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Wilkes-Barre Officer in ARD Program: Anthony Falcone Was Charged With Drunken Driving, Accidents Involving Injury.

Posted on: Friday, 23 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

By David Weiss, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Jun. 23--WILKES-BARRE -- A city police officer on Thursday entered a probation program on charges connected to his drunken driving wreck.

Anthony Falcone, 28, of Old Newport Street in Nanticoke, entered Luzerne County's Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program on charges of drunken driving and accidents involving personal injury.

The ARD program is offered the first-time offenders of minor offenses. If a defendant successfully completes the program, their criminal record could be erased.

Falcone was charged May 1 after a hit-and-run crash on Main Street in Dupont April 22.

Police said Falcone pulled out of a bar parking lot, struck a vehicle driven by Michael Ranieli, and then fled the scene. The front of Ranieli's head was bleeding, according to arrest papers.

Several people at the bar identified Falcone as a Wilkes-Barre police officer.

Dupont police contacted him through Luzerne County 911, and Falcone returned to the scene.

Police noticed he smelled of alcohol and had damage to his vehicle. A blood-alcohol test showed Falcone had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13 percent. An adult driver in Pennsylvania is considered intoxicated with a level of 0.08 percent.

Falcone entered the ARD program before Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Conahan.

The judge placed Falcone in the program for one year, directing him to pay an assessment fee of $50 per month, complete safe-driving school, undergo an evaluation, surrender his driver's license for one month, and perform 25 hours of community service within 10 months.

Falcone's attorney, Sam Falcone, said his client accepts responsibility for his actions.

"He's taken appropriate steps to deal with the substance-related matter," said the attorney, who is not related to the officer. "He just wants to move forward as quickly as possible."

Anthony Falcone was hired as a city police officer in February. He had been on administrative duty as of late May. Police Chief Gerry Dessoye did not return a call Thursday to see if Falcone's status has changed.

David Weiss, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7397.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)

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