A civilian Nassau County police service aide struck a plea deal with prosecutors to complete 21 hours of community service to settle a charge that she harassed a romantic rival for months.
Frances Colvin accepted an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal Tuesday at First District Court in Hempstead, meaning she doesn’t have to admit guilt and the case will be sealed if she doesn’t get arrested again anytime soon.
“You complete your community service, don’t get in trouble for six months, it’ll be like it didn’t happen,” Judge David Sullivan told Colvin as she signed an order of protection requiring her to stay away from the victim.
“There was no overt act of harassment,” said her attorney, Gerard McCloskey. “I think if we went to trial it would have been dismissed.”
Authorities had arrested the 56-year-old Malverne woman in November when she was accused of using her access to internal police systems to look up the victim’s 2010 arrest for driving while intoxicated after Colvin learned that she and the victim dated the same man.
The man at the center of the love triangle was never identified. Sullivan read the victim’s name in court, but the Press is not identifying her.
“Call the police. I am the police,” Colvin allegedly told the victim when Colvin confronted her and their apparent co-boyfriend in March 2011, the victim wrote in her statement to police.
The victim told investigators that shortly after the initial confrontation, her employer drug tested her and wouldn’t say if it was because of a phone call, but the tester “gave me a look indicating yes,” the documents read.
During another confrontation months later, Colvin allegedly told the victim that Colvin and the victim’s boyfriend were still dating, according to the documents. Then, in December 2011, Colvin allegedly contacted the victim’s ex-boyfriend and told him about the victim’s legal troubles.
“I am worried about her coming to my home or damaging my car,” the victim states in her deposition. “I am installing a security camera because of her. I am also concerned about Frances calling my job and getting me in trouble.”
Police had suspended Colvin, who earned $46,296 this year, from her desk job helping Fourth Precinct officers with paperwork, a source familiar with the case told the Press. McCloskey said she’s still working for the department, but was demoted.
Inspector Kenneth Lack, the the top Nassau police spokesman declined to comment on the case because the “item is still with our Internal Affairs Unit.”
