VINELAND — Two members of the city’s Police Department were arrested Friday for allegedly mishandling funds related to the local police union they helped oversee, authorities said Friday.
Patrol Officers Steven R. Buglio, 36, of Laurel Street in Vineland, and 30-year-old William C. Newman, of Chestnut Street in Elmer, Salem County, were arrested, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said in a statement.
The funds are related to Police Benevolent Association Local 266, which represents police officers in Vineland and in Buena, Atlantic County, authorities said. State PBA officials said they removed Buglio from his position as the local’s president Wednesday. Newman is also no longer the local’s treasurer, they said.
Webb-McRae would not provide specifics about the alleged incidents. Criminal complaints released by her office Friday state that Buglio and Newman “failed to make the proper disposition” of the local’s funds and used the money “as if it was (their) own.”
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Authorities would not comment on how much money was involved. State PBA President Anthony Weiners said in a statement the “extent of the loss is not yet known.” The charges lodged against Buglio and Newman cover offenses of more than $500.
Buglio and Newman are both charged with theft by failure to make required disposition of property received, misapplication of entrusted property, conspiracy to commit the offense of failure to make disposition of property received, and conspiracy to commit the offense of misapplication of entrusted property. Buglio and Newman were both processed and released on their own recognizance, Webb-McRae said.
Police Chief Timothy Codispoti said Buglio, an eight-year veteran of the Police Department, and Newman, who has worked for the department for five years, were suspended without pay as of Friday. Codispoti said he did not know their salaries.
Webb-McRae said the investigation was initiated by Codispoti and conducted by her office’s Professional Standards Unit. She said her office had the full cooperation of Codispoti and the Police Department.
Codispoti said he contacted Webb-McRae on Wednesday. He said the investigation is ongoing.
Weiners said in a statement that he was contacted by Local 266 members who were concerned about the local’s finances.
“These concerns were elevated when information was developed that financial records were incorrect,” Weiners said in the statement. “The information was shared with law enforcement and an investigation was undertaken. The members of Local 266 who have been victimized by these actions are upset that anyone would violate their trust.”
Weiners said the state PBA “took the unusual step” of removing Buglio as head of Local 266 on Wednesday because of the investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office.
“There were certain actions by the former president that raised concerns,” Weiners said.
Patrol Officer Greg Pacitto, the local’s vice president, has replaced Buglio, union officials said. Weiners said he met with Pacitto on Friday morning.
“I expressed my concerns for their members and gave him my vote of confidence to correct the situation,” Weiners said. “Local 266 represents some of the hardest-working men and women in law enforcement in southern New Jersey, and they deserve answers.”
Pacitto said, “We are going through a very difficult time and we will do everything possible to recover our membership’s money.”
Codispoti said members of the Police Department’s administration are talking to police officers individually about professional standards and ethics.
He said the alleged actions by Buglio and Newman are not representative of the Police Department’s 140 sworn officers. He said he hopes the public’s trust in the department is not harmed by the alleged criminal action by Buglio and Newman.
This is the second investigation of the Police Department in recent months by the Prosecutor’s Office.
In December, a probe by the Prosecutor’s Office of a local law-enforcement officer’s allegations of corruption within the Police Department ended with a finding of no wrongdoing.
Patrol Officer Ronald Farabella sued the city in January 2010. He alleged that a mix of information he received from confidential informants and personal observations indicated four city police officers may have illegally distributed drugs in connection with local gang members. He never identified the officers in the lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, Farabella stated that he first told his superiors about his concerns in March 2006.
Farabella contended that Codispoti and current Mayor Robert Romano, who at the time was a lieutenant in the Police Department’s Internal Affairs Office, dismissed the allegation. Farabella alleged he was demoted, suspended and repeatedly punished because of the charges he made against the officers.
Romano said all of Farabella’s allegations were reviewed, resulting in no findings of wrongdoing. He also said that Farabella made unsubstantiated charges against other police officers for about a decade.
Staff writer Donna Weaver contributed to this report.
Contact Thomas Barlas:
609-226-9197
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