State trooper in Mercer County suspended after arrest on forgery, tampering charges
Pennsylvania State Police announced a state trooper in Mercer County was arrested Wednesday on charges of falsifying his orders for military service with the Ohio Air National Guard.
State Trooper Jamhal Simon, 35, of West Middlesex, is charged with forgery and tampering with records, both first-degree misdemeanors. Simon has been a state trooper since 2015, the agency reported.
State police said Simon, who is originally from Franklin in Venango County, was suspended from duty without pay pending completion of the criminal action.
According to the criminal complaint filed Wednesday before Grove City District Judge D. Neil McEwen, state police said Simon was ordered to report for duty with the 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield, Ohio, seven days in May and June.
After allegedly submitting falsified documents to his state police superiors, Simon was excused from police service an extra four days when he was not on military duty, investigators allege in the complaint.
The Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards, Internal Affairs Division, investigated the accusation against Simon.
State police notified Simon’s military chain of command of the investigation.
Simon was charged via mailed summons, according to online dockets.
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