The investigation began after professionals noticed suspicious behavior, including Cortez’s attempts to obtain financial power of attorney for the victim while explicitly avoiding medical power of attorney, which raised red flags, the district attorney said.
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“I commend the community, that’s such an important role for individuals who work in that capacity, to see the flags,” Schorn said. “This victim did not have immediate family members living with her or in the area, and so naturally, given her wealth and given the limited relationship she had in the immediate area, made her vulnerable to someone who was going to prey upon her.”
Cortez worked as a part-time officer for the Yardley Borough Police Department from 2013 to 2023 and as a part-time officer for the Langhorne Borough Police Department for eight years before resigning last fall as the investigation closed in.
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The district attorney describes Cortez’s actions as “brazen,” noting he would stay at the victim’s home while arriving in a patrol car and wearing his police uniform.
“It’s hard to believe that someone could do this under the color of his badge and authority and victimize in plain sight,” Schorn said.
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“This defendant’s actions are the definition of predatory and exploitative,” Schorn added.
The district attorney said the investigation is ongoing.
“We are working to that end and obviously the media, we always appreciate the help you give us in having a broader voice that if anybody believes they may be a victim, obviously we need to know that,” Schorn said.
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“It doesn’t stop until sentencing, so we continue to follow up on every lead,” she added.
The district attorney notes that while Bucks County has “the finest men and women in law enforcement,” this case serves as a reminder that criminals can exist in any profession.
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“Like in every profession, there are criminals who are walking among us who are looking to use their positions in someone’s community or in their community or in someone’s life to exploit them,” Schorn said. “And we just have to be vigilant.”
Cortez was released after being preliminarily arraigned Tuesday afternoon before District Judge Daniel Baranoski.
Cortez’s attorney declined comment.
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Original Story:
A grand jury investigation has led to the arrest of a former part-time police officer on allegations he took legal documents and misused his position as a police officer.
Carlito Cortez, 59, of Northampton Township, was preliminarily arraigned late Tuesday afternoon on charges of theft by deception, perjury, execution of documents of deception, false swearing, official oppression, theft, and receiving stolen property, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office. District Judge Daniel Baranoski released Cortez on $150,000 unsecured bail.
Cortez had been employed as a part-time officer in both Langhorne Borough and Yardley Borough. Public records indicate he worked in Yardley from 2013 to 2023 and in Langhorne since 2016 until he resigned in 2024. He also worked as a general contractor and maintenance worker for a housing cooperative in Warminster Township.
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The charges stem from a grand jury investigation that concluded last week into Cortez’s alleged actions involving a 76-year-old woman residing in Langhorne Borough.
The grand jury presentment detailed allegations that Cortez misrepresented a Last Will and Testament as a Power of Attorney document to the woman and convinced her to sign it in late 2022, according to court papers unsealed this week and obtained by LevittownNow.com.
Investigators allege Cortez also took two of the woman’s prior Last Will and Testament documents without her knowledge or consent.
Bucks County Detectives began investigating in October 2023 after receiving a report that a Langhorne Borough police officer might be exploiting their neighbor.
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The investigation revealed that Cortez and the woman met in March 2020 when she reported missing rings and a potentially unpaid loan from a relative, the grand jury presentment said.
Court papers described the woman’s home as containing valuable antiques and artwork. Investigators said the woman’s estate is valued at over $500,000.
A neighbor told the grand jury that Cortez began visiting the woman more frequently, with his police vehicle often parked at her home.
The 76-year-old woman testified to the grand jury that she had developed feelings for Cortez, who she said would express affection only when she offered assistance. She maintained the relationship was not sexual. She also testified that Cortez would perform home repairs.
According to testimony, Cortez arranged for an in-home aide for the woman from late 2022 to February 2023. The aide, who testified to having a relationship with the married Cortez, described him referring to the woman as “loaded.”
The 76-year-old woman later stated she did not need the aide, according to court papers.
The grand jury presentment alleges that Cortez began discussing power of attorney with the woman in late 2022 and presented her with paperwork titled “Last Will and Testament.”
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The woman told the grand jury she intended to grant him medical power of attorney but not financial control or beneficiary status.
An attorney, who previously worked as a police chief in New Jersey, told detectives that Cortez asked him to prepare legal documents, including a will. The attorney said he spoke with the woman and she seemed “fine,” per the grand jury presentment.
In May 2023, Cortez moved into the woman’s home, according to testimony.
The woman testified that she did his laundry and that he would disappear for periods, claiming to be at the “barracks” in Langhorne Borough, which has a police station that lacks sleeping quarters.
After moving in, Cortez allegedly entered into a work contract with the woman.
Testimony indicated Cortez at times prevented the woman from speaking with Langhorne Borough Police Chief John Godzieba.
In July 2023, Cortez accompanied the woman to a Langhorne Borough attorney’s office, stating he was concerned about his involvement in her finances and the future of her house if she died, authorities said.
The attorney told a Bucks County detective that Cortez wanted to be her financial power of attorney, while she preferred him for medical decisions, which he reportedly was not interested in.
The attorney said she warned the woman to avoid Cortez and reported the situation to Langhorne Borough police.
Godzieba reportedly spoke with Cortez and advised him to cease contact with the woman. However, call records obtained by detectives allegedly show Cortez continued to contact her.
In November 2023, detectives found Cortez’s belongings, including police gear, at the woman’s residence in Langhorne Borough, according to court papers.
A search of Cortez’s home in October 2024 yielded copies of the woman’s wills from 2015 and 2020 in a plastic bin with his police-related paperwork, county detectives said.
The 76-year-old woman told law enforcement she knew Cortez had seen the documents but not that he possessed them.
Cortez reportedly told a detective he had the wills because “we were signing it in my name.” He told the grand jury the woman wanted him to manage her finances if she was hospitalized.
Cortez is also charged with perjury and false swearing due to alleged inconsistencies in his grand jury testimony regarding the documents and their circumstances.
The grand jury also alleges official oppression, asserting Cortez misused his position as a Langhorne Borough police officer.
Tom Logan, Cortez’s attorney, declined comment on the case.
Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn plans to discuss the case during a Wednesday morning press conference.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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