Cop resigns in face of drug charge
A former Centerville Borough police officer faces charges of possessing 20 packets of heroin. Joseph Impiccini Jr. resigned from his policing duties in the wake of the charges, he told South Union Township District Justice Rick Vernon on Friday.
The 26-year-old Brownsville man turned himself in at Vernon’s office instead of waiting for a summons on the first-degree misdemeanor drug charge to be mailed to him. Vernon released Impiccini on a $10,000 signature bond and ordered him to appear next month for a preliminary hearing.
From the bench, Vernon indicated that Impiccini came in voluntarily because he wanted to “get the (criminal) proceedings started.”
Agent John J. Kaminsky of the state attorney general’s office filed the charges, alleging that Impiccini was a regular heroin-buying customer at the home of Keisterville resident Charles G. Swink.
On Sept. 3, Kaminsky was doing surveillance of Swink’s home and reportedly saw Impiccini pull up in a yellow Ford Mustang. After Impiccini left, Kaminsky went into Swink’s home and confiscated five packs of heroin. Swink also reportedly identified Impiccini to Kaminsky, who was already investigating the officer.
Swink reportedly gave Kaminsky permission to search his vehicle, where the narcotics agent found five more packages of heroin. Swink also faces a misdemeanor drug possession charge.
“Swink stated that Impiccini was a daily customer, usually picking up heroin two times a day from Swink,” Kaminsky wrote in the criminal complaint.
Kaminsky and Swink made arrangements to meet Sept. 4 so that Kaminsky could wait for Impiccini to pick up heroin.
Swink reportedly told Kaminsky that Impiccini called repeatedly throughout the day to get heroin. The two made arrangements for Impiccini to come to Swink’s home that evening to get two bundles, or 20 packs, of heroin for $80. The bundles also included additional packs of heroin Swink owed Impiccini, according to authorities.
When Impiccini arrived, agents were in Swink’s living room. Once he took the heroin and started inspecting it, the agents arrested him, according to the complaint.
Kaminsky said that Impiccini gave a statement to authorities after his arrest, confirming that he went to Swink’s home to buy heroin.
At his arraignment, Impiccini answered Vernon’s questions with polite “Yes, sir” and “No, sir” statements. He also told Vernon that since he resigned from his police job, he would be working for his father, a school bus contractor.
Charges against Impiccini come several months after he took a medical leave of absence from his policing job after a crash in a borough police cruiser.
Borough Mayor Frank Stanko said in June that Impiccini took six weeks off after a May car accident. Stanko, at the time, said the crash was still under investigation.
The accident caused $6,000 in damages to the cruiser, and Impiccini was not injured.
Assistant District Attorney Mark D. Brooks said no mandatory sentence is attached to the charge against Impiccini. The mandatory drug sentences attach only when charges of possession with intent to deliver or delivery charges are filed.