Whitemarsh police officer charged with drug thefts

A Whitemarsh Township patrolman was ordered held for trial this morning on charges he stole narcotics from a locked medicine cabinet while working as volunteer with the Plymouth Ambulance squad.

Dominic Venezia, 37, of Hemlock Drive, was bound over on charges of theft, possession of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property for a later trial in Common Pleas Court in Norristown.

Venezia waived his preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Justice Francis J. Bernhardt in Conshohocken.

He was arrested June 1 after the ambulance squad's chief of operations noticed that morphine meant to treat trauma patients was missing from a cabinet in the squad's base station.

Police set up a surveillance camera late in May and captured videotape of Venezia stealing the drugs, according to law-enforcement officials.

By comparing that evidence with the times his key card was used to open the office, police were able to identify Venezia as the one stealing the drugs, said Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman.

Venezia was arrested while on duty as a Whitemarsh Township patrolman. When confronted with the thefts, he told investigators he had a drug problem and was immediately removed from duty and placed on leave, Ferman said.

The drugs were for personal use, not sale or distribution to anyone, said Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Strubel, the prosecutor on the case

Venezia is free on $5,000 bond. A court date has not yet been set.

Contact staff writer Bonnie L. Cook at 610-313-8232 or bcook@phillynews.com.