A former Allentown vice officer accused of sex crimes now faces trial in county court on charges he stole $5,000 during a drug raid six years ago.
During a roughly three-hour preliminary hearing Monday, multiple Allentown police officers testified that Jason Krasley, 48, insisted he help count money during a raid, and left the vice office after it was discovered money was missing. When confronted, they testified, Krasley said he could not remember how much he had counted, and said he messed up the count.
Senior Judge Jacqueline Taschner determined prosecutors for the Lehigh County district attorney’s office provided enough evidence for Krasley, of Upper Milford Township, to face trial in county court. He remains charged with felonies of theft and receiving stolen property, as well as a misdemeanor of tampering with evidence.
Krasley remains free on bail. He is also charged with sex offenses, including rape, that allegedly occurred while he was investigating prostitution. One case was withdrawn recently because there was difficulty getting an alleged victim in the area to testify, according to a DA’s office spokesperson. The charges may be refiled.
Krasley’s attorney, James Burke, said Monday there was no proof that Krasley took the money, and there was no evidence that a theft even occurred.
“I am shocked, I really am,” he said.
County detectives, who filed charges in November, allege Krasley took $5,500 while serving a search warrant May 16, 2019, at a barber shop. He was among a small group of officers at the barbershop in the 1100 block of Hamilton Street in relation to a drug case.
County Detective Ryan Murray, who was part of the vice team at the time, testified that an officer found money there and handed it to him to count. Krasley “insisted” on helping him count the money, he said, so they divided the money.
Murray said he counted $6,000 in his portion, and Krasley counted $10,000. The money was placed in an evidence bin, then taken to a police van, where it was secured.
The group then went to a home in the 1300 block of Chew Street for another search related to the investigation. While in the home, Krasley offered to take his fellow officer’s tactical vests back to the van, and he requested the keys from one of the supervisors, according to testimony.
Allentown Detective Stephen James testified that he walked outside to the van, and saw Krasley there. “He appeared like I caught him off guard,” he said.
James and Murray both testified that Krasley left the van with his tactical vest still on, when he was supposed to be putting it away.
After searching that home, the officers returned to the vice office. Detective Joseph Graves testified that an evidence bag that was supposed to contain money was empty, and Krasley could not remember how much he counted at the scene. Krasley then left, and told Murray to tell the assistant district attorney handling the investigation that he messed up the count, according to testimony.
Capt. Christopher Diehl, a sergeant and vice supervisor at the time, said he instructed Officer Damien Lobach to alter the evidence receipt to reflect the money found after the search. Diehl testified that it was a “collective decision” in the office over what to do and what had happened. He said he initially thought the money was miscounted, something that happened sometimes.
Later, he said, he reported it to the then-police chief and district attorney’s office. He expressed remorse at not doing it sooner.
“If I could change it, I would go back and I would,” he said.
Krasley’s attorney said there was no evidence presented during the hearing to show a theft even happened because no other officers counted to verify the amount before it was placed into evidence. He also noted that other officers in the unit could have accessed the money too.
“This guy did not take this money,” he said of Krasley.
He also took issue with Diehl, who he said was seen speaking to the other testifying officers outside the courtroom, despite the witnesses being sequestered. Diehl said Murray briefly mentioned some of the questions being asked.
First Assistant District Attorney Eric Dowdle called the alleged theft a “crime of opportunity” created when the officers went directly from the barbershop to the second location. The unit does not often go directly from one searched location to another, he said.
Krasley retired from the department in 2021. He also worked for SafeSport Center, which fired him in November.
