COLLINS - A former Gowanda police officer and investigator for the Cattaraugus County district attorney faces sentencing June 10 after pleading guilty to official misconduct in Collins Town Court.
Jason D. Miller, 36, of North Collins was accused of trading three pizzas for clemency from a traffic ticket. The incident is said to have taken place June 4, 2009, when Miller pulled over a woman for driving with a suspended license.
According to Gowanda Officer Jen Alessi, the woman was processed at the Gowanda headquarters and paperwork filed with the state, but local courts never received any record of her.
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Alessi said Miller had already been under investigation for other allegations at the time and a followup on the paperwork "raised red flags" regarding the incident.
Miller was placed on administrative leave in July 2009 and unceremoniously resigned from both Gowanda police and his county investigator position that September. He pleaded guilty to official misconduct May 13.
Other potentially dubious incidences surround Miller's career.
He is required to repay $600 to the Gowanda Police Benevolent Association, which he had served as president, which will be used to reimburse a company that provided clothing items to the organization but reported never receiving payment from Miller.
Alessi said Miller owes the Cattaraugus County District Attorney's office a similar amount of money for a similar alleged scheme. Payments have not yet been received.
There is also the mystery surrounding the Sept. 26, 2008 incident of Miller being shot in his protective vest while on duty.
A suspect was never arrested and Miller reportedly refused to cooperate with investigators. As part of his plea, Miller has been ordered to reveal all he knows of the incident before his sentencing date.
"He has not cooperated, since he has been shot, with our department, the State Police or the DA's office," Alessi said, "and he was told by his lawyer last Thursday (he) would tell the truth as part of the plea deal."
Alessi added that, between the departments' investigations into the alleged shooting, there should be enough information to determine whether Miller will be truthful in his testimony.
"They will follow through on anything he says and it will not be in his best interest if he were to lie," she said.