WEST ORANGE — A veteran West Orange police lieutenant has been charged with third degree theft and suspended, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed today.

Richard Levens, a 24-year veteran of the township police department, was charged by summons, according to Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray.

His gun has also been removed, she said.

Levens, 45, of Randolph, earns an annual salary of $123,156, public records show. It was not immediately clear whether he was suspended with or without pay.

The prosecutor's office deferred details of the theft incident and Levens' suspension to the West Orange Police Department. Levens was suspended without pay on Wednesday (May 22), township spokeswoman Jessica Glicker said. She did not give details on what was allegedly stolen."

A third degree theft charge involves an amount of more than $500 but less than $75,000.

Levens' attorney, Charles Sciarra, did not immediately return a request for comment.

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