Reports: Moon Settles in Wrongful Arrest Lawsuit

Moon Township and Coraopolis borough have settled a lawsuit with a man who said he was mistakenly arrested on drug charges. 

Jason A. Cercone, 30, of Moon Township, sued both Moon and Coraopolis, claiming borough police wrongfully arrested him on drug charges based on statements made by a Moon Township Police officer, according to court records. 

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Moon has agreed to pay the man $12,500 to settle the federal suit; Coraopolis will pay $25,000. 

Cercone alleged in the suit, filed in July 2012, that police confused him with another man when they arrested him for selling drugs on April 10, 2012. The charges were withdrawn days after the arrest in Coraopolis District Court.

Cercone said police in Coraopolis confused him with another man by the same name who resided in South Heights. He was taken into custody outside of the Sewickley Heights Police station, where he worked as a dispatcher. 

He claimed the wrongful arrest occurred in part because of a statement from a Moon Police officer. 

The newspaper reports that a joint motion filed by the municipalities to dismiss the case is still pending before U.S. District Judge Gary Lancaster. 

Read more about the incident here.