Former Springdale Borough Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Deprivation of Civil Rights

PITTSBURGH—A former Springdale Borough Police officer has been sentenced in federal court to one year and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of deprivation of civil rights, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Mark E. Thom, Jr., 32, of 137 James Street, Springdale, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, on or about December 17, 2011, Thom, a police officer of the Springdale Borough Police Department, punched and used a Taser on a man who was in handcuffs after Thom had arrested him for driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.

U.S. Attorney Hickton said, “The vast majority of law enforcement officials uphold the highest standard of public trust. But when someone abuses his position, we will aggressively hold him accountable. We argued that a prison sentence was especially just, not only for the crime he committed, but also because he was discouraging other police officers from cooperating with us and providing information.”

Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Thom.