VINELAND — Two Vineland police officers who took an oath to uphold the law were arrested Friday and charged with breaking it — specifically, stealing money from their police union where they both held leadership positions.
Patrolmen Steven R. Buglio, 36, of Laurel Street in Vineland and William C. Newman, 30, of Chestnut Street in Elmer turned themselves in Friday afternoon at the Sixth Street police headquarters where they worked.
Their arrests stem from an ongoing investigation into theft allegations related to reported financial irregularities at the Police Benevolent Association Local 266, a union that represents both Vineland and Buena police officers.
Buglio was president of the local and Newman was treasurer.
Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said the officers were charged with four counts each. They were:
Theft by failure to make required disposition of property received (namely Local PBA 266 funds) and using in excess of $500 as if it were their own;
Misapplication of entrusted property (namely Local PBA 266 funds) in excess of $1,000;
Conspiracy to commit the offense of failure to make disposition of property received;
Conspiracy to commit the offense of failure to make disposition of property received.
State union officials said it hasn’t yet been determined exactly how much money Buglio and Newman allegedly took from the union. The charges are all third-degree crimes and could result in jail time.
The state PBA removed Buglio and Newman from their union positions and Police Chief Tim Codispoti has suspended them without pay from their jobs.
“This is not indicative of the department at large. This is the action of one or two officers perhaps,” the chief said Friday.
The chief declined to say when the investigation began but said it was not a long-term investigation. Criminal complaints against Buglio and Newman, provided by the prosecutor’s office, say the alleged crimes happened on or about Nov. 8, 2011 and “diverse dates.”
Buglio worked as a special officer for more than two and ½ years before he was hired as a patrolman Dec. 13, 2004 and is currently making $76,000 per year. Newman is a five-year police veteran with a $63,000 annual salary.
On Friday, both officers were fingerprinted, processed and released on their own recognizance. Buglio left the station by a side door alongside his attorney Michael Testa Jr.
Both Testa and Buglio declined to comment when approached by a Daily Journal reporter. Newman had left the station earlier in the day.
The investigation began when local PBA members reached out to their state union leaders concerned about their local’s financial issues, according the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association.
“These concerns elevated when information was developed that financial records were incorrect. The information was shared with law enforcement and an investigation was undertaken,” according to the state PBA union officials. “The members of Local 266 who have been victimized by these actions are upset that anyone would violate their trust.”
State PBA President Anthony Wieners met with Local 266’s new president Vineland Greg Pacitto Friday morning. Pacitto, who was previously the union’s vice president, was moved up Wednesday when state union officials pulled Buglio.
It was an unusual occurrence noting only two to three PBA presidents have been removed from their positions during the past decade, state PBA spokesman Jim Ryan said
In the meeting with Pacitto, Wieners committed to assisting with the resources necessary to assist the local.
“I expressed my concerns for their members and gave him my vote of confidence to correct the situation,” Wieners said. “Local 266 represents some of the hardest working men and women in law enforcement in southern New Jersey, and they deserve answers.”
Pacitto admitted it was a “very difficult time.”
“We will do everything possible to recover our membership’s money,” he said.
Codispoti noted the police department is a separate entity from the PBA and does not oversee the day-to-day operation of the union.
When the theft allegations were brought to his attention, Codispoti said he took the matter to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, who handled the investigation through its professional standards unit.
“I would like to thank Chief Timothy Codispoti and the Vineland Police Department for their full cooperation during a time which I can only surmise must be very difficult for both the chief and the members of PBA Local 266,” Webb-McRae said.
The officers were suspended with pay on Wednesday but that was upgraded to suspended without pay following their arrest Friday, Codispoti said.
“It’s been hard for everyone in the department, the chief said, noting the incident has caused “us all to really look at each other and just wonder how something like this could happen.”
Word of the pending arrests had circulated throughout the week prompting people to contact the police in person and through social media, Codispoti said.
The chief said he wanted to assure the community that he had confidence in his officers.
“Everyone here is deeply affected. The two officers that are implicated in this are not just officers that work here. They’re friends of many of the officers who work here. I remember when they were hired here,” Codispoti said. “It deeply affects you when something like this happens, especially with the circumstances involving funds that in large part belong to fellow police officers.”
Codispoti said the police administration talked to the department about the investigation and subsequent arrests and “we all have to look at ourselves and make sure what we are doing is the right thing.”
News of Newman’s arrest hit state Assemblyman Nelson Albano hard.
“It just knocked me off my feet,” said the state leader who last May stopped by the police department to honor Newman as “a hero” when officer was named the department’s Top Cop for his record of drunken driver arrests.
“It’s shocking, it’s disappointing and it’s frustrating.”
Albano noted some people get involved in things “for the right reason and then they are tempted by the almighty dollar.”
“It happens in politics. It happens in the police department. It happens in all walks of life,” Albano said.