Former cop in North Braddock, Blawnox will serve a year of probation for theft

When the state police suspected in 2019 that a Blawnox police officer was stealing money from vehicles he was sent to investigate, they set up an “integrity test” for him.

Trooper Jonathan Eberhardt put $225 of marked money in a pill bottle in the cup holder of a car, entered its license plate as stolen in a database and placed the car under surveillance.

Then, troopers called 911 to report it as suspicious.

Blawnox Officer Joseph A. Lynn was dispatched to the car on Nov. 13, 2019.

“Video surveillance then showed him taking the pill bottle containing the $225 and placing the bottle in his pocket,” according to a grand jury presentment.

Lynn went on to report the vehicle as stolen to the state police and gave them a copy of his incident report.

“He did not mention the money to the troopers, nor did he note it in his report,” the grand jury said.

It recommended criminal charges against him on July 31.

On Wednesday, Lynn, 34, of McKeesport, pleaded guilty to theft, tampering with evidence and obstruction.

He was ordered by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony M. Mariani to serve one year probation.

Lynn previously worked for North Braddock police, but he was terminated from there in August 2019 before getting hired by Blawnox.

After its integrity operation, the state police did not approach Lynn about the missing money until 12 days after it was taken, the grand jury presentment said.

“He admitted stealing the money after he was confronted with the fact that there was video surveillance in the car,” the filing said. “Lynn also admitted doing something similar when he was employed at North Braddock.”

In that incident, Lynn said he responded to a crash with no driver on-site and stole $200 to $300 from the driver’s side visor area, the grand jury said.

Lynn, who was prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, was fired by Blawnox immediately after the department learned what happened.