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The State Police Retirement Board last month reduced by 12 percent the pension of a sergeant who was forced to retire after multiple drunken driving incidents.

(Star-Ledger file photo)

TRENTON — A State Police sergeant involved in two drunken driving accidents during the past three years has been forced to retire and had his pension reduced by about 12 percent, records show, though he was spared a far worse financial penalty.

In the first incident, Sgt. Joseph Lettieri, while off-duty in his personal vehicle, was involved in a hit-and-run accident on the Garden State Parkway in May 2011, just two days after the force tightened its rules related to drunken driving accidents.

He later pleaded guilty to failure to report a motor vehicle accident and driving while intoxicated, according to retirement papers obtained under the Open Public Records Act.

Then in December, Lettieri, while off-duty and after drinking at Oh' Brian's Pourhouse in Fanwood, drove his troop car into a private residence and utility pole and fled the scene without notifying local police, retirement records show. Later that morning, Lettieri returned to his car and drove it to his residence, according to the records.

He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, was sentenced to a six-month suspension of his driver's license and fined $400. He subsequently entered a plea agreement with State Police in which he admitted guilt, was suspended for 85 days, forfeited all of his accrued vacation and personal time and was terminated March 25.

The most recent offense violated the terms of a previous agreement Lettieri struck with State Police that allowed him to be removed for just cause if new allegations were substantiated against him serious enough to warrant termination, records show.

As a result of the offenses, the State Police Retirement Board last month voted to reduce Lettieri's annual pension to $48,891, 12.67 percent less than the $55,984 to which he would have been entitled, according to the state Treasury Department.

Lettieri earned $116,285.56 in salary and other pay, excluding overtime, in 2013, according to state payroll records.

"Although he was off-duty at the time of the last incident, he was using the State Police troop car while intoxicated which caused him to discredit the State Police organization," the board wrote in its decision. "The board determined that his misconduct is highly egregious as a trooper with the New Jersey State Police."

The board added that his conduct was a "serious breach of the public trust and threatened the safety and lives of citizens and personal property."

The reduction was based upon the percentage of Lettieri's 23 years and eight months of service that the board deemed to be dishonorable, which it ruled was his last three years. The board chose the percentage reduction rather than forcing Lettieri to forfeit actual service time on the force, which could have caused him to fall below 20 years.

After 20 years of service, troopers receive 50 percent of their final compensation. If they leave before then, but have more than 10 years on the force, they receive just 2 percent of their final compensation upon turning 55 years old.

"The board took deliberate action to not reduce Mr. Lettieri's service credit below 20 years as he would no longer qualify for service retirement," according to the decision.

Lettieri's attorney, Jeffrey Catrambone, said today his client "received a pension commensurate with his years of honorable service as a member of the State Police."

"We respectfully disagree that the reduction in his pension benefit is in any way appropriate," he said in a statement. "Nonetheless our client looks forward to moving on to the next phase of his life and is grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the citizens of New Jersey."

Catrambone said during the retirement board hearing that Lettieri accepted the State Police plea agreement before reaching 25 years of service, which would have qualified him for a pension of 65 percent of his final pay as well as lifetime retiree medical benefits. He reiterated the most recent incident occurred while Lettieri was off-duty and was not criminal.

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