Lackawanna County probation officer, deputy sheriff husband get probation for DUI case
Jan. 24—A Lackawanna County adult probation officer charged with drunken driving in September and her husband, a county deputy sheriff, charged with obstructing police investigating her case, quickly entered a special probationary program that could clear their records.
Natalie George, 32, and Joseph George, 41, were accepted into the accelerated rehabilitative disposition program, commonly known as ARD, less than a month after being charged, court records show. Their records will be cleared if they successfully complete the program.
They remain under probation supervision, but supervision was shifted to Wayne County's probation office because of the conflict of interest with the Lackawanna County probation office, District Attorney Mark Powell said.
County Sheriff Mark McAndrew said Joseph George, a corporal in the sheriff's office, returned to work Jan. 18. McAndrew, who put the deputy on administrative leave after he was charged, declined to comment on whether he disciplined him for violating the law. He told a Times-Tribune reporter to file a Right to Know Law request. Powell said George served a period in rehabilitation for addiction as part of getting ARD. Court records show he must attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, too.
Natalie George's employment status could not be confirmed this week. Efforts to reach county probation chief Gene Eiden were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Though she was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, Powell said an evaluation showed she did not require addiction rehabilitation.
Powell declined to comment on their employment by the county.
"I did not have any input regarding their employment," he said in a text.
The Times-Tribune has filed Right to Know requests with the county for the Georges' payroll records and disciplinary letters.
Efforts to reach the Georges and their lawyer, attorney Jason Mattioli, were unsuccessful. Natalie George began working for the county on May 29, 2019, and earned a salary of $39,515 last year. Joseph George was hired June 19, 2007, and earned a salary of $59,238 last year. Their current salaries were not available Tuesday.
Charged on Nov. 10, the Georges, who live in Jefferson Twp., waived their rights to a preliminary hearing Dec. 1 and applied for ARD on Dec. 6. Judge Andy Jarbola approved their entry into the program on Dec. 21 for a 12-month period.
They were each ordered to pay more than $1,500 in court costs and fees. Natalie George must also perform 50 hours of community service and surrender her driver's license for 30 days.
The state Department of Transportation told her the suspension would begin Feb. 9, but she appealed that in county court. The court ordered a delay in the suspension at least until a hearing scheduled for March 15.
Often, criminal suspects wait many months longer than the Georges to get ARD, but a quick ARD isn't unheard of. Powell said getting ARD quickly generally depends on having clean criminal background checks and an ability to pay required fees sooner.
"I'm not aware of any unusual fact in the case, except that the Georges were very quick to make full payment (and) provide rehabilitation records with respect to Joe George," Powell said. "We were able to provide a criminal background check and make a decision to approve the ARD application."
Olyphant Police Sgt. Lewis Kline charged Natalie George with DUI after she crashed her car into a tree Sept. 21 on Marshwood Road, according to an arrest affidavit.
Joseph George called Kline, telling him, "You have to get up to Marshwood Road. Natalie crashed her car!" By the time police arrived, Natalie George was gone and her husband told Kline he picked her up and drove her home, according to an arrest affidavit.
A blood test later showed Natalie George had a blood alcohol level of 0.127%. The legal limit is 0.08%.
Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter.
