Police officer pleads guilty to coercion during Route 17 traffic stop, resigns
A former Tuxedo Police Sergeant pleaded guilty in Orange County Court on Friday to coercion and official misconduct during a car stop he conducted in his official capacity.
Anthony D’Elia, 44, of Tuxedo admitted in court that he stopped a driver on Route 17 in Tuxedo on May 19, 2016, and when he realized the motorist was recording the interaction with a digital device, he coerced him into destroying the memory card by instilling fear that if he did not, D’Elia would arrest him.
An investigation into D’Elia’s actions by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office began after a request from the Tuxedo Police Department.
The matter was presented to a grand jury, which charged D’Elia with various crimes, including the two to which he pled guilty. He surrendered on February 24, 2017. Had he not entered the guilty pleas, the case would have gone to trial on July 31.
A condition of the pleas is that he irrevocably resigns as a Tuxedo police officer and that the convictions make him ineligible to ever be a police officer in the state.
D’Elia told the court he is moving to Maine prior to sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 9.
“Being a police officer in a free society is one of the noblest professions, as well as one of the most difficult jobs,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Borek. “It is always sad when we discover that a police officer has abused his position to commit crimes. Thankfully, instances of this occurring are rare, particularly here in Orange County, where the vast majority of our police officers behave honorably and legally in risking their lives every day to keep our residents and property safe.”