LAWRENCE: Officer reinstated after theft charge dismissed

By Lea Kahn
   Patrolman Todd Sparks, 44, who had been accused of fraudulently seeking reimbursement of $250 for eyeglasses from Lawrence Township, has been reinstated following the dismissal of the charge by a Mercer County state Superior Court judge.
   Patrolman Sparks went back to work April 27, one day after the charge of theft by deception was dismissed by Judge Edward M. Neafsey on the recommendation of the Mercer County prosecutor’s office.
   The police officer, who has worked for the Lawrence Police Department for 18 years, was suspended with pay Jan. 8, 2010.
   He was suspended without pay March 16, 2010 until his reinstatement last week.
   Now that the suspension has been lifted, he is owed back pay.
   Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun said the amount of back pay has not been determined. His salary is $99,273.
   Casey DeBlasio, the spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, said many reasons played into the decision to recommend the dismissal of the indictment — including the likelihood that a trial date would be many months away.
   ”Chief among (the reasons) was one of our main witnesses made inconsistent statements and kept incomplete business records,” Ms. DeBlasio said, adding that dismissal of the indictment should not be interpreted as an indication that the officer did nothing wrong.
   Although the charge was dismissed, Ms. DeBlasio said, the Lawrence Police Department has an alternate remedy in that it may pursue administrative charges against Patrolman Sparks.
   Whether the matter is treated administratively or criminally, the police officer is facing the potential loss of his job, she added.
   Meanwhile, Mr. Krawczun declined to discuss the issue because it is a personnel matter.
   This is not the first time that Patrolman Sparks has been suspended. He was suspended from October 2008 to October 2009 after he was charged with theft for allegedly stealing money from the Police Benevolent Association Local 119.
   The theft charge was later dismissed by the Mercer County prosecutor’s office after Patrolman Sparks produced documents that showed he did not steal money from the PBA.
   He had been charged with theft for allegedly failing to turn over about $8,000 to the PBA between Dec. 2007 and October 2008.