Buglio
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WILKES-BARRE — Former West Hazleton police chief Brian Buglio, 46, was sentenced Tuesday to two months in federal prison for threatening a citizen with criminal charges over critical social media posts.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Buglio pleaded guilty to a deprivation of civil rights after he threatened a citizen with felony charges in retaliation for social media posts that were critical of the former chief and the police department.
The sentence imposed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito Jr. also includes one-year of supervised release with the first four months on home confinement.
In pronouncing the sentence, Saporito deemed Buglio’s actions as, “An abuse of power” when he threatened to use the criminal justice system to further his own personal interest.
Buglio was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.