Former Philadelphia Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Extortion
PHILADELPHIA - Thomas Vitanovitz, 32, of Philadelphia, PA, plead guilty today to extortion of an alleged drug dealer while working as a Philadelphia Police Officer, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
Vitanovotz while employed as a Philadelphia Police Officer assigned to the 24th District, seized 50 pills that Vitanovitz believed to be a controlled substance from an individual identified in the indictment as Person 1, under the color of official right.
Vitanovitz faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a possible fine, supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police
Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arlene Fisk.