J. Stephen Ferketic

Director

J. Stephen Ferketic, Director

J. Stephen Ferketic is the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice. Ferketic previously served as Chief of Staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, Ferketic was an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where he handled a variety of criminal prosecutions, including health care fraud, drug trafficking, violent crime, and  money laundering cases. Ferketic clerked for the Honorable Patty Shwartz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Honorable Anne E. Thompson of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Ferketic began his career in public service as a high school science teacher in Roma, Texas through the Teach For America program. Ferketic received a B.S. and B.A. from the University of Connecticut, and his J.D. from Emory University School of Law, where he was a Woodruff Fellow.

Weldon A. Powell

Chief of Detectives

Weldon A. Powell, Chief of Detectives

Weldon A. Powell is the Chief of Detectives of the Division of Criminal Justice. Chief Powell joined the Division of Criminal Justice (“the Division”) in August of 1998. During his twenty-six years with the Division, Chief Powell served on the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team and the High Risk Entry Team. Prior to assuming his role as Chief, he served as the Deputy Chief of the Specialized Crimes Bureau, where he managed 6 criminal investigative units which included: Environmental Crimes, Bias Crimes, Labor Fraud, Casino Prosecutions, Motor Vehicle Crimes, and the Atlantic City Violent Crime Task Force.

Chief Powell maintains supervision of 200 detectives assigned to all Division Offices, Bureaus, and Units who conduct investigations into criminal activity within the twenty-one counties of the State of New Jersey. Chief Powell is responsible for the oversight of officer involved shootings and death in custody investigations, as well as ensuring compliance with Attorney General Directives and Guidelines, ranging from police professional standards to bias incident investigative standards. Chief Powell actively participates in community events, providing education to the public about bias incident reporting and police community relations.

Chief Powell graduated from the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration.