Ex-SEPTA police officer is sentenced to Christmas service
For falsely arresting a nurse on Christmas 2013, former SEPTA Police Officer Douglas Ioven must spend four hours each Christmas for the next four years doing community service.
For falsely arresting a nurse on Christmas 2013, former SEPTA Police Officer Douglas Ioven must spend four hours each Christmas for the next four years doing community service.
That was part of a novel Noel sentence handed down Friday by a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge.
In March, Ioven, 44, was found guilty of false imprisonment and official oppression for arresting nurse Muibat Williamson at Suburban Station, following a contentious confrontation between the two at a Dunkin' Donuts store.
On Friday, Judge Anne Marie B. Coyle sentenced Ioven to serve 30 days in prison over 15 consecutive weekends and 31/2 years of probation, according to court records.
Coyle also sentenced Ioven to 50 hours of anger management and 50 hours of community service each year over Ioven's four years of supervision. She noted that Ioven is to serve four hours of his annual 50 hours of service on Christmas.
Coyle said his service should focus on serving low-income and homeless people.
During Ioven's trial, a former coworker testified that following Williamson's arrest, Ioven told him, "I think I screwed up, because I thought she was a homeless person, but she was a regular person."
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Wellbrock, who prosecuted the case, said he was satisfied with the sentence.
"This is an individual who abused his power and abused his badge and really needed to know what it feels like to take someone's liberty," Wellbrock said.
Williamson, 54, a native of Nigeria who lives in Prospect Park, filed a civil suit in Common Pleas Court against Ioven and SEPTA last year. That suit remains open.
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