Man charged in JT police assault

Jim Thorpe Police Department’s detective remains out of work while battling injuries sustained during an arrest in the borough last week.

John George Carfagno III, 26, of Royersford was stopped along West Fourth Street just before 11 a.m. on June 11 for a vehicle code violation.

Carfagno III gave police a false identity and was ordered to get out of the vehicle. While being handcuffed, he began to hit and kick officers.

On Thursday, Jim Thorpe Mayor Michael Sofranko said Detective Lee Marzen remained out of work, while Officer Matthew Schwarz was examined and later released back to active duty.

The fight with Carfagno was brought to the ground and he was eventually subdued with a stun gun and taken into custody.

“We’d like to thank our surrounding departments as well for coming out and assisting,” Sofranko said.

Jim Thorpe Borough Council on Thursday approved a request from Marzen for benefits afforded to him by the Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act.

“Basically how that works is the person also applies for workers’ compensation benefits and I understand that has happened,“ Jim Thorpe Solicitor Jim Nanovic said. “The Heart and Lung benefit is 100 percent of his pay, paid by the borough, but then the workers’ compensation benefits he receives go to the borough. The net result is the borough pays one-third of the benefits.”

Carfagno had an arrest warrant out of Montgomery County stemming from a previous drug arrest.

Police found a backpack belonging to Carfagno with several items of contraband, including marijuana, methamphetamine, a digital scale and a BB-gun.

Carfagno was transported to St. Luke’s Gnaden Huetten campus, where he was treated and released back into police custody.

Charges against him include two felony counts of aggravated assault and one count each of simple assault, resisting arrest, false identification to law enforcement, harassment, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, possession or delivery of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Carfagno was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Casimir Kosciolek, who set a cash bail at $75,000. He is currently in Carbon County prison awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday at 2 p.m.