HARDYSTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (Sussex County) – A Hardyston Township police officer faces criminal charges after he allegedly stole property from an individual, according to Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart.
Konstantinos Protogeropoulos, 26 of Newton, who is a sworn police officer for Hardyston Township, was charged on Sept. 5 with third-degree theft and second-degree official misconduct, Taggart said.
It is alleged that Protogeropoulos committed the offense of theft by exercising control over certain movable property valued at $1,225 belonging to an individual, with the purpose to deprive that person thereof, Taggart said.
Protogeropoulos allegedly did commit the offense of official misconduct, in that, acting with the purpose to obtain a benefit for himself or another or to injure or deprive another of a benefit, did commit an act related to his office, but constituting an unauthorized exercise of his official functions, knowing that such act was unauthorized, or did knowingly refrain from performing a duty which is imposed upon him by law or clearly inherent in the nature of his office, that is, as a sworn law enforcement officer employed by Hardyston Township Police Department, having the official functions and duties to perform his duties in a legal and proper manner, to uphold the criminal laws of this State, and to display good faith, honesty and integrity, did commit the offense of theft while on duty as a police officer, Taggart said.
“The allegations against Mr. Protogeropoulos stemmed from a lengthy investigation by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office,” Taggart said.
