A Somerset Borough police officer isn’t putting handcuffs on suspects; he has become the suspect in a case of bribery.

$500 dollars and a brave informant was all it took. Now, an officer’s job is in jeopardy and the department he worked for is trying to maintain its reputation.

"People are forced to make decisions every day, and unfortunately, this was just a bad decision,” Somerset District Attorney Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser said.

Jason Ponczek responded to a call earlier this month in Somerset Borough. He encountered a suspect that could have been facing charges.

"During that contact that he had with Officer Ponczek, he was led to believe there would criminal charges filed against him for possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia,” Sergeant Joseph Ruggery with the Greensburg State Police said.

However, the charges turned on Ponczek when the suspect, now called a confidential informant, told state police of a proposition.

"The alternative, based on the cooperation Officer Ponczek told him he had already shown, would be to have a lesser charge filed, a summary offense of disorderly conduct,” Ruggery said.

Police said Ponczek gave the informant the option of going in front of a judge and having the charges on his record.

"Or he said we could take care of it right here, and according to the informant, he motioned to the passenger seat next to him, indicating he could just be given the money and his arrest would go away,” Ruggery explained.

Police said the proposition went through Friday night. The informant reportedly met Officer Ponczek in the parking lot of a bank. The transaction of $500 dollars of police funds (with recorded serial numbers) are now part of the investigation.

"Officer Ponczek accepted the money, told the informant that no charges would be field against him, and our informant left the scene,” Ruggery said.

Police said Ponczek is on suspension from the department.

"Unfortunately, when you are a law enforcement officer, you're held to a higher standard and you take an oath and there's a level of expectation for your behavior,” Lazzari-Strasiser said.

Ponczek was released on $50,000 unsecured bond Friday night. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

With the news of a distraction in the police department, Chief Randy Cox is promising the community he will review his policies with all of his officers and make sure this is an isolated incident.

He said he is confident this is not a pattern among any of his officers.

Chief Cox wants to restore the trust he had in the people he served prior to this disappointing situation.

“This is going to present a challenge in the public's confidence in our department, and we feel that the best way we can successfully meet that challenge and restore the public's confidence is to deal with it in a very transparent way,” Chief Cox said.

When that review is complete, he said it will be released to the public no matter what the outcome might be.