Reports: Sewickley Heights Dispatcher Settles Wrongful Arrest Lawsuit with Moon, Coraopolis

Moon Township and Coraopolis borough have settled a lawsuit with a Sewickley Heights dispatcher who said he was mistakenly arrested on drug charges. 

Jason A. Cercone, 30, of Moon, sued both Moon and Coraopolis, claiming borough police wrongfully arrested him on drug charges based on statements made by a Moon Township police officer, according to court records. 

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Moon has agreed to pay the man $12,500 to settle the federal suit; Coraopolis will pay $25,000. 

Cercone alleged in the suit, filed in July 2012, that police confused him with another man when they arrested him for selling drugs on April 10, 2012. The charges were withdrawn days after the arrest in Coraopolis District Court.

According to the suit, Cercone said he was approached by police in the parking lot of the Sewickley Heights police station, where he has worked for about seven years as a dispatcher. 

Police placed him under arrest on drug charges, outside the station according to court documents. 

But police had a warrant for a different man named Jason Cercone, who resides in South Heights, according to the lawsuit. 

Cercone claimed the wrongful arrest occurred in part because of a statement from a Moon Police officer. 

The newspaper reports that a joint motion filed by the municipalities to dismiss the case is still pending before U.S. District Judge Gary Lancaster. 

Read more about the incident here. 

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