A former Allentown police officer is accused of stealing more than $5,000 in cash that was evidence in a drug trafficking investigation, authorities said Friday.
Jason Krasley, 47, of Upper Milford Township, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and tampering with evidence, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said in a news release.
The offense dated May 16, 2019, while Krasley and other Allentown officers were investigating suspected drug dealing at a barbershop on the 1100 block of Hamilton Street, Holihan said.
Officers seized cocaine, drug paraphernalia and cash from the store. Police later recorded an inventory receipt and noted that $16,000 in cash was seized from the basement ceiling of the barbershop.
A second inventory receipt was later recorded, showing that only $10,500 in cash was found in the ceiling – $5,500 less than what was on the first receipt.
Investigators later recovered the money and discovered $5,500 was missing. The case was later presented to a Lehigh County grand jury, which handed down the theft indictment against Krasley more than five years after the alleged crime.
Allentown police released a statement Friday about the arrest, identifying Krasley as a former officer.
“The Allentown Police Department advised and consulted with the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office when it was reported in 2019. This resulted in an internal and criminal investigation into the matter at the time. The Allentown Police Department cooperated with this incident and again in 2024 where it was reviewed by the Lehigh County Prosecutor’s Office through the investigative jury process,” the statement said.
“The Allentown Police Department takes all complaints, both internal and external, seriously and conducts a full and thorough investigation related to them,” the statement continued.
Krasley appeared in court Friday for an arraignment and posted bail, court records show.