Philadelphia-area Guard/Police Officer Charged with Theft from Client

    Sept. 30, 2004

    A Camden County police officer accused of taking $1,800 from a business where he moonlighted as a security guard was charged Tuesday with theft and official misconduct, authorities said.

    Patrolman Craig DiPatri, 33, is accused of taking a bank deposit bag filled with cash from the offices of the Berg Furniture Warehouse in Barrington early Sept. 3, Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi said.

    DiPatri, a nine-year veteran of the Barrington Police Department, was on duty and in uniform at the time of the alleged theft. He has been suspended from the department, Sarubbi said.

    Investigators say they believe DiPatri bypassed the warehouse's alarm system and gained entry about 4 a.m.

    Employees discovered the money missing when they arrived for work, Sarubbi said.

    At the time, DiPatri worked as a part-time security guard at the warehouse. A spokeswoman for Berg, which manufactures high-end children's furniture, had no comment when reached at the warehouse yesterday, citing the ongoing investigation.

    No court date has been scheduled.

    If convicted, DiPatri faces a five-year prison sentence on the theft charge and up to 10 years on the charge of official misconduct.