Suspended Pa. police officer ordered to trial on burglary, insurance fraud, other charges

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The Republic, therepublic.com

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Braddock Borough, PA

LIGONIER, Pa. — A suspended Pittsburgh-area police officer has been ordered to stand trial on charges including burglary and stealing crack cocaine from a police evidence room that he allegedly used to buy the silence of a former live-in girlfriend who allegedly helped him.

Braddock Borough Council voted Tuesday to suspend 29-year-old James Scuffle, of Plum, from their police department after he was ordered to stand trial earlier in the day.

Authorities say James Scuffle also filed a false insurance claim for the theft of his car, in addition to stealing a motorcycle trailer during the burglary in question in April.

The charges stem from incidents that occurred while Scuffle was off-duty due to a duty-related car crash in 2009. He finally returned to work in June.

Scuffle's attorney, Lee Rothman, said the officer's ex-girlfriend and another witness are not credible.

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