EDISON -- The township has agreed to settle a legal battle stemming from a 2012 incident, which coined the Edison officer involved the lingerie cop after he admitted to showing up at an area hotel in uniform and asking a woman to model underwear.

"I was approached by counsel for officer Anthony Sarni with whom there has been a tremendous amount of litigation over the years," town attorney William Northgrave said during the Dec. 14 council meeting. "If you approve these agreements tonight all issues with Officer Sarni are behind us."

"He would go away," he said.

Sarni, 42, will retire as part of the settlement resolving two lawsuits related to the patrolman's suspension in 2013 and his firing last year as a result of his involvement in what came to be known in the department as the "lingerie episode."

Sarni was on the job responding to a fire alarm call when the incident first started and later off-duty but still in full uniform with his sidearm as the encounter continued, according to Internal Affair documents.

He will receive about $212,000 as part of the deal, which covers the cop's accumulated vacation pay and legal fees that were capped at $150,000. The township's insurance will pay the officer an additional $32,000, which is equal to three month's pay.

The council unanimously approved the resolution for the settlement after adding it to the council agenda that night.

The township was ordered by Superior Court Judge Douglas Wolfson in January to give Sarni back his badge and gun despite outrage from local officials.

The township has since filed an appeal in the state Appellate Court, but township officials believed the settlement will save the taxpayers any future attorney fees and prevent another possible unfavorable ruling for the municipality.

Sarni officially returned to work on March 14 with a salary of $125,978. In 2017, his salary will be bumped up to $130,240, which, as part of the settlement the township will pay until he enters the pension system. If he does not get approved for his pension by the end of next year, he will retire.

Sarni will remain on medical leave until he retires, according to the township, which would not comment on why the officer was placed on leave on Aug. 19.

Although he only has 13 years as an officer, he could be given a disability pension, according to Northgrave.

"While Edison Township believes it was correct in all actions it took, this resolution permits the Township to assure that Mr. Sarni will never return to his position as a Township police officer and it ends all existing and future litigation, including the need to pay any additional attorneys' fees," the township said in an emailed statement.

Edison will assist Sarni is his application for a state pension, Northgrave said.

Sarni's attorney did not immediately respond to emails for comment.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.