SUNBURY - Noted Sunbury attorney Thomas E. Boop was appointed Thursday as a temporary special assistant district attorney for Northumberland County, returning to the office where he served for eight years.
County District Attorney Anthony J. Rosini reported Boop is volunteering his services on a part-time basis to the DA's office to help them clear a backlog of forfeiture cases.
"I'm extremely grateful for Tom's kind offer to help out with our pending forfeiture cases," Rosini said in a press release Thursday. "Given the cuts in our staff, we just aren't able to investigate, file and prosecute all forfeiture cases that are generated by the drug task force in a timely manner."
Drug forfeitures occur when police departments seize money from criminals, happening more frequently in drug cases because of the crime's nature. The seized funds are held by the police as evidence while the case is prosecuted. Once the case is resolved, the Commonwealth can ask to forfeit the cash or other property to be used for law enforcement purposes, if it is related to criminal activity. Funds seized in this way go to the Northumberland/Montour Drug Task Force for drug enforcement efforts.
Rosini has been at odds with the Northumberland Couuty Commissioners after the county salary cut the number of assistant district attorneys from five to four in January, saving the county approximately $80,000 in salary and benefits, but increasing the workload for the remaining attorneys. John Muncer was the attorney cut, but filed a grievance with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) over the firing.
The PLRB sided with Muncer in August, awarding him $23,000 in back pay for six months lost wages and his job back. Muncer declined; he was appointed assistant county solicitor in February. Rosini maintains the position that the fifth attorney should be reinstated.
From 1978 to 1984, Boop served as an assistant district attorney for the county and successfully prosecuted numerous misdemeanor and felony cases. He was also the lead counsel on two criminal homicide trials that resulted in convictions.
An avid outdoorsman, he recently completed an eight and one-half year term as a board member of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, serving two years as board president. In February, Boop was appointed to Gov. Tom Corbett's advisory council for hunting, fishing and conservation for a one-year term.
The release states Boop will assist the law enforcement committee at no cost to the taxpayers, and will receive an annual salary of $1.
"Tom's assistance will be a great help in keeping our drug task force funded and able to investigate the increased drug activity we are experiencing," Rosini said.