ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A former Allentown police officer who was accused of stealing thousands during a 2019 search will no longer face those allegations in court.
Prosecutors at a Friday hearing dropped charges of theft, receiving stolen property and tampering with evidence against Jason Krasley, 48, of Upper Milford Township, according to a news release from the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.
Krasley was charged in January. Authorities alleged he stole more than $5,000 in May 2019 as he and other Vice and Intelligence Unit officers searched a Hamilton Street barbershop.
Those allegations were at the center of a June 9 hearing in Lehigh County Court.
Former Allentown Detective Ryan Murray, who now works with the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, testified about the missing cash.
He and several other officers testified that thousands of dollars were missing by the time supervisors counted the money again at the Vice Unit’s headquarters that day and put the blame on Krasley.
But charges were not filed for more than five years.
James Burke, Krasley’s defense attorney, in June argued prosecutors did little to prove any money was stolen during the search.
“The commonwealth cannot prove theft in this case,” Burke said. ”It appears like a theft, but that’s about it.
“The one thing I know is they didn’t prove it was this guy,” Burke said, gesturing to Krasley sitting next to him in the courtroom.
Burke in a statement Friday said he “commend[s]” District Attorney Gavin Holihan for “determining that the entire underpinnings of the motivations of the initial prosecution … was improperly” conducted before Holihan took office last year.
State prosecutors in August took over four other cases against Krasley, who still faces dozens of charges, including rape, sexual assault and prostitution.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in August took over the four cases due to a potential conflict of interest.
Those cases were transferred to state prosecutors after Holihan formally requested they review the potential conflict, which stems from an assistant DA’s work as a defense attorney.
First Assistant District Attorney Eric Dowdle represented the boyfriend of a woman who alleges Krasley sexually abused her, Holihan said.
