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(Star-Ledger file photo)

An Edison police officer faces multiple departmental charges and the possible loss of his job for allegedly returning to the scene of an emergency call to proposition a woman for sex.

Anthony Sarni, 39, had just finished his shift and was still in uniform when he drove to the Extended Stay America hotel in Edison’s Raritan Center to find the woman, whom he had met earlier in the night after a disturbance there, according to three law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case.

Once back at the hotel, Sarni allegedly pressed the woman to engage in a sexual encounter, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. The woman rebuffed him and filed a complaint, they said.

"She felt he was being inappropriate and using his authority as a police officer to coerce her," one of the officials said.

Sarni, a 10-year veteran who earns more than $118,000, was suspended with pay last week. He was charged administratively with engaging in inappropriate conduct, lying to investigators and other counts. The charging documents indicate he will be fired if he is found guilty at a departmental hearing.

Sarni could not be reached for comment.

His lawyer, Peter Paris, declined to address the charges, saying in a brief statement that internal disciplinary matters are confidential under guidelines set by the state Attorney General’s Office.

Sarni is the third Edison officer to be charged either internally or criminally over the past five months, contributing to a cloud of misconduct that has lingered over the department for decades.

In June, Patrolman Alan Varady was charged with drunken driving after he was seen swilling beer in his police cruiser. Varady, a 27-year veteran, filed for retirement a month later.

Another officer, Michael Dotro, was charged with five counts of attempted murder in May for allegedly setting fire to his captain’s home while the man and his family slept inside.

Dotro, 36, later was slapped with additional counts that included buying marijuana while in uniform, conspiring to sell the drug, slashing a woman’s tires and accessing the department’s records database for personal use.

Edison Police Officer Michael Dotro, seen here during a court appearance in May, is charged with five counts of attempted murder for allegedly torching a supervisor's house.

The investigation into Dotro’s activities prior to the fire continues. What’s more, it could ensnare one or more of his fellow officers on the night shift.

Dotro, the law enforcement officials said, is accused of engaging in a campaign of harassment against a North Brunswick police officer who had ticketed one of his relatives.

Dotro allegedly enlisted colleagues to aid in the harassment of the man, who lives in Edison. Last month, investigators obtained warrants to seize the cell phones of officers on Dotro’s squad, the officials said. The probe is now focusing on two of the officers, according to the officials.

The incident involving Sarni occurred in April and was the subject of a lengthy investigation and review by Edison’s internal affairs unit and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, which concluded the officer’s actions did not rise to the level of a crime, the law enforcement officials said.

Police Chief Thomas Bryan confirmed Sarni’s suspension but declined to discuss the case, saying it was an internal matter.

The complaint marked the second allegation of sexual misconduct this year against Sarni, a married father of four.

Previously, a female motorist contended Sarni propositioned her after pulling her over in Edison, the officials said. Internal affairs investigators concluded the allegation could not be sustained, meaning it could neither be proved nor disproved.

Sal Della Fave, president of the Policemen’s Benevolent Association in Edison, said he was shocked by the allegations against his colleague.

"I know Tony Sarni well, and he has always been a very good police officer," Della Fave said. "Whatever the outcome of the investigation, he will have to live with that, but Tony has always been an upstanding guy."

Addressing the broader issue of continuing misconduct, Della Fave said the union has worked with department leaders to reform the department.

"There are always going to be a few bad apples in every bunch," he said. "The majority of our people here — the officers and the command staff — are all hard-working mothers and fathers who want to do their job and do what’s best for the town."

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