Sheriff’s officer charged with beating wife enters PTI
If Mercer County sheriff’s officer Aaron Scolnick keeps his nose clean for three years, domestic violence and weapons charges will be dropped against him and he can potentially return to work.
According to an order signed by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and Burlington County Superior Court Judge Christopher Garrenger, Scolnick entered a Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI) on Nov. 29.
The 39-year-old was arrested in November 2016 for “recklessly causing bodily injury” to his wife at their home on the first block of Blue Devil Lane in Hamilton, prosecutors previously outlined. He was charged with simple assault, a disorderly persons offense.
Scolnick, who was suspended as a sheriff’s officer without pay following his arrest, was also charged with possession of an assault firearm, possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine and possession of a switchblade knife as a result of the attack, authorities said.
According to the New Jersey Judiciary’s website, PTI is a diversionary program for first-time offenders that permits defendants to avoid prosecution and conviction if certain conditions are met.
Scolnick’s PTI term is for three years with an option to terminate early, court records show. He must undergo a fitness for duty evaluation conducted by The Institute for Forensic Psychology, the order states.
The terms of the PTI state Scolnick “cannot be employed” as a Mercer County sheriff’s officer while the PTI is pending, though it may be referring to active duty.
Mercer County said last week in response to a public records request that Scolnick is “currently employed” by the sheriff’s office.
The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office will make a determination on Scolnick’s employment in a separate proceeding, the order states.
Scolnick, who was reportedly “drunk as a skunk” at the time of his arrest, must also undergo a substance abuse evaluation and follow any recommendations, court records indicate. The sheriff’s officer must also complete domestic violence counseling and 40 hours of community service, the order states.
Defendants charged with violent offenses “generally are not admitted” into PTI, the judiciary website states.
However, there are cases — most notably former NFL star Ray Rice’s domestic violence incident caught on tape in an Atlantic City casino’s elevator — where violent offenders are permitted to enter PTI.
According to a 9-1-1 call obtained by The Trentonian, the mother of Scolnick’s wife told police that the sheriff’s officer punched her daughter in the chest and that she possibly fell down the stairs because of the impact.
The Mercer Prosecutor’s Office provided no explanation as to why Scolnick was allowed into PTI despite his violent arrest.
Scolnick’s attorney, Les Hartman, of Hamilton, did not return a message seeking comment.
Scolnick, who formerly served in the Army National Guard and spent two tours in Iraq as a helicopter gunner, also had a large hoard of weapons — some of them prohibited — that were found at his home following the alleged assault.
According to the order, Hamilton Township police seized and prosecutors disposed of the following weapons and ammunition: • 1 Molleta Lion Steel Italy Sleipner knife with black handle
• 1 Chris Reeve, black and gray knife, Idaho Made
• 1 Orange Carson Design M16-12zer, CRKT Knife
• 1 Spyderco VG10 black handle knife
• 1 ZT Ken Onion Design S30V black handle knife
• 1 Benchmark Osborne Design 154cm black handle knife
• 1 Molleta Lion Steel Italy Sleipner knife with orange handle
• 1 Smith & Wesson HRT black handle knife in black sheath
• 1 Kabar US Army Olean NY brown handle knife with brown sheath
• 1 Spec plus Spax SP18 Ontario USA Tomahawk with camouflage sheath
• 1 SOG Tomahawk with black sheath
• 8 Gray steel 30 round AR15 magazines
• 3 Black Polymer 30 round AR15 magazines
• 2 Black Steel Ruger mini 10 round .223 caliber magazines
• 1 Ruger mini 14 10 rounds .223 caliber magazines
• 3 boxes of Gold Dot Duty Hollow Point ammunition .40 caliber containing 50 rounds each • 3 boxes of Gold Dot Duty Hollow Point ammunition .40 caliber containing 50 rounds each
• 3 rounds of Ball ammunition .40 caliber
• 4 Glock 12 round .40 caliber magazines
• Seven 50 round boxes of .22LR caliber Thunderbolt ammunition
• Four 100 round boxes of Federal .223 Remington 55 Grain FMJ ammunition
• 2 boxes of Winchester .22LR 36 grain containing 555 rounds each totaling 110 rounds
• 18 boxes of Winchester Super Target 12 gauge ammunition containing 25 rounds each
• 6 loose rounds of 12 gauge shotgun ammunition
• 1 box of Hornady .308 caliber containing 20 rounds
• 1 box of American Eagle .308 caliber containing 9 rounds
• 34 loose rounds of .40 caliber ammunition
• One 1.47 oz can of MK-3 OC spray
• 1 New Jersey Firearms identification card in the name of Aaron Scolnick
• 1 LaRue Tactical M68 CCO (Aimpoint) scope
• 2 soft handgun cases
• 1 Armalite M15A4 Rifle in 5.56 caliber
And if that wasn’t enough to equip a small army, Scolnick was also ordered to sell the following items to Cheyenne Mountain Outfitters in Bordentown that were seized by police at the time of his arrest:
• 1 Black Remington 700 .308 caliber Winchester Tactical Rife
• 1 Black Remington 870 Tactical 12 Gauge Pump Shotgun
• 1 Marlin Papoose 22LR Rifle in red case
• 1 Diana Model 24 .77 caliber pellet gun
• 1 Ruger Mark II Target Semi-Automatic handgun in sealed gun case
• 1 Silver colored Ruger Redhawk .44 Caliber Magnum Handgun
• 1 Remington 870 Shotgun with black storck
• 1 Remington 870 hand guard
Prosecutors said if Scolnick’s PTI is successfully completed, his weapons and simple assault charges would be dismissed.
Ernest Cerino, a spokesman for the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, would only say in an email that Scolnick is “currently not working” for the department.
Scolnick has been with sheriff’s office from more than 10 years and earns an annual salary of $88,067. He will not be entitled to any back pay if he returns to work, the PTI order states.
Scolnick was one of three Mercer County sheriff’s officer’s charged within a fivemonth period for beating their female companions.
Lt. Scott Schoellkopf was also charged with assaulting his wife at their Chesterfield home on April 28, 2017. The simple assault charge was dismissed, and Schoellkopf returned to work following the death of his wife, Regina, from an apparent suicide.
The parents of Regina Schoellkopf had questions following the release of the autopsy results, with her mom even claiming that her daughter was murdered.
Another officer, Jason M. Young, was arrested on Jan. 26, 2017 at his Hamilton apartment for simple assault after giving his girlfriend a black eye, knocking her to the ground, dragging her by the hair across the floor and kicking her right side above her hip, causing immediate bruising and lacerations, according to a copy of the criminal complaint obtained by The Trentonian in response to a public records request.
Young’s anger stemmed from coming home and seeing the victim drinking a beer, the complaint states.
The case, which is being heard in Hamilton Municipal Court, is pending a judge’s decision, The Trentonian has learned.
Following the arrests of the three officers, Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler said in a statement that he has “zero tolerance for domestic abuse in our community and among our ranks.”
Victims of domestic violence have help available. Online chat is available so victims can ask for help quietly www.thehotline.org or the phone line is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Help for all kinds of crisis is available at www.crisistextline.org, if you are in crisis text HOME to 741741.