List of troopers found guilty of sexual misconduct

These are the troopers who were found by state police investigators to have committed sexual misconduct, where they were assigned when the incidents allegedly happened, the accusations against them, and the troopers' defense, if any.

Samuel Derugen Jr.. Troop G, Rockview. Accused of defecating on another trooper at a party, and of sticking a carrot in his butt then eating it. He said he passed gas on the trooper, but did not defecate, and shot the carrot out of his butt, then ate it as a prank.

Richard Geffken. Troop P, Wyoming Vice/Narcotics Unit. A drug dealer contended that she had had a sexual relationship with Geffken, who bought drugs from her as part of his undercover work, and that he had discussed details of a federal narcotics investigation with her. He said she had hit on him but he rebuffed her and that he told her about the federal investigation after the Drug Enforcement Administration already had told her.

Allen Hathaway. Troop G, Philipsburg. Had sex with a woman in a patrol car. He said they only had been talking.

John Lee Highsmith. Troop B, Findlay Station. Shoved a girlfriend in the back, and she fell and her left cheek struck the edge of a storage chest. He said, "I gave her a shove... . Just a shove to kind of maybe push her back a step or two from my proximity."

Jeff Johnson. Troop G, Philipsburg. A husband accused him of having an affair with his wife. Johnson admitted the affair.

Darren Lawrence. Troop K. Female narcotics informant said he and two other troopers (whose names were blacked out from the report because they were not found guilty) sexually abused her in police vehicles when they were on and off duty. Lawrence said he had not known she was an informant and that he had sex with her only once, while off duty, in his personal car.

William Long. Troop R, Honesdale. Raped a woman at her home while on duty. He said it was consensual.

Nicole Palmer and Vicki Sellitto, then cadets. Pennsylvania State Police Academy, Hershey. Took photos of another female cadet naked as she emerged from the shower. Palmer and Sellitto said it had been a practical joke.

Brent W. Robb. Troop G, Lewistown. Accused of physically abusing his wife. She said he "grabbed her by the upper arms and threw her out of his way" and bruised her upper arms. He said she had been trying to prevent him from leaving their home so he grabbed her by her upper arms and "put her down on the bed with just enough force to put here there." He also said she "bruises easily."

Joseph J. Scobbo III. Troop E, Meadville. Photos show him standing naked with a group of people at the 1999 Thunder in the Cascades bike rally. He said he did not remember why he and the others had been standing naked but said they could have been changing clothes.

Roger Stipcak. Troop F, Montoursville. Had sex with a woman while working the midnight shift. He admitted it.

Derek Unrue. Troop P, Shickshinny. Accused of having sex with prostitutes employed by escort services in the Luzerne and Lackawanna county areas. He said he had used escort services at least 21 times to satisfy a fetish but had not had sexual intercourse.

Troop S, Harrisburg. Troopers watching porn video while on duty. Troopers were not interviewed individually about whether or not they had done so.

Here's more.

Unsealed trooper escapades don't clear the air
By NICOLE WEISENSEEEGAN
weisenn@phillynews.com
So, why would a state trooper (or anyone for that matter), defecate on another trooper, stick a carrot up his butt, then eat the carrot?
The answer - it was a prank, and he says he did not defecate, he passed gas - was finally provided late Thursday, when U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe unsealed 47 formerly confidential documents in the Pennsylvania State Police sex scandal. The records detail a variety of tasteless acts by state troopers. (More on the carrot caper later.)
The internal-affairs reports were made public despite a series of last-minute maneuvers by attorneys Marc Durant and Anne M. Dixon, who represented six of the troopers fighting to keep their escapades from becoming public. Rufe denied their requests, and the attorneys decided not to appeal.
The documents, filed as part of a civil suit against the state police, contain detailed reports on 13 troopers who were found guilty of infractions ranging from having sex with an informant, to seeking the services of a dominatrix, to walking around naked at a biker rally.
In those 13 cases, the guilty troopers were named, though victim and witness names were blacked out from the records.
In a 14th case, an entire troop was found guilty of watching pornographic videos while on duty. Those troopers were not named individually.
In 33 other cases, charges against the troopers were found to be unfounded or found to be not sustained, or they were withdrawn.
When troopers were found guilty, most of the punishments were minor. Eleven troopers were suspended for short periods without pay. One was dismissed. One was given a written reprimand.
Ten troopers are still on the force. Details of their punishments were not included in the documents and were not available yesterday.
Attorney Thomas Sheridan, whose lawsuit prompted the release of the reports, yesterday called the punishments "woefully inadequate."
"I think it demonstrates the fact that the state police don't take serious allegations of sexual misconduct," he said. "Most of the time when discipline is imposed, they can surrender vacation days and never actually serve a suspension so it [the punishment] doesn't act as a deterrent either to the troopers who engage in misconduct or to others. What it does is send a signal to everyone in the state police that they don't take this misconduct seriously."
Much of the behavior for which troopers were found guilty occurred off duty, but the state police code of personal conduct prohibits any sexual impropriety, whether it's off or on duty. Therefore, if a trooper has extramarital affairs, frequents a prostitute or engages in sadomasochism, he or she is subject to internal disciplinary measures.
Which brings us back to the carrot story.
On the evening of Oct. 26, 1998, Trooper Samuel M. Derugen Jr., of Troop G in Rockview, was at a party at a fellow trooper's home to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers game.
By the end of the night, the only guests left were Derugen and five other unnamed troopers. A few of the troopers started wrestling, and Derugen walked up to them and passed gas, according to the internal-affairs report. He did not, as was originally alleged, try to defecate on the head of the trooper that was being held down, Derugen and other troopers told internal affairs.
He did admit to what happened next.
"I stood up in a chair, pulled my pants down enough to bare my buttock and inserted a two-inch carrot into my rectum," he wrote in an Oct. 18, 1998, statement to Lt. Michael J. Hample, patrol section supervisor at Troop G, Hollidaysburg.
"I then tightened my abdomen forcing the carrot out of my rectum and fly approximately three feet across the room," he continued. "The mentioned troopers were laughing and calling me a 'sick f-----.' I said, 'You think that's sick and funny, watch this,' and I ate the carrot.
"... You may think this act is disturbing and unusual. The point is I am not stupid enough to practice this behavior in public or while on duty... I am a performer/entertainer and an extremely happy individual... I'm not some nut who needs help."
Rufe also unsealed 33 other internal-affairs investigations on troopers where the results were either not sustained, withdrawn or unfounded. The names of the troopers, the victims and the witnesses were all blacked out. The allegations occurred between 1995 and 2001, the same period covered by the 14 founded cases.
Attorneys for several women who were sexually assaulted by former state Trooper Michael K. Evans are suing various State Police supervisors. Evans pleaded guilty to his crimes and is serving five to 10 years in state prison.
The 47 documents are part of a lawsuit filed by Sheridan, who represents a woman who was 16 years old when Evans sexually assaulted her in 1998.
Sheridan asserts in the lawsuit that the sexual-misconduct cases show "this widespread and longstanding pattern of sexual harassment and misconduct which permeates" the 4,200-member force.
Jack Lewis, a spokesman for the state police, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

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