Feds charge Philly cop with stealing pills from alleged dealer

Feds charge Philly cop with stealing pills from alleged dealer

Federal prosecutors announced Monday that they charged a Philadelphia police officer with snatching pills from an alleged dealer while on-duty.

Thomas Vitanovitz, 32, is charged with “attempted extortion” for seizing 50 pills that he thought were drugs from an alleged drug dealer “under color of official right” while assigned to the 24thDistrict on July 21, 2015.

Prosecutors say there was no legal reason for Vitanovitz to take the pills.

The alleged dealer was not identified, and federal prosecutors did not disclose how the two came into contact or how Vitanovitz tried to “extort” the alleged dealer.

Vitanovitz has been suspended from the police force for 30 days with intent to dismiss, Philly.com reported.